TagWashington State Legislature(117)

This document presents the 2020 Supplemental Operating Budget (ESSB 6168) for Washington State, as amended by the House and published February 28, 2020 by the Office of Program Research. It provides a detailed breakdown of funding allocations and full-time equivalent staffing levels across state government sectors, including Legislative, Judicial, Human Services, Education, and Natural Resources, totaling over $102 billion in revised appropriations. The document covers base budget figures alongside supplemental adjustments for the 2019-21 biennium.

House Bill 2688 proposes changes to Washington State's transportation system policy goals, requiring the Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to evaluate transportation projects submitted to the legislature using updated policy criteria. Multiple state agencies — including the Departments of Commerce, Health, Ecology, and the Interagency Council on Health Disparities — would be required to participate in these project evaluations, along with representatives from vulnerable and highly impacted communities. The fiscal impact on participating agencies is estimated to be non-zero but indeterminate, with the Department of Commerce alone estimating costs of between $21,000 and $35,000 per year.

Washington State House Bill 2688 proposes expanding and modifying the state's transportation policy goals by adding new priorities such as accessibility, health and resilience, and equity and environmental justice, while removing existing goals like mobility and stewardship. The bill would require all transportation projects to be evaluated against these updated goals and specific metrics before receiving budget authorization, with projects failing to meet a minimum score threshold being excluded from funding. The evaluation process would involve multiple state agencies and must include public input from vulnerable and highly impacted communities.

Washington House Bill 2688, introduced in the 2020 legislative session, proposes updating the state's transportation policy goals to prioritize accessibility, environmental justice, public health, and climate by replacing older goals focused primarily on economic vitality and mobility. The bill would require transportation projects to undergo a multi-agency evaluation—including input from vulnerable and impacted communities—before receiving budget authorization. Projects that do not meet a minimum score based on the new policy goals would generally be excluded from funding.

A 2019 University of Washington study found that communities within 10 miles of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport are exposed to ultrafine particle pollution uniquely linked to aircraft emissions, distinct from roadway traffic pollution. These microscopic particles — 700 times thinner than a human hair — are not currently regulated by federal or state air-quality standards, and prior research has associated them with breast cancer, heart disease, prostate cancer, and lung conditions. The policy brief calls on Washington State legislators to fund a follow-up two-year study to investigate the health impacts on nearby communities, which tend to be poorer and more racially diverse than King County as a whole.

This 2019 Washington State draft legislation proposes amending RCW 53.54.030 to allow port districts to repair, replace, or upgrade previously installed noise abatement soundproofing structures in areas impacted by aircraft noise. Under existing law, individual properties generally cannot receive benefits from the same remedial program more than once, but this bill creates an exception for properties where soundproofing installations have deteriorated and need maintenance or improvement. The bill also preserves existing port commission tools such as property acquisition, transaction assistance, mortgage insurance, and land management programs for noise-impacted communities near airports like Sea-Tac.

RCW 36.70A.200 requires counties and cities planning under Washington's Growth Management Act to include a process in their comprehensive plans for identifying and siting 'essential public facilities' — those typically difficult to site, such as airports, state education facilities, regional transportation facilities, correctional facilities, solid waste handling facilities, and inpatient care facilities. No local comprehensive plan or development regulation may outright prohibit the siting of these essential public facilities. The Office of Financial Management maintains a list of essential state public facilities likely to be built within the next six years.

Washington State law (RCW 47.80.020) authorizes the creation of Regional Transportation Planning Organizations (RTPOs), formed through voluntary associations of local governments within contiguous counties. Each RTPO must meet minimum population and geographic requirements, include all counties in the region, and have at least 60% of cities and towns representing 75% of the regional city/town population as members. In urbanized areas, the RTPO is the same body as the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), also known as a COG.

In December 2018, the Port of Seattle Commission reviewed its draft state legislative priorities for the 2019 session, covering topics such as clean fuels standards, workforce development, and transportation access to Sea-Tac Airport. The agenda sought state funding for transportation infrastructure improvements, including potential upgrades to State Route 518 and the Puget Sound Gateway Program, to address growing demand linked to airport expansion. Additional priorities included supporting small and minority-owned businesses, maritime innovation, and land use policies affecting port competitiveness.