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