Capital budget for broadband

AN ACT Relating to additive capital budget funding for state 1
matching funds and federal expenditure authority for the broadband 2
equity, access, and deployment program; amending RCW 43.330.400; 3
creating new sections; repealing 2023 c 474 ss 6082 and 7017 and 2024 4
c 375 s 1004 (uncodified); making appropriations; providing an 5
effective date; and declaring an emergency. 6
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:7
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) An additive capital budget is hereby 8
adopted and, subject to the provisions set forth in this act, the 9
several dollar amounts hereinafter specified, or so much thereof as 10
shall be sufficient to accomplish the purposes designated, are hereby 11
appropriated and authorized to be incurred for capital projects 12
during the period beginning with the effective date of this act and 13
ending June 30, 2027, out of the several funds specified in this act.14
(2) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this act 15
unless the context clearly requires otherwise. 16
(a) "Fiscal year 2025" or "FY 2025" means the period beginning 17
July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025. 18
(b) "Fiscal year 2026" or "FY 2026" means the period beginning 19
July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026. 20
H-1359.1
HOUSE BILL 2016
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Tharinger and Parshley
Read first time 02/21/25. Referred to Committee on Capital Budget.
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(c) "Fiscal year 2027" or "FY 2027" means the period beginning 1
July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027. 2
(d) "Lapse" or "revert" means the amount shall return to an 3
unappropriated status. 4
(e) "Provided solely" means the specified amount may be spent 5
only for the specified purpose. 6
(3) Unless otherwise specifically authorized in this act, any 7
portion of an amount provided solely for a specified purpose that is 8
not expended subject to the specified conditions and limitations to 9
fulfill the specified purpose shall lapse. 10
(4) The amounts shown under the headings "Prior Biennia," "Future 11
Biennia," and "Total" in this act are for informational purposes only 12
and do not constitute legislative approval of these amounts. "Prior 13
biennia" typically refers to the immediate prior biennium for 14
reappropriations, but may refer to multiple biennia in the case of 15
specific projects. A "future biennia" amount means an estimate of 16
what may be appropriated for the project or program in the 2027-2029 17
fiscal biennium and the following three biennia; an amount of zero 18
does not necessarily constitute legislative intent to not provide 19
funding for the project or program in the future. 20
(5) "Reappropriations" in this act are appropriations and, unless 21
the context clearly provides otherwise, are subject to the relevant 22
conditions and limitations applicable to appropriations. 23
Reappropriations are limited to the unexpended balances remaining on 24
June 30, 2025, from the 2023-2025 fiscal biennial appropriations for 25
each project. 26
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE27
Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program (40000290)28
The appropriations in this section are subject to the following 29
conditions and limitations: 30
(1)(a) $280,000,000 of the federal broadband account — state 31
appropriation in this section is provided solely as match for federal 32
authority allocated under this section for the statewide broadband 33
office to administer the broadband equity, access, and deployment 34
state grants program in section 60102 of P.L. 117-58 (infrastructure 35
investment and jobs act). Expenditure of the amount in this 36
subsection is contingent on the receipt of this grant funding.37
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(b) To the extent permitted by federal law, the office shall 1
provide state match only for projects where the lead applicant is a 2
public or tribal government entity. The office must allocate state 3
match funds in a manner that prioritizes projects based on 4
affordability, fair labor practices, speed to deployment, open 5
access, local and tribal coordination, and the provision of digital 6
navigation services, as outlined in the scoring criteria contained in 7
the plan submitted by the statewide broadband office to the national 8
telecommunications and information administration. 9
(2) In addition to scoring and weighting criteria established 10
pursuant to the federal broadband equity, access, and deployment 11
program, the state broadband office must establish additional 12
secondary selection criteria, including, but not limited to, criteria 13
that give weight to projects that: 14
(a) Provide open-access wholesale last-mile broadband service for 15
the useful life of the subsidized networks on fair, equal, and 16
neutral terms to all potential retail providers; and17
(b) Demonstrate support from the local government or any tribal 18
government with oversight over the location or locations to be 19
served. 20
(3) $300,000 of the federal broadband account — federal 21
appropriation provided in this section is for a staff position 22
dedicated to advising the statewide broadband office on the 23
availability and feasibility of deploying new and emerging 24
technologies in broadband internet service. 25
Appropriation:26
Federal Broadband Account— Federal. . . . . . . . . $1,227,742,00027
Federal Broadband Account— State. . . . . . . . . . . $280,000,00028
Subtotal Appropriation. . . . . . . . . . . . $1,507,742,00029
Prior Biennia (Expenditures). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $030
Future Biennia (Projected Costs). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $031
TOTAL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,507,742,00032
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE33
Broadband Infrastructure Federal Match Transfer (40000825)34
The appropriation in this section is subject to the following 35
conditions and limitations: The state building construction account — 36
state appropriation in this section for fiscal year 2025 is provided 37
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solely for the statewide broadband office to administer the broadband 1
equity, access, and deployment state grants program in section 60102 2
of P.L. 117-58 (infrastructure investment and jobs act). The 3
appropriation must be transferred into the federal broadband account 4
established in RCW 43.330.400. Expenditure of the amount in this 5
section is contingent on the receipt of this federal grant funding.6
Appropriation:7
State Building Construction Account— State. . . . . . $280,000,0008
Prior Biennia (Expenditures). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $09
Future Biennia (Projected Costs). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $010
TOTAL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $280,000,00011
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE12
Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program (40000290)13
The reappropriations in this section are subject to the following 14
conditions and limitations: The reappropriations in this section are 15
subject to the provisions of section 2 of this act.16
Reappropriation:17
Federal Broadband Account— Federal. . . . . . . . . $1,227,742,00018
Federal Broadband Account— State. . . . . . . . . . . $280,000,00019
Subtotal Reappropriation. . . . . . . . . . . $1,507,742,00020
Prior Biennia (Expenditures). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $021
Future Biennia (Projected Costs). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $022
TOTAL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,507,742,00023
Sec. 5. RCW 43.330.400 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 43 s 603 are each 24
amended to read as follows: 25
(1) The federal broadband ((mapping)) account is ((established)) 26
created in ((the custody of )) the state ((treasurer. The department 27
shall deposit into the account such )) treasury. All receipts from 28
funds received from legislative appropriation or transfer , federal 29
funding, and ((donated funds from private and public sources )) moneys 30
directed to the account from any other lawful source, must be 31
deposited in the account. Moneys in the account may be spent only 32
after appropriation . Expenditures from the account may be used only 33
for ((the purposes of RCW 43.330.403 through 43.330.409. Only the 34
director of the department or the director's designee may authorize 35
expenditures from the account. The account is subject to the 36
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allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is 1
not required for expenditures )) broadband activities authorized under 2
federal law and for nonfederal match requirements. 3
(2) ((The department is the single eligible entity in the state 4
for purposes of the federal broadband mapping activities.5
(3))) Federal funding received by the department for broadband 6
((mapping)) activities must be used in accordance with any federal 7
requirements and, subject to those requirements, may be distributed 8
by the department on a competitive basis to other entities in the 9
state. 10
(((4) The department shall consult with the office of financial 11
management and the utilities and transportation commission in 12
coordinating broadband mapping activities. In carrying out any 13
broadband mapping activities, the provisions of P.L. 110-385, Title 14
I, regarding trade secrets, commercial or financial information, and 15
privileged or confidential information submitted by the federal 16
communications commission or a broadband provider are deemed to 17
encompass the consulted agencies.))18
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The following acts or parts of acts are 19
each repealed:20
(1) 2023 c 474 s 6082 (uncodified); 21
(2) 2023 c 474 s 7017 (uncodified); and 22
(3) 2024 c 375 s 1004 (uncodified). 23
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. Except for section 4 of this act, this act 24
is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, 25
health, or safety, or support of the state government and its 26
existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately.27
NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. Section 4 of this act is necessary for the 28
immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or 29
support of the state government and its existing public institutions, 30
and takes effect July 1, 2025.31
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