News & Updates

Yesterday, March 12, was the last day of the 60-day 2026 legislative session. Both chambers of the Legislature raced to pass identical budget bills and close out any outstanding business before adjourning until next year. 

While this year was another difficult budget year, the University of Washington is thankful that legislators took a creative approach to protect higher education funding. In the 2026 supplemental operating budget, legislators did a one-time net-neutral budget shift that ultimately resulted in no lost funding for the UW. The final budget did include a $1.25 million (1.5%) administrative reduction; however, this was the UW’s only funding reduction. The state’s other public higher education institutions saw the same net-neutral budget shift and administrative reductions.

Additionally, the operating budget included $15 million in ongoing funding for the Center for Behavioral Health & Learning at UW Medical Center-Northwest and $250,000 in one-time funding for the Center for Biotech Innovation & Training at UW Bothell.

In the capital budget, the UW is grateful that full funding at $47.5 million was provided for phase one of the Seattle campus’ Power Plant decarbonization project. Funding for this project is critical because it will immediately reduce the University’s greenhouse gas emissions and support compliance with the Climate Commitment Act and Clean Buildings Performance Standard.

Other noteworthy developments include the passage of a bill to protect the 340B drug pricing program, which was a UW Medicine priority, and the passage of the millionaire’s tax bill. Both of these bills now head to Governor Ferguson’s desk for signature.

More information about the passed budgets will be posted here in the coming days: UW Office of Policy, Planning & State Operations Budget Briefs.

For questions about policy or UW’s advocacy efforts in Olympia, please contact Morgan Hickel at mhickel@uw.edu and Kevin Chang at kchang28@uw.edu.

It is day 56 of the 60-day session.

Friday, March 6, was opposite house cutoff, the last major deadline before Sine Die (the adjournment of legislative session) next Thursday, March 12. Bills that did not pass out of the opposite chamber from which they originated are dead unless necessary to implement the budget (NTIB). Any legislation that is not NTIB and remains alive must receive a concurrence vote in its chamber of origin if it was amended in the opposite chamber; otherwise, it will proceed to the Governor’s desk for consideration.

One significant bill that passed Friday evening was Senate Bill 5981, which preserves the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program in Washington state. This program requires drug manufacturers participating in Medicaid to provide outpatient drugs at reduced prices to eligible safety-net hospitals and community clinics. Program savings can then be used to support patient care, particularly for vulnerable individuals.

UW Medicine is a safety-net hospital that participates in the 340B program and advocated in strong support of the bill. Per year, UW Medicine provides more than $454 million of uncompensated care to uninsured and underinsured patients and the 340B program helps cover about $85 million of that total.

Separately, budget leaders in both the House and Senate are working to reconcile the operating, capital, and transportation budgets to be voted on next week. Both chambers must iron out any differences and pass identical budget bills also by Sine Die next Thursday. Details about the House and Senate budget proposals released earlier in session can be found here: Session News: House and Senate Release 2026 Operating and Capital Budget Proposals.

Tomorrow, March 9, the House is expected to consider the “millionaire’s tax” bill. It is the only major new revenue proposal currently under consideration this legislative session and would affect the state’s four-year budget. In Washington, budgets must balance over a four-year period. The bill would impose a 9.9% tax on earnings of more than $1 million per year, beginning Jan. 1, 2028, with the first payments due on April 29. Given this timeline, the proposal would not impact the 2025-27 budget or help close the current budget deficit. The Senate has already passed the proposal; however, it was amended in the House so will need to go back to the Senate for a concurrence vote if it is voted out of the House.

Questions?

For questions about UW’s advocacy efforts in Olympia, please contact Morgan Hickel at mhickel@uw.edu and Kevin Chang at kchang28@uw.edu.

It’s day 51 of the 60-day legislative session.

Yesterday, March 3, was the opposite house fiscal committee cutoff, meaning any bill not voted out of a fiscal committee in the opposite chamber from which it originated is dead unless necessary to implement the budget (NTIB). At this stage in the legislative process, the number of bills still being considered is dwindling.

One bill UW Medicine is advocating for is Senate Bill (SB) 5981, concerning the 340B drug pricing program. The 340B Drug Pricing Program was created by Congress in 1992 to ensure drug manufacturers participating in Medicaid are providing outpatient drugs at reduced prices to eligible healthcare organizations, such as safety-net hospitals and community clinics. A primary goal of the program is to reinvest the savings from the reduced drug prices back into patient care.

SB 5981 preserves the 340B program in Washington. Both Harborview Medical Center and UW Medical Center are safety-net hospitals that receive the drug pricing discounts and rely on the savings to maintain essential financial assistance for patients in need. Annually, UW Medicine provides over $454 million of uncompensated care to uninsured and underinsured patients. The 340B program helps cover approximately $85 million of that total, which is why UW Medicine is encouraging the bill’s passage.

Some of the other active bills that the UW continues to monitor or engage on include:

• House Bill (HB) 2353, concerning predesign thresholds.
• HB 2420, increasing small works roster contract limits.
• SB 5931, concerning Workforce Education Investment Accountability and Oversight Board administrative changes.
• SB 6137, concerning the regulated sports wagering industry.
• SB 5963, modifying funding for the passport to careers program and eligibility for the Washington College Grant.
• SB 6113, concerning taxes administered by the department of revenue.

The next cutoff deadline is this Friday, March 6. Bills must pass out of the opposite chamber from where they originated to remain alive and have a chance at becoming law.

Budget leaders in both the House and Senate are also working to finalize the 2026 supplemental operating and capital budgets. As a reminder, the House and Senate released separate budget proposals last week and now must reconcile them. The final budgets must be voted on by both chambers by the end of legislative session on Thursday, March 12.

Questions?

For questions about policy or UW’s advocacy efforts in Olympia, please contact Morgan Hickel at mhickel@uw.edu and Kevin Chang at kchang28@uw.edu.

It’s day 37 of the 60-day legislative session.

This week saw many milestones and new developments in the legislative process. On Monday, Feb. 16, the Washington State Economic & Revenue Forecast Council released its February revenue forecast, which projected a modest revenue increase through 2029. This forecast indicated that the Legislature has an additional $438 million to appropriate during this legislative session. While positive, this does not fully solve the state’s budget deficit this year. More information about the February forecast can be found here: UW Office of Finance, Planning & Budgeting brief, and here: UW Office of State Relations February Revenue Forecast Blog Post.

Tuesday, Feb. 17, was the house-of-origin cutoff. Bills that were not passed out of the chamber they were introduced in are now considered dead unless they are necessary to implement the budget (NTIB). Bills that cleared this significant step now head to the opposite chamber for hearings in policy committees and possible executive sessions. The UW continues to monitor or engage on bills, including:

• House Bill (HB) 2251, concerning Climate Commitment Act accounts.
• HB 2353, concerning predesign thresholds.
• HB 2420, increasing small works roster contract limits.
• Senate Bill (SB) 5931, concerning Workforce Education Investment Accountability and Oversight Board administrative changes.
• SB 5981, concerning the 340B Drug Pricing Program.
• SB 6137, concerning the regulated sports wagering industry.
• SB 5963, modifying funding for the passport to careers program and eligibility for the Washington College Grant.
• SB 6113, concerning taxes administered by the department of revenue.

Lastly, the House and Senate plan to release their operating and capital budget proposals next week. Both chambers will then work to reconcile the budgets before the end of session on March 12. Details about the House and Senate budget proposals will be posted under News & Updates on this website.

For questions about specific policy or UW’s advocacy efforts in Olympia, please contact Morgan Hickel at mhickel@uw.edu and Kevin Chang at kchang28@uw.edu.

On Monday, Feb. 16, the Washington State Economic & Revenue Forecast Council released the February revenue forecast, which will be the last before the end of the 2026 legislative session. As a reminder, this revenue forecast will influence the state’s budget decisions as the House and Senate plan to release their operating and capital budget proposals next week and pass a reconciled budget bill before session adjournment in March.

The February forecast projects a modest revenue increase through 2029. Compared to the last quarterly forecast in November 2025, revenue is expected to grow by $827 million for the current 2025-27 biennium and $1.03 billion for 2027-29. This translates to an additional $438 million that the Legislature can appropriate during this legislative session.

For the Workforce Education Investment Account (WEIA), which is a fund that the Legislature established in 2019 specifically to support higher education, revenue is forecasted to increase by $172 million in the current biennium and by $249 million for the 2027-29 biennium.

More details about the forecast can be found here: UW Office of Finance, Planning & Budgeting brief.

While positive news, the projected increase in revenue does not fully solve the state’s $1.6 billion operating budget shortfall this year. State agency budget cuts remain likely to help solve the deficit. Additionally, the Legislature doesn’t have much of an appetite for significant new revenue since the state passed a slew of revenue bills last session.

However, the one major new revenue proposal in play is a state income tax on high earners, known as the “millionaire’s tax.” The policy imposes a 9.9% tax on earnings of more than $1 million per year. It would take effect on Jan. 1, 2028, with first payments due in April 2029, so the proposal does not help solve the near-term budget deficit. The Senate passed the policy on Monday largely along party lines, so it will now move to the House for consideration.

Governor Ferguson held a press conference on Tuesday, Feb. 17, on the proposal. While he supports the concept of a millionaire’s tax and believes the Senate proposal is a good start, he wants more than half of the revenue directed to Washington families by expanding and increasing the Working Families Tax Credit and small businesses by boosting the small business tax credit.

For questions about specific policy proposals or UW’s advocacy efforts in Olympia, please contact Morgan Hickel at mhickel@uw.edu and Kevin Chang at kchang28@uw.edu.

This week, the legislature is busy hearing bills in preparation for the house-of-origin policy committee cutoff next Wednesday, February 4. Policy cutoff is the first key milestone in the legislative session, determining which bills will continue moving forward in the legislative process. Proposed legislation that are not passed out of their house-of-origin policy committee by the cutoff date will be considered dead unless they’re necessary to implement the budget (NTIB).

The State Relations team is engaging with legislators and key stakeholders on relevant legislation and continues to work to mitigate additional funding cuts impacting UW’s core operations. At the same time, the team is highlighting phase 1 of the Seattle campus’ decarbonization project. Funding this project will reduce UW’s greenhouse gas emissions and allow the University to move towards compliance with the Climate Commitment Act and Clean Building Performance Standards.

The UW Office of Spokane & Eastern Washington Relations also visited Olympia on Wednesday and Thursday as a part of Greater Spokane Inc.’s 2026 fly-in to advocate for the Spokane region’s economic priorities, which include asking the Legislature to take steps to repair and protect the state’s higher education institutions.

Questions?

For questions about specific policy proposals or UW’s advocacy efforts, please contact Morgan Hickel at mhickel@uw.edu and Kevin Chang at kchang28@uw.edu.

The State Legislature is full steam ahead during the second week of session, and the UW State Relations team welcomed several members of the UW community to Olympia for visits with legislators and government officials.

On Wednesday, UW women’s soccer team traveled to Olympia and was honored with a House Resolution sponsored by Rep. Osman Salahuddin (D-48^th Legislative District) celebrating their success and winning their first-ever Big Ten Championship and advancing to the NCAA Elite Eight. The team displayed the jersey of their late teammate, Mia Hamant, who was goalkeeper before losing her battle to kidney cancer last November. The team also met with Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson and Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs.

UW President Jones made his first official visit on Thursday and met with several key House and Senate members to discuss funding for UW’s core operations. He reiterated the need to avert any additional cuts to higher education funding so that the University can continue to offer quality education to current students and meet the ever-growing demand for enrollment. He also made an appearance on TVW for an interview.

The week ended on a high note with a visit from UW men’s soccer team and the team was honored with a Senate Resolution sponsored by Senator Marcus Riccelli (D-3^rd Legislative District) for winning their first-ever NCAA Division I National Championship on December 15, 2025. They also met with Washington State Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck and Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins.

Questions?

For questions about UW’s advocacy or engagements in Olympia, please contact Morgan Hickel at mhickel@uw.edu and Kevin Chang at kchang28@uw.edu.