TagSB5955(31)

Washington State Senate Bill 5955 creates a 'port district equity fund' to help large port districts, such as the Port of Seattle operating Sea-Tac International Airport, pay for aircraft noise mitigation programs in nearby communities. The bill provides an initial one-time appropriation for FY 2025, followed by ongoing funding of up to $10 million per year drawn from sales and use taxes on capital construction projects within the district. It also requires port districts to apply for fund resources to repair or replace noise mitigation equipment that is no longer working or has caused structural damage to properties, with port districts required to match at least half of the Legislature's contribution.

This is a fiscal note summary for Washington State Senate Bill 5955, which concerns large port districts. The document estimates that local governments could face operating expenditures of $100 million per biennium across multiple budget periods, while also projecting declining cash receipt losses to local governments ranging from approximately $867,000 in 2023-25 to over $8.5 million by 2027-29. The Office of State Treasurer notes non-zero but indeterminate cost impacts, and the Department of Commerce's fiscal note was not available at the time of publication in January 2024.

Washington Senate Bill 5955 would require large port districts operating airports with more than 900 daily flights — such as Sea-Tac — to launch a remedial mitigation program addressing failed soundproofing, air quality, green space, and community facilities in noise-impacted neighborhoods. The bill would fund these programs through a portion of the port's annual property tax levy revenue and establish a state environmental equity fund, managed by the Department of Commerce, to provide grants and loans to qualifying ports. Property owners within ten miles of the airport experiencing 55 decibels or more of aircraft noise would be eligible for free inspections and mitigation equipment, with priority given to homes where previously installed soundproofing has failed.

This document lists sign-ins for a Washington State legislative hearing on SB 5955, a bill concerning large port districts, held in January 2024. The overwhelming majority of participants — including residents, neighborhood groups, and city officials from communities like SeaTac, Des Moines, and Seattle — registered in support of the bill, while only two individuals, representing the Port of Seattle and the Washington Public Ports Association, registered in opposition. The bill and its broad community backing appear to be driven by concerns about airport noise and its impact on neighborhoods surrounding Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.