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Evergreen Ledger

SHB 2289

In Committee

House

Operating budget, supp.

Making 2025-2027 fiscal biennium supplemental operating appropriations.

This status may be delayed. See Action History below for the latest updates.

How does a bill become law?
  1. Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
  2. Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
  3. Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
  4. Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
  5. Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
  6. Signed: The bill has been signed into law.
Introduced: February 24, 2026
Last Action: February 27, 2026
Status: H Rules R
Companion Bill:
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AI Analysis

This analysis was generated by AI and may contain errors. It is not legal advice. Always refer to the official bill text for authoritative information.
People & CommunitiesPeople-leaningCorporate & Wealthy Interests

HB 2289 is Washington’s 2025–2027 biennial operating budget, adjusting funding across state agencies to prioritize mental health, housing, wildfire response, tribal partnerships, and legal services—including $6 million for guardianship attorneys and **$5.937 million for *State v. Blake* refunds**—while cutting some environmental agency budgets to reallocate toward high-priority needs.

  • Allocates $6 million for court-appointed attorneys under the Uniform Guardianship Act and **$5.937 million for *State v. Blake*-related refunds** (vacated drug convictions), plus additional funding for counties and the Administrative Office of the Courts.
  • Increases funding for the Office of Public Defense to $197.350 million and Office of Civil Legal Aid to $138.952 million, with new support for reentry services and emergency client assistance.
  • Provides $200 million for the Covenant Homeownership Program, $58 million for energy bill assistance for low-income households, and $30 million for climate mitigation grants through the Department of Commerce.
  • Reduces appropriations for key environmental agencies: Department of Natural Resources ($1 billion cut), Department of Fish and Wildlife ($13.7 million cut), and others, while directing funds toward wildfire suppression, salmon/orca recovery, and invasive species (e.g., $6.082 million for European green crab eradication).
  • Increases funding for election security ($8 million for the Secretary of State) and court infrastructure (Administrator for the Courts: $354.621 million), and includes annual allocations for tribal hatchery operations and fire response support.

Who is affected

  • Individuals affected by *State v. Blake* — Individuals with prior drug convictions vacated under *State v. Blake* receive financial refunds and legal support for related court processes.
  • Low-income households — Low-income households receive assistance with energy bills and access to homeownership programs through housing and utility aid funding.
  • Tribal nations (e.g., Yakama Nation, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission members) — Tribal nations receive funding for hatchery operations, fire response, and salmon conservation efforts, supporting treaty-reserved fishing rights and ecosystem recovery.
  • Rural communities and local governments — Rural and small communities benefit from grants for court security, wildfire resilience, habitat restoration, and local food system development.
  • Individuals in the civil and criminal legal system — People involved in the civil and criminal legal system—including those in guardianship proceedings, public defense clients, and civil legal aid recipients—receive expanded legal services and representation.
Effective: July 1, 2025Fiscal impact: Total state general fund appropriations are approximately $10.3 billion for FY 2026 and $10.7 billion for FY 2027, with additional federal, local, and dedicated account funding. The bill includes targeted reductions in agency budgets (e.g., $1 billion cut to DNR, $13.7 million cut to Fish and Wildlife) while increasing funding in priority areas like housing, mental health, and wildfire response.
Model: Intel/Qwen3-Coder-Next-int4-AutoRoundGenerated: Mar 19, 2026 at 7:53 PM

Pro/Con Analysis

Potential Benefits (5)

  • Dramatically increases funding for public defense and civil legal aid—critical for ensuring equal access to justice—benefiting low-income residents facing eviction, wage theft, custody disputes, and criminal charges; this addresses systemic underfunding and improves fairness in legal outcomes across Washington.

    Rights & LibertiesPeopleRef: Section: $197.350M for Office of Public Defense and $138.952M for Office of Civil Legal Aid

  • $30M in climate mitigation grants supports local and regional climate resilience projects (e.g., wildfire risk reduction, clean energy transitions), especially benefiting frontline communities and small jurisdictions lacking technical or financial capacity to act alone.

    EnvironmentPeopleRef: Section: $30M for climate mitigation grants through Department of Commerce

  • Funding for tribal hatchery operations and fire response supports both ecological recovery and public safety, especially in fire-prone regions; tribal nations are uniquely positioned to manage ecosystem health using traditional knowledge, and this investment strengthens cross-jurisdictional emergency response coordination.

    Public SafetyPeopleRef: Section: Tribal hatchery operations and fire response support

  • Increases election security infrastructure, bolstering confidence in democratic processes; while not directly tied to everyday economic hardship, this helps protect voting access—a foundational right—especially for marginalized communities historically subject to disenfranchisement.

    Rights & LibertiesPeopleRef: Section: $8M for election security

  • Modernizes court facilities and technology, improving access to justice and reducing delays in case resolution—benefiting all litigants, especially those in rural counties with outdated infrastructure.

    Rights & LibertiesPeopleRef: Section: Court infrastructure ($354.621M for Administrator for the Courts)
Potential Concerns (5)

  • Reduces funding for Department of Natural Resources ($1 billion) and Department of Fish and Wildlife ($13.7 million), weakening capacity for forest health management, wildfire prevention, and salmon habitat restoration—key ecosystem services that benefit all Washingtonians, especially rural and outdoor-reliant communities.

    EnvironmentPeopleRef: Section: Environmental agency budget reductions (DNR: $1B cut, Fish and Wildlife: $13.7M cut)

  • The $200 million Covenant Homeownership Program, while framed as helping first-time buyers, is structured around income- and asset-based eligibility that disproportionately benefits households earning above 80% AMI (likely >$70K–$90K depending on region), excluding many low- and moderate-income families; the program’s design and scale suggest most direct financial benefit accrues to middle- and upper-middle-income homebuyers, not the most housing-burdened.

    HousingPeopleRef: Section: $200M Covenant Homeownership Program

  • Energy bill assistance provides meaningful relief to low-income households, but the $58 million allocation is modest relative to the scale of need—covering only a fraction of eligible households and likely providing temporary, not structural, relief from high utility costs.

    FinancialLean peopleRef: Section: $58M energy bill assistance for low-income households

  • Expanding legal representation in guardianship proceedings improves due process for vulnerable adults (e.g., seniors, people with disabilities), but the $6M appropriation only funds a limited number of cases; systemic underfunding of guardianship oversight remains, and many at-risk individuals may still lack timely access to counsel.

    Rights & LibertiesPeopleRef: Section: $6M for guardianship attorneys under Uniform Guardianship Act

  • The $5.937M for *State v. Blake* refunds directly benefits individuals with prior drug convictions—many of whom are low-income and disproportionately people of color—by restoring lost benefits, removing barriers to employment/housing, and providing restitution; this is a rare case where the bill’s framing aligns closely with who actually benefits.

    Rights & LibertiesPeopleRef: Section: $5.937M for *State v. Blake* refunds

Who Is Most Affected

Low-income householdsMixed Impact

Low-income households benefit significantly from energy bill assistance, housing programs, and expanded legal aid; however, the scale of housing assistance may not meet full demand, and some programs (e.g., Covenant Homeownership) may exclude the most cost-burdened families.

Individuals affected by *State v. Blake*Positive Impact

Individuals with prior drug convictions vacated under *State v. Blake* receive direct financial restitution and legal support, reducing barriers to employment and housing; this group is overwhelmingly low-income and disproportionately people of color.

Tribal nationsPositive Impact

Tribal nations receive targeted funding for hatchery operations, salmon recovery, and fire response—supporting treaty-reserved rights, cultural preservation, and community safety; this aligns with federal trust responsibilities and strengthens tribal sovereignty.

Rural communities and local governmentsMixed Impact

Rural communities benefit from wildfire resilience grants, local food system development, and court security funding; however, cuts to DNR and Fish and Wildlife may reduce long-term ecological support services in these areas.

Individuals in the civil and criminal legal systemPositive Impact

People in the civil and criminal legal system gain stronger legal representation and due process protections, especially in guardianship, public defense, and civil legal aid contexts; this improves fairness but does not fully resolve systemic underfunding.