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Session News: Supplemental operating and capital budgets fund the UW’s priorities

The state’s supplemental operating and capital budgets were unveiled with funding included for all of the UW’s top priorities. Both budgets will be voted on by the House and Senate in the next 24 hours. The 2024 legislative session is scheduled to end on time tomorrow. After, the budgets will be delivered to the Governor for his consideration and signature.

In the operating budget, major investments for the UW and UW Medicine included:

  • $2.5M (ongoing) to expand the School of Dentistry’s Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE) program, which trains dentists to serve the state’s rural and underserved populations.
  • $330,000 (FY25), $455,000 (ongoing) for The Allen School Scholars Program, a one-year cohort-based program that supports students who are first generation, low-income, and from underserved communities who are pursuing a degree in computer science and computer engineering.
  • $60M (one-time) for UW Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center to support their critical safety net care and medical training missions for the state.
  • $20M (one-time) for the Center for Behavioral Health and Learning (formerly Behavioral Health Teaching Facility) at UW Medical Center-Northwest.

Overall, the University’s section of the operating budget included funding for over 25 new provisos including funding to implement legislation.

Notable policy passed this session includes:

  • House Bill 2112 requires opioid and fentanyl prevention education and resources at higher education institutions.
  • House Bill 2348 expands existing county taxing authority which allows operational support for Harborview Medical Center.
  • Senate Bill 5913 permits communication between employees of state institutions of higher education and student athletes regarding name, image, and likeness use.

The capital budget also makes significant investments in the UW:

  • $5M to design the modernization of Chemical Sciences and renovation of Bagley Hall
  • $38.9M for energy renewal and decarbonization projects, including centralized chilled water capacity improvements in Seattle, gas boiler replacements at UW Bothell and UW Tacoma, HVAC systems renewal at UWMC-Montlake, and central utility planning at UWMC-Northwest.
  • $5M for Harborview Medical Center for predesign, siting, and design costs for the Behavioral Health Institute building and Pioneer Square behavioral health clinic.
  • $2.58M to renovate the UW soccer practice field for the 2026 World Cup.

UW Finance, Planning & Budgeting will post a comprehensive summary of the budgets on their briefs page in the next few days.

A session debrief will be scheduled in a few weeks so stay tuned for the details. In the meantime, contact the Office of State Relations with questions about the final budgets

Session News: House publishes operating and capital budget proposals

Following the release of the Senate budget proposals, the House unveiled their operating and capital budget proposals today with funding for the UW’s priorities.

Operating Budget

  • $2.5M (ongoing) to expand the School of Dentistry’s Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE) program, which trains dentists to serve the state’s rural and underserved populations.
  • $330,000 in FY25, $455,000 ongoing for the Allen School Scholars Program (formerly Startup), a one-year cohort-based program to support students who are first generation, low-income, and/or from underserved communities who are pursuing a degree in computer sciences or computer engineering.
  • $50M (one-time) for UW Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center to support their critical and impactful safety net care and medical training missions for the state.
  • $20M (one-time) for the Center for Behavioral Health and Learning (formerly Behavioral Health Teaching Facility) at UW Medical Center-Northwest.

On these items, the House budget proposal almost mirrors the Senate proposal. The Senate provided additional support for UW Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center. Like in the Senate, the House also funded various policy bills and studies.

Capital Budget

  • $5M for the modernization of Chemical Sciences and renovation of Bagley Hall.
  • $38.9M from the Climate Commitment Account for energy renewal and decarbonization projects, including centralized chilled water capacity improvements in Seattle, gas boiler replacements at UW Bothell and UW Tacoma, HVAC systems renewal at UW Medical Center Montlake, and central utility planning at UW Medical Center Northwest.

The House and Senate budget proposals are identical on these projects.

Now that both chambers have released their budget proposals, budget writers will work to reconcile the proposals into one operating and one capital budget. The House and Senate must pass the budgets before the end of session on March 7.

A detailed overview of the House and Senate budget proposals can be found on the UW Office of Planning & Budgeting’s briefs page. For questions about the budgets, contact the Office of State Relations.

Session News: Senate operating budget proposal funds UW priorities

The Senate published their operating budget proposal this evening with the following investments for the UW:

  • $2.5M (ongoing) to expand the School of Dentistry’s Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE) program, which trains dentists to serve the state’s rural and underserved populations.
  • $330,000 in FY25, $455,000 ongoing for The Allen School Scholars Program (formerly Startup), a one-year cohort-based program to support students who are first generation, low-income, and/or from underserved communities who are pursuing a degree in computer sciences or computer engineering.
  • $65M (one-time) for UW Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center to support their critical and impactful safety net care and medical training missions for the state.
  • $20M (one-time) for the Center for Behavioral Health and Learning (formerly Behavioral Health Teaching Facility) at UW Medical Center-Northwest.

Additionally, the proposal funds six policy bills, including codifying the Washington State elections database and extending the implementation timeline for 988 suicide prevention and mental health crisis system.

The House will release their operating and capital budget proposals tomorrow. The Senate has already unveiled their capital budget proposal, which funds the UW’s top priorities. Details about the Senate capital budget proposal can be found here.

After both chambers have released their proposals, budget writers will work to negotiate the final budgets. The budgets must be voted out of both the House and Senate by the last day of session, known as Sine Die, on March 7. They will then head to the Governor’s desk for consideration.

For questions about the budgets, please contact the Office of State Relations.

Session News: Senate releases capital budget with funding for UW Chemical Sciences and energy renewal projects

The Senate unveiled their capital budget proposal today with full funding for the UW’s top capital request: $5 million for the modernization of Chemical Sciences and renovation of Bagley Hall. The proposal also funded five UW energy renewal and decarbonization projects using Climate Commitment Act dollars, including centralized chilled water capacity improvements in Seattle, gas boiler replacements at UW Bothell and UW Tacoma, HVAC systems renewal at UW Medical Center Montlake, and central utility planning at UW Medical Center Northwest.

The proposal will be heard tonight in the Ways & Means Committee and Joe Dacca, Director of State Relations, will testify in support. The House will release their capital budget proposal in the next few days and it will be heard in the Capital Budget Committee this upcoming Tuesday, Feb. 20.

Regarding the operating budgets, the Senate plans to unveil their proposal this Sunday, Feb. 18 and the House will release theirs Monday afternoon. Both will be heard in their respective fiscal committees, Ways & Means and Appropriations, Monday evening. After the proposals are heard, budget writers from both chambers will work to reconcile them. Final budgets will be released and voted on before the end of legislative session on March 7.

For questions about the budget proposals or process, contact the Office of State Relations here.

Governor unveils 2024 supplemental budget proposals with support for the UW

The 2024 legislative session begins Jan. 8 and will run for 60 consecutive days. During this short session, legislators will pass the state’s supplemental operating, capital, and transportation budgets, which modify the biennial budgets passed last session.

Governor Jay Inslee kicked off the budget process by releasing his budget proposals earlier this month. His proposed budgets prioritize behavioral health care, opioid and fentanyl crisis, climate change and education. His behavioral health package devotes nearly $449 million to increasing state-run bed capacity, invest in hospital staffing, and strengthen behavioral health services for youths. An additional $68 million is allocated to the opioid crisis, including education, treatment, and prevention. $140 million is dedicated to the state’s housing/homelessness strategic agenda. This funding will include creating housing for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, maintaining encampment resolution efforts, and creating a housing emergency fund.

The governor’s proposals also funded the University of Washington’s legislative priorities, as well as a few additional items:

Operating Budget

  • $2.5M in FY25 (ongoing) for the UW School of Dentistry RIDE program to develop more dentists committed to practicing in Washington’s rural and underserved communities, where high quality dental care is often challenging to access.
  • $330K in FY25 for the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering Startup Program to help prepare students with high potential and high academic need succeed in the Allen School and the workforce.
  • $50M in one-time funding for UW Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center to continue serving the medical and behavioral health needs of Washingtonians, especially those who are most vulnerable, and training the next generation of health care providers.
  • $20M in FY25 for Behavioral Health Teaching Facility support, which will operate 75 long-term beds.
  • $239K in FY25 for Senate Bill 5447, Alternative Jet Fuels Reporting to calculate and report on jet fuel emissions around SeaTac International Airport.
  • $153K in FY25 for Maintenance & Operations for the UW Medical Center-Northwest behavioral health renovation. 

Capital Budget

  • $5M to design a new Chemical Sciences Building and modernize Bagley Hall to help meet course demand, increase degree production, attract and retain world-class faculty, and conduct cutting edge research.
  • $38.9M from the Climate Commitment Act for energy renewal projects at the UW’s three campuses and UW Medical Center-Northwest. Funded projects include centralized cooling at UW Seattle, replacement of gas fired boilers at UW Tacoma and UW Bothell, and HVAC replacement at UW Medical Center-Northwest.

For in-depth details, see the Washington State Office of Financial Management’s budgets highlights (hyperlink) and the brief prepared by the UW Office of Planning & Budgeting on their Briefs page.

Preview: UW’s 2024 legislative priorities

The 2024 legislative session begins on Monday, Jan. 8 and is scheduled to run for 60 consecutive days. During this short-session, state lawmakers will negotiate modest adjustments to the state’s biennial operating, capital, and transportation budgets.

The University of Washington appreciates the recent investments the legislature has made to support higher education and the UW Medicine health system. State support remains essential to the UW’s long-term viability and pursuit of providing an excellent and accessible education for all Washington students, improving the health and sustainability of underserved communities, and promoting a prosperous economy.

The UW’s supplemental budget requests are limited to our top priorities in service to our students, faculty and staff, patients, and the state. The formal 2024 legislative agenda will be published in December. In the meantime, here is a preview of the UW’s priorities for the upcoming session:

Operating budget

UW School of Dentistry RIDE program expansion: $2.5M in fiscal year 2025 (ongoing)
Located in Spokane, the nationally renowned Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE) program has proven successful in training dentists to meet the needs of our state’s rural and underserved populations. RIDE’s innovative training model immerses students in community-based clinics to gain valuable field experience while also providing high quality dental care to communities with access-to-care challenges. In the classroom, RIDE is colocated with Eastern Washington University’s dental hygiene program to maximize resources and enhance training. Requested funds will enhance the RIDE program by doubling the number of students trained from 32 to 64 and by adding a second year of curriculum based in Spokane. The UW has already secured $1.5M in federal funds for dental simulation equipment and will attract additional research funding to Spokane with this expansion.

Permanent funding for the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering Startup Program: $330,000 in FY25 ($455,000 ongoing)
The UW continues to see unprecedented demand from students and employers for UW computer science degrees. The one-year cohort-based Startup Program provides holistic supports and prepares students with high potential and academic need to succeed in the CSE B.S. program. The program serves students who are first generation, low income and/or did not have access to advanced high school classes to assist in developing fundamental skills necessary for the rigor of the Allen School and the computing field. The state provided $455,000 in FY23 and one-time funding of $125,000 per year for the current biennium. This request bridges the gap in FY25 and makes the funding permanent.

UW Medicine safety net and medical training support
Serving the medical and behavioral health needs of Washington’s residents, especially those who are most vulnerable, and training the next generation of health care providers is necessary for the vitality of our state. Funding for UW Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center will further support their critical and impactful safety net care and medical training missions. UW Medicine received one-time funding for FY23 and FY24 and is making progress in addressing challenges including reimbursement rates and difficult-to-discharge patients. UW Medicine needs additional state support for FY25 to address increasing labor costs and prevent harmful service reductions.

Capital Budget

Design funding for the modernization of Chemical Sciences and Bagley Hall:  $5M
Chemistry is a core program at the UW and is required for students in most STEM and health sciences fields. Built in 1937 and 1957, the current facilities are overwhelmed by student demand and program constraints and do not meet the requirements for interdisciplinary, modern science education and research. Updating our facilities will help meet course demand and increase degree production as well as attract and retain world-class faculty conducting leading edge research.

Campus decarbonization projects:  $48.9M (Climate Commitment Account)
The UW has identified six projects that support foundational energy renewal and decarbonization efforts across all three campuses (Seattle, Bothell, Tacoma) and UW Medical Center facilities. The projects include: UW Seattle centralized chilled water capacity improvements, Clean Energy Institute tenant improvements and research-related needs, UW Bothell Central Plant improvements and gas boiler replacements, UW Tacoma gas boiler replacement, UWMC NW Campus Central Utility Plant planning, and UWMC Montlake Campus HVAC systems renewal. More information about the UW’s decarbonization strategy and plans can be found at UW Sustainability | Energy Transformation.

 

For questions, please contact Joe Dacca, Director of State Relations, at daccaj@uw.edu or Morgan Hickel, Associate Director of State Relations, at mhickel@uw.edu.

Session news: Legislature passes final 2023-25 operating & capital budgets

The 2023 legislative session ended on time yesterday after the House and Senate passed the state’s biennial operating, capital, and transportation budgets. The budgets will now be delivered to the Governor for his consideration and signature.

Major investments for the UW in the operating budget include:

  • $30.4M for nonrepresented employee compensation increases of 4% in fiscal year 2024 and 3% in FY25
  • $6.5M for state approved CBAs for represented employees
  • $17.6M to improve the state portion of the compensation fund split to 60% (up from 58% in the previous biennium)
  • $10.55M to grow a local, more diverse STEM workforce at all three UW campuses:
    • $6M for the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering to increase enrollment, and $250,000 in one-time money for the Startup program
    • $1.7M for the UW Bothell School of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics to develop a program modeled after STARS to support 75 pre-major students in accessing and graduating with computer science degrees, and $362,000 in additional support for the STARS program in Seattle
    • $2.85M for the UW Tacoma School of Engineering & Technology to increase enrollment
  • $1.4M for student support services at UW Tacoma
  • $8.5M in maintenance and operations for UW Bothell’s STEM4 building, the UW Interdisciplinary Engineering Building, and the Behavioral Health Teaching Facility
  • $3M to develop a clean energy transformation strategy that transitions the Seattle campus energy infrastructure to 100% clean energy

Investments for UW Medicine include:

  • $150M in one-time funding for UW Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center so they can continue serving as the state’s safety-net and workforce training hospitals
  • $4.9M in one-time funding for the Behavioral Health Teaching Facility for physician support and facilities fees, and $7.5M in one-time funding for costs associated with opening the facility
  • $2M for the Family Medicine Residency Network, which trains high quality family medicine physicians in the WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho) region
  • $1M to create a UW Center for Indigenous Health
  • $1M to continue firearm injury research

Overall, the University’s section of the operating budget included funding for 54 new provisos and legislation.

Additionally, the capital budget makes significant investments in the UW:

  • $58M for phase 2 of the Magnuson Health Sciences Center renovation and replacement. The Center is the primary teaching space for the UW’s six health science schools and new facilities will promote innovative, multidisciplinary learning.
  • $28.65M to design and renovate Anderson Hall, which was constructed in 1925 and has an antiquated learning environment that lacks adequate classroom and collaborative spaces for the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences.
  • $9M to design and construct phase 2 of wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ– Intellectual House. wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ is a learning and gathering place for the UW’s American Indian and Alaskan Native students, faculty, and staff and a center for sharing the knowledge of Northwest Indigenous peoples.
  • $13M for the behavioral health renovation of UW Medical Center-Northwest. This project provides an additional 25 90/180-day long term civil-commitment beds to help meet the state’s behavioral health care needs.
  • $7.7M for land acquisition at UW Tacoma to accommodate future growth.
  • $15M from the state Climate Commitment Account for infrastructure renewal, which has historically been funded from the UW Building Account.
  • $7.5M for the UW Clean Energy Testbedsto continue to accelerate the development and adoption of new sustainable technologies.
  • $6M for the Rainier Valley Early Learning Center, which expands access to affordable, high-quality childcare and preschool in the vibrant Rainier Valley neighborhoods.
  • $3M to restore and renovate the historic ASUW Shell House.

For a comprehensive summary of the budgets, see the UW Office of Planning & Budgeting’s brief.

Session news: House & Senate unveil their operating and capital budget proposals

Over the past week, the Senate and House released their draft 2023-25 operating and capital budgets. The state’s operating budget pays for the day-to-day operations of state government, while the capital budget is used to acquire, build, and maintain state facilities. The legislative leaders of the Senate Ways & Means Committee and the House Appropriations and Capital Budget Committees are charged with crafting the budget proposals. After they’re passed in committee, the budgets move to their respective floors for consideration by the entire chamber.

Investments for the UW in the operating budgets include:

  • $30.4M (Senate & House) for nonrepresented employee compensation increases of 4% in fiscal year 2024 and 3% in FY25
  • $6.5M (Senate & House) for state approved CBAs for represented employees
  • $22.8M (Senate) I $17.3M (House) to improve the state portion of the compensation fund split. The Senate’s budget improves the fund split to 66% state funding and the House improves it to 60% state funding
  • $10.58M (Senate) I $8.45M (House) to grow a local, more diverse STEM workforce at all three UW campuses:
    • $6M (Senate) I $4M (House) for the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering to increase enrollment, and $250,000 (House) in one-time money for the Startup program
    • $1.7M (House & Senate) for the UW Bothell School of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics to develop a program modeled after STARS to support 75 pre-major students in accessing and graduating with computer science degrees, and $362,000 (House) in additional support for the STARS program in Seattle
    • $2.85M (Senate) I $2.14M (House) for the UW Tacoma School of Engineering & Technology to increase enrollment
  • $2.3M (House) to expand the UW School of Dentistry RIDE program, which trains dentists to meet the needs of rural and underserved populations
  • $4.33M (House) for student support services at UW Tacoma
  • $8.5M (Senate) I $2.9M (House) in maintenance and operations (M&O) for UW Bothell’s STEM4 building, the UW Interdisciplinary Engineering Building, and the Behavioral Health Teaching Facility. The BHTF was not funded in the House.
  • $25.83M (Senate) shift in M&O funds back to the operating budget, which frees up a commensurate amount in the UW Building Account for critical building renewal and deferred maintenance
  • $3M (House) to develop a clean energy transformation strategy that transitions the Seattle campus energy infrastructure to 100% clean energy

Investments for UW Medicine include:

  • $150M (Senate) I $100M (House) in one-time funding for UW Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center so they can continue serving as the state’s safety-net and workforce training hospitals
  • $6.6M (Senate) I $4.9M (House) in one-time funding for the Behavioral Health Teaching Facility for physician support and facilities fees
  • $2M (Senate & House) for the Family Medicine Residency Network, which trains high quality family medicine physicians in the WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho) region
  • $1M (Senate & House) to continue firearm injury research
  • $1M (Senate) to create a UW Center for Indigenous Health

The Senate has already passed their operating budget off the floor and the House will consider theirs in the coming days.

On Monday, the House also released their capital budget proposal with $58M for phase 2 of the Magnuson Health Sciences Center renovation and $7.7M for land acquisition at UW Tacoma to accommodate future growth. Unfortunately, the proposal did not include funding for Anderson Hall, wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House, Chemical Sciences, the behavioral health renovation of UW Medical Center-Northwest, and the Clean Energy testbeds, all of which were included in the Governor and Senate budget proposals. The Senate unveiled their capital budget last week.

The House and Senate will now work toward final compromise budgets, which must be voted on by the last day of session scheduled for April 23.

For a more detailed overview of the House and Senate budget proposals, see the UW Office of Planning and Budgeting’s briefs page.

Session news: Senate publishes capital budget proposal; State revenue forecasted to decrease in 2023-25

The Senate unveiled their capital budget proposal today with funding for all of the UW’s major priorities:

  • $58M for phase 2 of the Magnuson Health Sciences Center renovation and replacement. The Center is the primary teaching space for the UW’s six health science schools and new facilities will promote innovative, multidisciplinary learning.
  • $28.7M to design and renovate Anderson Hall, which was constructed in 1925 and has an antiquated learning environment that lacks adequate classroom and collaborative spaces for the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences.
  • $9M to design and construct phase 2 of wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House. wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ is a learning and gathering place for the UW’s American Indian and Alaskan Native students, faculty, and staff and a center for sharing the knowledge of Northwest Indigenous peoples.
  • $5M to design the modernization of chemical sciences in Seattle. Built in 1937 and 1957, current facilities for chemistry, materials science, and chemical engineering do not meet the requirements for interdisciplinary, modern science education and research.
  • $7.7M for land acquisition at UW Tacoma to accommodate future growth.
  • $13M for the behavioral health renovation of UW Medical Center-Northwest. This project provides an additional 25 90/180-day long term civil-commitment beds to help meet the state’s behavioral health care needs.

In addition, $7.5M for the UW Clean Energy Testbeds was allocated from the state’s Climate Commitment Account.

The Office of State Relations greatly appreciates the significant investments included in the proposal for the UW, as well as the bipartisan work that went into crafting it. Thank you for your leadership and support, Chair Mark Mullet, Ranking Member Mark Schoesler, and Senators Yasmin Trudeau, Ann Rivers, and Judy Warnick. To view the entire budget bill and summary and project lists, click here.

The Senate is scheduled to release their draft operating budget Thursday and the House is expected to unveil their operating and capital budget proposals early next week. After, budget leaders in the House and Senate will negotiate the final compromise budgets, which must pass both chambers by April 23.

The Washington State Economic Revenue Forecast Council (ERFC) also published their quarterly economic and revenue forecast today. The report projects the state’s General Fund revenue will increase by $194 million for the remainder of the current biennium (2021-23), but will decrease by $438 million for the upcoming 2023-25 budget cycle. Although slowing, it also shows that consumer price inflation remains high, particularly in the Seattle metropolitan area. The legislature will take these most recent findings into consideration when drafting the state’s final compromise budgets.

For a detailed summary of the March revenue forecast, see the UW Office of Planning & Budgeting’s most recent blog post. More information can also be found on the ERFC’s website.

Governor releases 2022 supplemental budget proposal with UW investments

The 2022 legislative session begins Jan. 10 and will focus on the supplemental budget, which modifies the biennial budget passed last session. Gov. Jay Inslee unveiled his 2022 operating and capital budget proposals today, as a first step in the state budget process.

The Governor’s proposed operating budget emphasizes climate action and poverty reduction. His climate package devotes $626 million to decarbonization, successful implementation of the Climate Commitment Act, and building Washington’s clean energy future. An additional $187 million is allocated for salmon protection and recovery. Inslee also dedicates $800 million to help find solutions to the state’s homelessness and housing emergency. The funding will provide permanent affordable housing, resources to help people retain their housing, and support services for individuals with behavioral health needs.

The Governor’s proposals funded all the University of Washington’s legislative priorities and a few additional items including:

  • $11.1M for salary adjustments for faculty and staff, who are currently not scheduled to receive wage increases in the biennial budget and are critical to the continued success of students and the UW.
  • $2M to expand computer science and engineering enrollment for underrepresented students by an additional 100 per year to meet high student and employer demand.
  • $505K to create two behavioral health pharmacy residencies housed at the new Behavioral Health Teaching Facility to address the state’s critical behavioral health patient and workforce needs. This request is in partnership with Washington State University, who is requesting additional funds for two pharmacy residents in Eastern Washington.
  • $800K for a three-year research program led by the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation in Spokane focused on community health metrics to help proactively address health disparities in rural and tribal communities in Eastern Washington.
  • $621K for maintenance and operation (M&O) for Milgard Hall at UW Tacoma, which expects occupancy in Winter 2022 instead of mid-2023.
  • $500K for the UW School of Medicine to collaborate with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to provide mentoring, preparation, and career awareness for students of color in grades 6+.
  • $3.5M in operating funding for the Clean Energy Institute testbeds.
  • $10M in capital funds for UW Seattle facilities to improve seismic preparedness, reduce safety risks, and extend the life cycle of the facilities.
  • $7.5M in capital funds for the Clean Energy Institute for a modular dry room, electrical upgrades, and equipment for an open-access battery fabrication testbed facility to enhance material, imaging, and analysis capabilities.

The Office of State Relations is thrilled to see the investments the Governor proposed for the University and students. The House of Representatives and Senate will introduce their budget proposals during the upcoming 60-day legislative session.

The proposal also puts $600 million back into the state’s “Rainy Day” fund, which was utilized to bolster services and the state’s economy during the pandemic. Washington’s economy is rebounding with the most recent revenue forecast showing strong 2021-23 Near General Fund budget collections. The state’s reserves are expected to return to pre-pandemic levels over the next four years.

For additional details, see the Washington State Office of Financial Management’s budget and policy highlights and the brief prepared by the UW Office of Planning & Budgeting on their Briefs page.