Budget outlook updates

AN ACT Relating to regularly updating the budget outlook to 1
reflect the most recent revenue forecast; and amending RCW 82.33.060.2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:3
Sec. 1. RCW 82.33.060 and 2020 c 218 s 5 are each amended to 4
read as follows: 5
(1) To facilitate compliance with, and subject to the terms of, 6
RCW 43.88.055 and 43.88.030, the state budget outlook work group 7
shall prepare, subject to the approval of the economic and revenue 8
forecast council under RCW 82.33.010, an official state budget 9
outlook for state revenues and expenditures for the general fund and 10
related funds. The revenue and caseload projections used in the 11
outlook must reflect the most recent official forecasts adopted by 12
the economic and revenue forecast council and the caseload forecast 13
council for the years for which those forecasts are available.14
(2) The outlook must: 15
(a) Estimate revenues to and expenditures from the state general 16
fund and related funds. The estimate of ensuing biennium expenditures 17
must include maintenance items including, but not limited to, 18
continuation of current programs, forecasted growth of current 19
entitlement programs, and actions required by law, including 20
legislation with a future implementation date. Estimates of ensuing 21
H-2947.1
HOUSE BILL 2628
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Chase, Orcutt, Couture, Marshall, Schmidt,
Jacobsen, and Barnard
Read first time 01/22/26. Referred to Committee on Appropriations.
p. 1 HB 2628
biennium expenditures must exclude policy items including, but not 1
limited to, legislation not yet enacted by the legislature, 2
collective bargaining agreements not yet approved by the legislature, 3
and changes to levels of funding for employee salaries and benefits 4
unless those changes are required by statute. Estimated maintenance 5
level expenditures must also exclude costs of court rulings issued 6
during or within fewer than ninety days before the beginning of the 7
current legislative session; 8
(b) Address major budget and revenue drivers, including trends 9
and variability in these drivers; 10
(c) Clearly state the assumptions used in the estimates of 11
baseline and projected expenditures and any adjustments made to those 12
estimates; 13
(d) Clearly state the assumptions used in the baseline revenue 14
estimates and any adjustments to those estimates; and15
(e) Include the impact of previously enacted legislation with a 16
future implementation date. 17
(3) The outlook must also separately include projections based on 18
the revenues and expenditures proposed in the governor's budget 19
documents submitted to the legislature under RCW 43.88.030.20
(4) The economic and revenue forecast council shall submit state 21
budget outlooks prepared under this section to the governor and the 22
members of the committees on ways and means of the senate and house 23
of representatives, including one copy to the staff of each of the 24
committees, as required by this section. 25
(5) Each January, the state budget outlook work group shall also 26
prepare, subject to the approval of the economic and revenue forecast 27
council, a state budget outlook for state revenues and expenditures 28
that reflects the governor's proposed budget document submitted to 29
the legislature under chapter 43.88 RCW. 30
(6)(a) Within thirty days following enactment of an operating 31
budget by the legislature, the work group shall prepare, subject to 32
the approval of the economic and revenue forecast council, a state 33
budget outlook for state revenues and expenditures that reflects the 34
enacted budget. 35
(((6))) (b) Each quarter, the work group must update the state 36
budget outlook for the enacted budget to reflect the most recent 37
revenue forecast.38
(c) Each November, the work group must update the state budget 39
outlook for the enacted budget to reflect actual reversions and other 40
p. 2 HB 2628
fiscal year close adjustments for the previous fiscal year as well as 1
any prior period adjustments. 2
(7) All agencies of state government shall provide to the 3
supervisor immediate access to all information relating to state 4
budget outlooks. 5
(((7))) (8) The state budget outlook work group must publish its 6
proposed methodology on the economic and revenue forecast council 7
website. The state budget outlook work group, in consultation with 8
the economic and revenue forecast work group and outside experts if 9
necessary, must analyze the extent to which the proposed methodology 10
for projecting expenditures for the ensuing fiscal biennia may be 11
reliably used to determine the future impact of appropriations and 12
make recommendations to change the outlook process to increase 13
reliability and accuracy. The recommendations are due by December 1, 14
2013, and every five years thereafter. 15
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p. 3 HB 2628