Department of Veterans Affairs

  Average Annual FTEs Near General Fund State Other Funds Total Funds
  (Dollars in Thousands)
Current Budget 899.5 65,942 153,365 219,307
2023-25 Maintenance Level 899.7 75,244 148,885 224,129
Difference from 2023-25 Original 0.20 9,302 (4,480) 4,822
% Change from 2023-25 Original 0.02% 14.1% (2.9%) 2.2%

2023 Policy Other Changes

PACT Act Expansion of Benefits 4.0 1,267 0 1,267
Veterans Cemetery Capacity 3.0 231 345 576
Suicide Prevention federal grant 0.0 0 1,500 1,500
2023 Policy Other Changes Total 7.0 1,498 1,845 3,343

2023 Policy Comp Changes

State Employee Benefits 0.0 93 0 93
WFSE General Government 0.0 12,470 0 12,470
Rep Employee Health Benefits 0.0 355 0 355
Non-Rep Recruitment/Retention 0.0 226 0 226
Coalition of Unions 0.0 5,145 0 5,145
Non-Rep General Wage Increase 0.0 2,351 0 2,351
PERS & TRS Plan 1 Benefit Increase 0.0 147 0 147
Vaccine Booster Incentive 0.0 199 0 199
2023 Policy Comp Changes Total 0.0 20,986 0 20,986

2023 Policy Central Services Changes

Shared Tenant M365 to CSM 0.0 (281) (544) (825)
State Data Center 0.0 58 0 58
Archives/Records Management 0.0 2 7 9
Audit Services 0.0 2 5 7
Legal Services 0.0 1 4 5
CTS Central Services 0.0 278 888 1,166
DES Central Services 0.0 24 2 26
OFM Central Services 0.0 1,133 130 1,263
GOV Central Services 0.0 70 222 292
2023 Policy Central Services Changes Total 0.0 1,287 714 2,001
Total Policy Changes 7.0 23,771 2,559 26,330
2023-25 Policy Level 906.7 99,015 151,444 250,459
Difference from 2021-23 7.2 33,073 (1,921) 31,152
% Change from 2023-25 Original 0.80% 50.2% (1.3%) 14.2%

Policy Changes

PACT Act Expansion of Benefits

Funding is provided to implement the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act and to expand the network of veteran service officers to 19 counties and 22 Tribal governments that are not currently served. The PACT Act increases the number of conditions eligible for compensation from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Additional veteran service officers will help connect eligible veterans and their families to these federal benefits. (General Fund - State)

Veterans Cemetery Capacity

Funding is provided for additional staffing to meet the increased workload for the state veterans cemetery. (General Fund - State, General Fund - Federal)

Suicide Prevention federal grant

Federal spending authority is provided for the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox suicide prevention grant program. This program will provide suicide prevention grants to entities that provide outreach, provision or coordination of suicide prevention services and connection to Veterans Affairs resources. (General Fund - Federal)

State Employee Benefits

Health insurance funding is provided for state employees who are not represented by a union, who are covered by a bargaining agreement that is not subject to financial feasibility determination, or who are not part of the coalition of unions for health benefits. The insurance funding rate is $1,160 per employee per month for fiscal year 2024 and $1,233 per employee per month for fiscal year 2025. (General Fund - State)

WFSE General Government

Funding is provided for a general wage increase of 4%, effective July 1, 2023; a general wage increase of 3%, effective July 1, 2024; targeted job classification base range increases; recognition and retention lump sum payments for employees employed on or before July 1, 2022 and continuously employed through July 1, 2023; shift premium increase for eligible shifts from $1 to $2.50 per eligible hour; a COVID-19 booster incentive of $1,000; supplemental shift premium increases for nurse classifications; 5% premium pay for employees who are assigned to a facility that provides direct care to residents, patients and/or clients and whose duties are required to be performed on location; and an increase of $250 to the annual lump sum payment for Labor and Industries risk classes 7200/7201. (General Fund - State)

Rep Employee Health Benefits

This provides health insurance funding as part of the master agreements for employees who bargain for health benefits as part of a coalition of unions. The insurance funding rate is $1,160 per employee per month for fiscal year 2024 and $1,233 per employee per month for fiscal year 2025. (General Fund - State)

Non-Rep Recruitment/Retention

Funding is provided for recognition and retention lump sum payments for employees employed on or before July 1, 2022 and continuously employed through July 1, 2023. (General Fund - State)

Coalition of Unions

Funding is provided for a general wage increase of 4%, effective July 1, 2023; a general wage increase of 3%, effective July 1, 2024; targeted job classification base range increases; recognition and retention lump sum payments for employees employed on or before July 1, 2022 and continuously employed through July 1, 2023; shift premium increase for eligible shifts from $1 to $2.50 per eligible hour; and a COVID-19 booster incentive of $1,000. The agreement also includes a supplemental shift premium increases for nurse classifications; 5% premium pay for employees who are assigned to a facility that provides direct care to residents, patients and/or clients and whose duties are required to be performed on location; and a $500 annual lump sum payment for L&I codes 7200/7201. (General Fund - State)

Non-Rep General Wage Increase

Funding is provided for wage increases for state employees who are not represented by a union or who are covered by a bargaining agreement that is not subject to financial feasibility determination. It is sufficient for a general wage increase of 4 percent, effective July 1, 2023 and a general wage increase of 3 percent, effective July 1, 2024. This item includes both general government and higher education workers. (General Fund - State)

PERS & TRS Plan 1 Benefit Increase

For eligible Public Employees' and Teachers' Retirement Systems Plan 1 members, this item provides an increase of 3%, up to a maximum of $110 per month. (General Fund - State)

Vaccine Booster Incentive

Funding is provided for a $1,000 lump sum COVID-19 booster incentive for non-represented employees. This funding does not cover institutions of higher education. (General Fund - State)

Shared Tenant M365 to CSM

Agency budgets are reduced by the base budget amounts provided to Consolidated Technology Services for Microsoft 365 licenses so the cost can be added to the central service model allocation in CTS central services (Step 92J). (General Fund - Private/Local, General Fund - State, General Fund - Local, other funds)

State Data Center

Adjustments are made for each agency's share of costs related to the State Data Center. (General Fund - State)

Archives/Records Management

Adjustments are made for each agency's anticipated share of charges for archives and records management services provided by the Secretary of State's Office. (General Fund - Local, General Fund - State, General Fund - Federal, other funds)

Audit Services

Adjustments are made for each agency's anticipated cost of audits performed by the State Auditor's Office. (General Fund - State, General Fund - Local, General Fund - Federal, other funds)

Legal Services

Adjustments are made for each agency's anticipated cost of legal services provided by the Attorney General's Office. Because legal services expenditures are based on consumption, funding provided in the central service model is not all inclusive. The methodology to estimate consumption has been updated from a three-year average to a two-year average and allows for analysis to incorporate unique agency circumstances. (General Fund - State, General Fund - Local, General Fund - Federal, other funds)

CTS Central Services

Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from Consolidated Technology Services (CTS) for the Office of the Chief Information Officer, Office of Cybersecurity, state network, enterprise services, small agency IT services, security gateways, and geospatial imaging services. This amount now includes the total amount for agencies that use the Microsoft 365 shared tenant. See Chapter 11 of the 2023-25 OFM Budget Instructions for allocation methodologies. (General Fund - Federal, General Fund - State, General Fund - Local, other funds)

DES Central Services

Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from the Department of Enterprise Services (DES) for campus rent, parking, contracts, and security; capital project surcharges; financing cost recovery; public and historic facilities; real estate services; risk management services; personnel service rates; the Perry Street and Capitol Campus child care centers; small agency services; and the department's enterprise applications. See Chapter 11 of the 2023-25 OFM Budget Instructions for allocation methodologies. (General Fund - Federal, General Fund - State)

OFM Central Services

Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges for existing statewide applications, the One Washington program, and other central services provided by the Office of Financial Management. See Chapter 11 of the 2023-25 OFM Budget Instructions for allocation methodologies. (General Fund - Local, General Fund - Federal, General Fund - State, other funds)

GOV Central Services

A new central service is created to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from the Office of the Governor for statewide policy staff and the Office of Equity. (General Fund - Local, General Fund - State, General Fund - Federal, other funds)