wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > HB 2448 > Original Bill

HB 2448 - State expenditure limit

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Section 1

  1. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2027, and each fiscal year thereafter, the state shall not expend from the general fund and related funds in excess of the state expenditure limit established under this chapter.

  2. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2027, and each fiscal year thereafter, the state treasurer shall not issue or redeem any check, warrant, or voucher that will result in a state general fund or related fund expenditure for any fiscal year in excess of the state expenditure limit established under this chapter. A violation of this subsection constitutes a violation of RCW 43.88.290 and subjects the state treasurer to the penalties provided in RCW 43.88.300.

  3. The state expenditure limit for any fiscal year is the previous fiscal year's state expenditure limit increased by a percentage rate that equals the fiscal growth factor.

  4. For purposes of computing the state expenditure limit for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2027, the phrase "the previous fiscal year's state expenditure limit" means the total state expenditures from the state general fund and related funds, not including federal funds, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, plus the fiscal growth factor.

  5. Each November, the economic and revenue forecast council shall adjust the expenditure limit for the preceding fiscal year based on actual expenditures, and known changes in the fiscal growth factor and then project an expenditure limit for the next four fiscal years including any adjustments required under section 2 of this act. If, by November 30th, the economic and revenue forecast council has not adopted the current or projected expenditure limit as provided in this section, the state treasurer shall adjust or project the expenditure limit, as necessary.

Section 2

  1. If moneys are transferred from the state general fund or related funds to another fund or account on or after July 1, 2026, the economic and revenue forecast council, acting pursuant to section 1 of this act, shall lower the state expenditure limit to reflect the shift. For the purposes of this section, a transfer of money from the state general fund or related funds to another fund or account includes any state legislative action taken after July 1, 2026, that has the effect of reducing revenues from a particular source, where such revenues would otherwise be deposited into the state general fund or related funds, while increasing the revenues from that particular source to another state or local government account.

  2. If the cost of any state program or function is shifted from the state general fund or related funds on or after July 1, 2026, to another source of funding the economic and revenue forecast council, acting pursuant to section 1 of this act, shall lower the state expenditure limit to reflect the shift. For the purposes of this section, shifting the cost of a state program or function includes shifting current funding, funding growth, or funding program enhancements from a source other than the state general fund or related funds when that program or function has historically been primarily funded by the state general fund or related funds.

  3. If the cost of any state program or function and the ongoing revenue necessary to fund the program or function are shifted to the state general fund or a related fund on or after July 1, 2026, from another source of funding, the economic and revenue forecast council, acting pursuant to section 1 of this act, shall increase the state expenditure limit to reflect the shift.

  4. If by order of any court, or legislative enactment, the costs of a federal or local government program are transferred to or from the state, the economic and revenue forecast council, acting pursuant to section 1 of this act, shall increase or decrease the state expenditure limit, as the case may be, to reflect the shift.

  5. This section does not apply to:

    1. A transfer of moneys to, or an expenditure from, the budget stabilization account;

    2. A transfer of moneys to, or an expenditure from, the tax relief account created in section 8 of this act;

    3. A transfer of moneys, or shifting of program costs, when that transfer or shift impacts only the general fund or related funds and that transfer or shift neither involves nor impacts any other fund source; or

    4. A statutorily required transfer of moneys from the general fund, or a related fund, to any other fund up to the amount required in the version of the statute in effect on January 1, 2026.

Section 3

The state expenditure limit may be exceeded upon declaration of an emergency for a period not to exceed 24 months by a law approved by a two-thirds vote of each house of the legislature and signed by the governor. The law shall set forth the nature of the emergency, which is limited to natural disasters that require immediate government action to alleviate human suffering and provide humanitarian assistance. The state expenditure limit may be exceeded for no more than 24 months following the declaration of the emergency and only for the purposes contained in the emergency declaration.

Section 4

  1. Each November, the economic and revenue forecast council shall calculate the fiscal growth factor for each fiscal year of the current biennium and the ensuing biennium.

  2. The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

    1. "Fiscal growth factor" means the average of the sum of inflation and population change for each of the prior three fiscal years.

    2. "General fund" means the state general fund.

    3. "Inflation" means the percentage change in the consumer price index for all urban consumers for the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area, or successor index, for each fiscal year as published by the federal bureau of labor statistics.

    4. "Population change" means the percentage change in state population for each fiscal year as reported by the office of financial management.

    5. "Related funds" means the Washington opportunity pathways account, the workforce education investment account, the fair start for kids account, and the education legacy trust account.

Section 5

No state officer or employee shall intentionally or negligently: Over-expend or over-encumber any appropriation made by law; fail to properly account for any expenditures by fund, program, or fiscal period; exceed the state expenditure limit; or expend funds contrary to the terms, limits, or conditions of any appropriation made by law.

Section 6

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    1. Beginning September 2023 and ending June 2025, by the last day of September, December, March, and June of each year, the state treasurer must transfer from the general fund to the connecting Washington account created in RCW 46.68.395 $13,987,000.

    2. For fiscal year 2026, the state treasurer must transfer from the multimodal transportation account created in RCW 47.66.070 to the general fund $111,896,000 in four equal quarterly transfers.

  2. Beginning September 2025 and ending June 2027, by the last day of September, December, March, and June of each year, the state treasurer must transfer from the general fund to the connecting Washington account created in RCW 46.68.395 $11,658,000.

  3. Beginning September 2027 and ending June 2029, by the last day of September, December, March, and June of each year, the state treasurer must transfer from the general fund to the connecting Washington account created in RCW 46.68.395 $7,564,000.

  4. Beginning September 2029 and ending June 2031, by the last day of September, December, March, and June of each year, the state treasurer must transfer from the general fund to the connecting Washington account created in RCW 46.68.395 $4,056,000.

  5. For fiscal year 2026 through fiscal year 2038, the state treasurer must transfer from the general fund to the move ahead WA flexible account created in RCW 46.68.520 $31,000,000 each fiscal year in four equal quarterly transfers. This amount represents the estimated state sales and use tax generated from new transportation projects and activities funded as a result of chapter 182, Laws of 2022.

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    1. For fiscal year 2024, fiscal year 2025, and fiscal year 2028 through fiscal year 2038, the state treasurer must transfer from the general fund to the move ahead WA flexible account created in RCW 46.68.520 $57,000,000 each fiscal year in four equal quarterly transfers.

    2. For fiscal year 2026, the state treasurer must transfer from the multimodal transportation account created in RCW 47.66.070 to the general fund $114,000,000 in four equal quarterly transfers.

  7. For fiscal year 2028 and fiscal year 2029, the state treasurer must transfer from the general fund to the multimodal transportation account created in RCW 47.66.070 $304,691,000 each fiscal year in four equal quarterly transfers.

  8. Transfers in this section do not constitute a money transfer pursuant to section 2 of this act.

Section 7

  1. The director of financial management shall provide all agencies with a complete set of instructions for submitting biennial budget requests to the director at least three months before agency budget documents are due into the office of financial management. The budget document or documents shall consist of the governor's budget message which shall be explanatory of the budget and shall contain an outline of the proposed financial policies of the state for the ensuing fiscal period, as well as an outline of the proposed six-year financial policies where applicable, and shall describe in connection therewith the important features of the budget. The biennial budget document or documents shall also describe performance indicators that demonstrate measurable progress towards priority results. The message shall set forth the reasons for salient changes from the previous fiscal period in expenditure and revenue items and shall explain any major changes in financial policy. Attached to the budget message shall be such supporting schedules, exhibits and other explanatory material in respect to both current operations and capital improvements as the governor shall deem to be useful to the legislature. The budget document or documents shall set forth a proposal for expenditures in the ensuing fiscal period, or six-year period where applicable, based upon the estimated revenues and caseloads as approved by the economic and revenue forecast council and caseload forecast council or upon the estimated revenues and caseloads of the office of financial management for those funds, accounts, sources, and programs for which the forecast councils do not prepare an official forecast. Revenues shall be estimated for such fiscal period from the source and at the rates existing by law at the time of submission of the budget document, including the supplemental budgets submitted in the even-numbered years of a biennium. However, the estimated revenues and caseloads for use in the governor's budget document may be adjusted to reflect budgetary revenue transfers and revenue and caseload estimates dependent upon budgetary assumptions of enrollments, workloads, and caseloads. All adjustments to the approved estimated revenues and caseloads must be set forth in the budget document. The governor may additionally submit, as an appendix to each supplemental, biennial, or six-year agency budget or to the budget document or documents, a proposal for expenditures in the ensuing fiscal period from revenue sources derived from proposed changes in existing statutes.

The budget document or documents shall also contain:

a. Revenues classified by fund and source for the immediately past fiscal period, those received or anticipated for the current fiscal period, and those anticipated for the ensuing biennium;

b. The undesignated fund balance or deficit, by fund;

c. Such additional information dealing with expenditures, revenues, workload, performance, and personnel as the legislature may direct by law or concurrent resolution;

d. Such additional information dealing with revenues and expenditures as the governor shall deem pertinent and useful to the legislature;

e. Tabulations showing expenditures classified by fund, function, and agency;

f. The expenditures that include nonbudgeted, nonappropriated accounts outside the state treasury;

g. Identification of all proposed direct expenditures to implement the Puget Sound water quality plan under chapter 90.71 RCW, shown by agency and in total; and

h. Tabulations showing each postretirement adjustment by retirement system established after fiscal year 1991, to include, but not be limited to, estimated total payments made to the end of the previous biennial period, estimated payments for the present biennium, and estimated payments for the ensuing biennium.

  1. The budget document or documents shall include detailed estimates of all anticipated revenues applicable to proposed operating or capital expenditures and shall also include all proposed operating or capital expenditures. The total of beginning undesignated fund balance and estimated revenues less working capital and other reserves shall equal or exceed the total of proposed applicable expenditures. The budget document or documents shall further include:

    1. Interest, amortization and redemption charges on the state debt;

    2. Payments of all reliefs, judgments, and claims;

    3. Other statutory expenditures;

    4. Expenditures incident to the operation for each agency;

    5. Revenues derived from agency operations;

    6. Expenditures and revenues shall be given in comparative form showing those incurred or received for the immediately past fiscal period and those anticipated for the current biennium and next ensuing biennium;

    7. A showing and explanation of amounts of general fund and other funds obligations for debt service and any transfers of moneys that otherwise would have been available for appropriation;

    8. Common school expenditures on a fiscal-year basis;

      1. A showing, by agency, of the value and purpose of financing contracts for the lease/purchase or acquisition of personal or real property for the current and ensuing fiscal periods; and

    9. A showing and explanation of anticipated amounts of general fund and other funds required to amortize the unfunded actuarial accrued liability of the retirement system specified under chapter 41.45 RCW, and the contributions to meet such amortization, stated in total dollars and as a level percentage of total compensation.

  2. The governor's operating budget document or documents shall reflect the statewide priorities as required by RCW 43.88.090.

  3. The governor's operating budget document or documents shall identify activities that are not addressing the statewide priorities.

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    1. Beginning in the 2021-2023 fiscal biennium, the governor's operating budget document or documents submitted to the legislature must leave, in total, a positive ending fund balance in the general fund and related funds.

    2. Beginning in the 2021-2023 fiscal biennium, the projected maintenance level of the governor's operating budget document or documents submitted to the legislature must not exceed the available fiscal resources for the next ensuing fiscal biennium.

    3. For purposes of this subsection:

      1. "Available fiscal resources" means the beginning general fund and related funds balances and any fiscal resources estimated for the general fund and related funds, adjusted for proposed revenue legislation, and with forecasted revenues adjusted to the greater of (A) the official general fund and related funds revenue forecast for the ensuing biennium, or (B) the official general fund and related funds forecast for the second fiscal year of the current fiscal biennium, increased by 4.5 percent for each fiscal year of the ensuing biennium.

      2. "Projected maintenance level" means estimated appropriations necessary to maintain the continuing costs of program and service levels either funded in the governor's budget document or documents submitted to the legislature or mandated by other state or federal law, adjusted by the estimated cost of proposed executive branch legislation, and the amount of any general fund moneys projected to be transferred to the budget stabilization account pursuant to Article VII, section 12 of the state Constitution. Proposed executive branch legislation does not include proposals by institutions of higher education, other separately elected officials, or other boards, commissions, and offices not under the authority of the governor that are not funded or assumed in the governor's budget document or documents submitted to the legislature.

      3. "Related funds" has the meaning defined in RCW 43.88.055.

    4. (b) of this subsection (5) does not apply:

      1. To any governor-proposed legislation submitted to the legislature that makes net reductions in general fund and related funds appropriations to prevent the governor from making across-the-board reductions in allotments for these particular funds as provided in RCW 43.88.110(10); or

      2. In a fiscal biennium for which the governor proposes appropriations from the budget stabilization account pursuant to Article VII, section 12(d)(ii) of the state Constitution.

  5. Beginning in the 2027-2029 fiscal biennium, the governor's operating budget document or documents submitted to the legislature must reflect the state expenditure limit established under chapter 43.135 RCW and must not propose expenditures in excess of that limit.

  6. A separate capital budget document or schedule shall be submitted that will contain the following:

    1. A statement setting forth a long-range facilities plan for the state that identifies and includes the highest priority needs within affordable spending levels;

    2. A capital program consisting of proposed capital projects for the next biennium and the two biennia succeeding the next biennium consistent with the long-range facilities plan. Insomuch as is practical, and recognizing emergent needs, the capital program shall reflect the priorities, projects, and spending levels proposed in previously submitted capital budget documents in order to provide a reliable long-range planning tool for the legislature and state agencies;

    3. A capital plan consisting of proposed capital spending for at least four biennia succeeding the next biennium;

    4. A strategic plan for reducing backlogs of maintenance and repair projects. The plan shall include a prioritized list of specific facility deficiencies and capital projects to address the deficiencies for each agency, cost estimates for each project, a schedule for completing projects over a reasonable period of time, and identification of normal maintenance activities to reduce future backlogs;

    5. A statement of the reason or purpose for a project;

    6. Verification that a project is consistent with the provisions set forth in chapter 36.70A RCW;

    7. A statement about the proposed site, size, and estimated life of the project, if applicable;

    8. Estimated total project cost;

      1. For major projects valued over five million dollars, estimated costs for the following project components: Acquisition, consultant services, construction, equipment, project management, and other costs included as part of the project. Project component costs shall be displayed in a standard format defined by the office of financial management to allow comparisons between projects;

    9. Estimated total project cost for each phase of the project as defined by the office of financial management;

    10. Estimated ensuing biennium costs;

    11. Estimated costs beyond the ensuing biennium;

    12. Estimated construction start and completion dates;

    13. Source and type of funds proposed;

    14. Estimated ongoing operating budget costs or savings resulting from the project, including staffing and maintenance costs;

    15. For any capital appropriation requested for a state agency for the acquisition of land or the capital improvement of land in which the primary purpose of the acquisition or improvement is recreation or wildlife habitat conservation, the capital budget document, or an omnibus list of recreation and habitat acquisitions provided with the governor's budget document, shall identify the projected costs of operation and maintenance for at least the two biennia succeeding the next biennium. Omnibus lists of habitat and recreation land acquisitions shall include individual project cost estimates for operation and maintenance as well as a total for all state projects included in the list. The document shall identify the source of funds from which the operation and maintenance costs are proposed to be funded;

    16. For any capital budget request for funding in the 2025-2027 or 2027-2029 fiscal biennia for which the project cost is substantially increased, a statement detailing the amount and reason for the additional cost. If the increased cost is the result of a change in design, the agency must also submit a construction cost estimate for the design as originally submitted. For purposes of this subsection (7)(q), "substantially increased" means total estimated project costs are more than 15 percent above those listed in the prior agency budget request and for which the legislature relied in making a funding decision for design or construction, adjusted for C-100 inflation factors;

    17. Such other information bearing upon capital projects as the governor deems to be useful;

    18. Standard terms, including a standard and uniform definition of normal maintenance, for all capital projects; and

    19. Such other information as the legislature may direct by law or concurrent resolution.

For purposes of this subsection (7), the term "capital project" shall be defined subsequent to the analysis, findings, and recommendations of a joint committee comprised of representatives from the house capital appropriations committee, senate ways and means committee, legislative evaluation and accountability program committee, and office of financial management.

  1. No change affecting the comparability of agency or program information relating to expenditures, revenues, workload, performance and personnel shall be made in the format of any budget document or report presented to the legislature under this section or RCW 43.88.160(1) relative to the format of the budget document or report which was presented to the previous regular session of the legislature during an odd-numbered year without prior legislative concurrence. Prior legislative concurrence shall consist of (a) a favorable majority vote on the proposal by the standing committees on ways and means of both houses if the legislature is in session or (b) a favorable majority vote on the proposal by members of the legislative evaluation and accountability program committee if the legislature is not in session.

Section 8

  1. The tax relief account is created in the state treasury. On June 30th of each fiscal year, the state treasurer shall deposit in the tax relief account all state general fund and related account revenues amounts in excess of the state expenditure limit for that fiscal year. In calculating the transfer, the treasurer must first subtract any transfers from the state general fund to the budget stabilization account pursuant to Article VII, section 12 of the state Constitution. In the event a transfer is required, the transfer amount must come solely from the state general fund.

  2. The legislature may appropriate funds from the tax relief account solely to reduce the tax burden borne by those living or doing business in the state of Washington. The legislature may reduce taxes through repeals, tax holidays, reductions to tax rates, tax credits, or any other mechanism authorized by law so long as the relief is broadly based.

  3. Moneys in the account may not be transferred to any other account nor used for any purpose other than tax relief.

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