HB 1836
In CommitteeHouse
Local news journalism
Supporting local news journalism.
This status may be delayed. See Action History below for the latest updates.
How does a bill become law?
- Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
- Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
- Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
- Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
- Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
- Signed: The bill has been signed into law.
AI Analysis
This bill creates a grant program to support local news journalism in Washington by funding journalists who cover civic affairs in underserved communities. It is funded by a new 1.22% surcharge on large tech companies, with $20 million annually allocated starting in 2026. The bill also defines which news organizations qualify and sets reporting requirements for grantees.
- Establishes the Washington Local News Journalism Corps Program within the Department of Commerce to provide grants to local news organizations for employing journalists covering civic affairs in underserved communities.
- Sets eligibility requirements: news organizations must employ at least three journalists in Washington per quarter (or two journalists with a longer employment history) to qualify for grants, which are proportional to journalist hours worked.
- Defines key terms such as 'news journalist', 'eligible publisher', 'eligible broadcaster', and 'qualifying publication', including digital outlets that meet standards for original local content, editorial oversight, and transparency.
- Adds a 1.22% workforce education investment surcharge on select advanced computing businesses (e.g., large tech firms with over $25 billion in global revenue), with a $15 million annual cap per affiliated group.
- Requires surcharge revenue to fund the journalism corps program ($20 million annually starting July 1, 2026) and other higher education and workforce programs with remaining funds.
- Mandates reporting and transparency: grantees must submit progress and final reports on coverage supported, and agencies must share data to verify eligibility and compliance.
Who is affected
- Local news organizations and journalists — Local news organizations—including newspapers, digital outlets, and ethnic media—that meet eligibility requirements (e.g., employing at least three journalists in Washington per quarter) can apply for grants to support journalist salaries covering civic affairs in underserved communities.
- Residents of underserved communities — Residents of underserved communities benefit from increased local news coverage focused on civic issues, helping improve community awareness, civic engagement, and accountability.
- Large tech companies (select advanced computing businesses) — Large tech companies (specifically 'select advanced computing businesses' with over $25 billion in global revenue) must pay a new 1.22% surcharge on certain business activities in Washington, contributing to the news journalism fund.
- State agencies — State agencies—including the Department of Commerce, Employment Security Department, and Department of Revenue—must share data to implement and verify grant eligibility and compliance.
Pro/Con Analysis
Stronger case for benefits
Potential Benefits (5)
The bill directly funds local journalists covering civic affairs in underserved communities, which strengthens democratic accountability, reduces information deserts, and supports community resilience—especially in historically marginalized neighborhoods. This improves civic health, a foundational component of public safety.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 2(2); Sec. 6(2)(a); Sec. 7(1)By explicitly including ethnic and community media in eligibility and defining 'news journalist' broadly (including part-time, contract, or freelance roles), the bill supports diverse, underrepresented voices and helps sustain culturally specific journalism that informs and engages communities often excluded from mainstream media.
EducationPeopleRef: Sec. 1(5); Sec. 2(3)(a); Sec. 5(2)-(4)The grant formula—based on hours reported to ESD—directly supports journalist wages, especially for part-time and freelance workers, and prioritizes outlets with longer employment histories, helping stabilize local news jobs that have declined 44% over the past decade.
Business & EmploymentPeopleRef: Sec. 1(6); Sec. 2(3)(b); Sec. 5(5)The bill creates a dedicated revenue stream ($20M/year starting 2026) for local journalism from a surcharge on large tech firms, reducing reliance on volatile advertising markets and helping reverse the 66% decline in newspaper ad revenue since 2014.
FinancialPeopleRef: Sec. 1(3); Sec. 6(2)(a); Sec. 7(1)(b)Mandating transparency and reporting (e.g., progress reports, ownership disclosure, editorial process documentation) increases accountability and public trust in grantees, while also encouraging industry-wide improvements in journalistic standards and sustainability practices.
Business & EmploymentPeopleRef: Sec. 2(7); Sec. 5(1)-(4)
Potential Concerns (5)
The bill aims to strengthen civic infrastructure by supporting local journalism, which research shows correlates with increased government accountability and reduced corruption—key components of public safety. However, the direct link between news coverage and measurable reductions in crime or public disorder is speculative and not empirically established in the bill text.
Public SafetyRef: Sec. 1(4); Sec. 2(2); Sec. 5(4)The requirement that grantees employ at least three journalists per quarter (or two with longer tenure) may exclude very small or emerging outlets, potentially limiting participation to more established (and often wealthier) news organizations, even among independent or nonprofit publishers.
Business & EmploymentRef: Sec. 2(3)(b); Sec. 5(4)While the bill includes ethnic and community media in its scope, the eligibility criteria (e.g., 30 hours/week employment, 25% weekly original content updates) may disproportionately exclude small, volunteer-driven, or part-time ethnic media operations that serve high-need communities but lack formal staffing structures.
EducationPeopleRef: Sec. 1(5); Sec. 2(2); Sec. 5(4)The $15M annual cap per affiliated group on the 1.22% surcharge means that large tech firms with multiple Washington-based subsidiaries may pay less than their proportional share, reducing total revenue and potentially limiting grant amounts—especially if combined with inflation or higher-than-expected demand.
FinancialLean peopleRef: Sec. 6(2)(a); Sec. 7(1)(b)The definition of 'select advanced computing business' excludes hospitals, health care providers, and financial institutions—but not other high-revenue tech-adjacent sectors (e.g., e-commerce, logistics, or AI SaaS firms), potentially allowing some large tech-adjacent firms to avoid the surcharge while smaller, non-tech local businesses (e.g., community newspapers) remain subject to other tax burdens.
Business & EmploymentLean peopleRef: Sec. 7(1)(f)(vi); Sec. 7(2)(a)(ii)
Who Is Most Affected
Local news organizations—including small independent, nonprofit, and ethnic media—will benefit most if they meet the staffing and content thresholds. Many will gain critical funding to retain or hire journalists, but smaller outlets lacking full-time staff or digital infrastructure may be excluded or underfunded.
Residents of underserved communities—especially communities of color, rural areas, and low-income neighborhoods—will benefit from increased local civic coverage, improved accountability, and culturally relevant news. However, impact depends on whether grantees prioritize their specific needs.
Large tech firms with >$25B global revenue and Washington-based computing operations will pay up to $15M/year per affiliated group. This is a direct cost, but the surcharge is capped and applies only to select activities—not core operations—limiting overall financial impact per firm.
State agencies (Commerce, ESD, Revenue) will incur administrative costs to implement the program, verify eligibility, and share data—but these are one-time setup and ongoing compliance costs, not structural budget increases. The bill does not create new agency mandates beyond existing reporting frameworks.
Small and mid-sized tech-adjacent businesses (e.g., e-commerce, logistics, SaaS) may be excluded from the surcharge if they don’t meet the 'select advanced computing' definition—potentially giving them a competitive advantage over local news, which must compete for limited advertising and attention. However, this is indirect and not a direct effect of the bill.