Atmospheric river response

AN ACT Relating to paying for response activities for the 1
December 2025 significant atmospheric river and winter event; 2
amending RCW 70A.65.250; creating new sections; making an 3
appropriation; and declaring an emergency. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) Washington experienced significant 6
atmospheric river and winter weather events throughout December 2025 7
producing high winds, heavy snowfall, ice accumulation, and extreme 8
rainfall resulting in major coastal, river, and localized flooding, 9
saturated soils, landslides, stream bank and slope erosion, fallen 10
trees and tree limbs, and flying debris, which have caused impacts 11
across Washington state resulting in hazardous conditions affecting 12
the people of Washington, homes, property, businesses, agriculture, 13
transportation systems, and the state economy.14
(2) The state has received a windfall of $690,000,000 in climate 15
commitment act auction revenues this year as well.16
(3) The climate commitment act is intended to address major 17
negative events and help people and communities recover from climate 18
impacts. 19
(4) The legislature intends for up to $690,000,000 of the 20
windfall revenue to be used to pay for response activities to the 21
H-2617.1
HOUSE BILL 2181
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Barkis, Low, Ley, Schmidt, Connors, Klicker,
Wylie, Reeves, and Marshall
Prefiled 12/22/25. Read first time 01/12/26. Referred to Committee
on Appropriations.
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2025 emergency event including the cleanup, repair, restoration, and 1
replacement of the transportation system. 2
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The sum of $690,000,000, or as much 3
thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal biennium 4
ending June 30, 2027, from the multimodal transportation account to 5
the department of transportation, for the purposes of conducting or 6
paying for cleanup, repairs, replacement, and restoration of 7
transportation infrastructure that was damaged during the 2025 8
December atmospheric river and winter weather event covered by 9
emergency proclamation 25-07. The funding is to be used for cleanup, 10
repairs, replacement, and restoration of Interstate 90, state route 11
numbers 2, 167, and 410, and other transportation infrastructure as 12
the secretary determines necessary to restore mobility.13
Sec. 3. RCW 70A.65.250 and 2025 c 424 s 973 are each amended to 14
read as follows: 15
(1)(a) The climate investment account is created in the state 16
treasury. Except as otherwise provided in chapter 316, Laws of 2021, 17
all receipts from the auction of allowances authorized in this 18
chapter must be deposited into the account. Moneys in the account may 19
be spent only after appropriation. 20
(b) Projects or activities funded from the account must meet high 21
labor standards, including family sustaining wages, providing 22
benefits including health care and employer-contributed retirement 23
plans, career development opportunities, and maximize access to 24
economic benefits from such projects for local workers and diverse 25
businesses. Each contracting entity's proposal must be reviewed for 26
equity and opportunity improvement efforts, including: (i) Employer 27
paid sick leave programs; (ii) pay practices in relation to living 28
wage indicators such as the federal poverty level; (iii) efforts to 29
evaluate pay equity based on gender identity, race, and other 30
protected status under Washington law; (iv) facilitating career 31
development opportunities, such as apprenticeship programs, 32
internships, job-shadowing, and on-the-job training; and (v) 33
employment assistance and employment barriers for justice affected 34
individuals. 35
(2) Moneys in the account may be used only for projects and 36
programs that achieve the purposes of the greenhouse gas emissions 37
cap and invest program established under this chapter and for tribal 38
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capacity grants under RCW 70A.65.305. During the 2023-2025 fiscal 1
biennium, moneys in the account may also be used for tribal capacity 2
grant activities supporting climate resilience and adaptation, 3
developing tribal clean energy projects, applying for state or 4
federal grant funding, and other related work; and for providing 5
payments to agricultural fuel purchasers. During the 2025-2027 fiscal 6
biennium, moneys in the account may also be used for tribal capacity 7
grant activities supporting climate resilience and adaptation, 8
developing tribal clean energy projects, applying for state or 9
federal grant funding, and other related work. Moneys in the account 10
as described in this subsection must first be appropriated for the 11
administration of the requirements of this chapter, in an amount not 12
to exceed five percent of the total receipt of funds from allowance 13
auction proceeds under this chapter. Beginning July 1, 2023, and 14
annually thereafter, the state treasurer shall distribute funds in 15
the account that exceed the amounts appropriated for the purposes of 16
this subsection (2) and transfers allowable pursuant to subsection 17
(4) of this section as follows: 18
(a) Seventy-five percent of the moneys to the climate commitment 19
account created in RCW 70A.65.260; and 20
(b) Twenty-five percent of the moneys to the natural climate 21
solutions account created in RCW 70A.65.270. 22
(3) The allocations specified in subsection (2)(a) and (b) of 23
this section must be reviewed by the legislature on a biennial basis 24
based on the changing needs of the state in meeting its clean economy 25
and greenhouse gas reduction goals in a timely, economically 26
advantageous, and equitable manner. 27
(4) During the 2023-2025 and 2025-2027 fiscal biennia, the 28
legislature may direct the state treasurer to make transfers of 29
moneys in the climate investment account to the carbon emissions 30
reduction account, the climate commitment account, ((and)) the 31
natural climate solutions account , and the multimodal transportation 32
account under RCW 47.66.070. 33
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. FOR THE STATE TREASURER — ADMINISTRATIVE 34
TRANSFER35
Climate Investment Account — State Appropriation: For transfer to 36
the Multimodal Transportation Account— State. . . . . . . $690,000,00037
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The amount authorized in this section represents the amount of 1
receipts from the auction of allowances authorized in chapter 70A.65 2
RCW received, as of December 3, 2025, in excess of the forecasted 3
amounts assumed by the legislature for the purposes of the omnibus 4
operating, the omnibus capital, and the transportation appropriations 5
enacted by the legislature in the 2025 legislative session. The 6
funding is transferred for the purposes of section 2 of this act.7
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. This act is necessary for the immediate 8
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of 9
the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes 10
effect immediately.11
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