OPERATING BUDGET
Budgeting for a more resilient Washington
Our 2023-25 Resilient Washington Budget funds critical state services including behavioral health, public education, affordable housing, and historic investments to address the climate crisis. We are investing in Washington’s people, lands, waters, working families, and communities, while also directing targeted equity investments to overburdened populations that face the greatest barriers to economic stability. These are some of the highlights:
K-12 EDUCATION: $2.2 billion for access to free meals for students; historic investments in special education; supporting educators with inflation adjustments; health care cost increases for educators; funding dual language efforts; and providing funding support for student transportation, teacher salaries, counselors, nurses, psychologists, and social workers.
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH: $1.1 billion for a 15% rate increase to providers; additional community bed capacity; opioid and other substance use disorder treatment; crisis, outreach, and diversion programs; funding the 988-crisis response hotline; and improving youth behavioral health outcomes.
CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES: $590 million to increase family childcare provider pay; expand Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program slots; increase family visitation provider rates; fund childcare for children with complex needs, and childcare facilities to offer non-standard hours.
COLLEGE AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT: $382 million for community and technical colleges; health care workforce and training; expanding the Washington College Grant; dual credit programs; a graduate student loan program; and post-secondary student basic needs.
PUBLIC SAFETY, LEGAL AID AND CORRECTIONS: $253 million to expand domestic violence services; fund the Office of Public Defense and Office of Civil Legal Aid; expand criminal justice training and certification; fund therapeutic courts; firearm violence prevention; increase wages for people who are incarcerated; and funding for the AMEND program at DOC for collaboration and training.
LONG-TERM CARE AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES: $1.8 billion to increase home care worker rates for individual providers; improve adult family home collective bargaining agreements; support providers and workers with rate increases in nursing homes, assisted and supported living facilities; and patient transitions out of acute care hospitals.
PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTHCARE: $1 billion for foundational public health services; increase rates for health care workers, including primary care and pediatricians; provider rates and reimbursement; reproductive health services, and Cascade Care for individuals with lower incomes who are not Medicaid eligible.
NATURAL RESOURCES: $684 million for climate planning and response; forest health and wildfire protection; salmon production, habitat, and recovery; biodiversity conservation programs; and invasive species management.
HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS: $519 million for emergency housing and rental assistance; the covenant homeownership program; expanding child and youth homeless programs; and encampment response and outreach.
HUMAN SERVICES AND POVERTY REDUCTION: $397 million including funding for food assistance programs, refugee support and education; an 8% increase to TANF, ABD and other cash assistance programs; implementing the Working Families Tax Credit; and expanding the TANF diaper subsidy and time limit.