Environmental justice assessment notices

Amend RCW 43.03.220 (public records act) to:

• Identify participants on advisory boards as volunteers / class 1 work groups
• Exempt certain information about volunteers from public disclosure:
  • Residential address
  • Phone numbers
  • Personal email addresses
  • Social security numbers
  • Drivers’ license / ID card numbers
  • Emergency contact information
  • All of the above information of dependents

Virtual Sessions

Topics within Local Government, Economic Development and Energy Divisions will be covered at the following times:

• Register for the July 28 11:30 a.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)
• Register for the July 28 5:30 p.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)

Topics within Community Services, Overall Agency, and Housing will be covered at the following times:

• Register for the July 30 11:30 a.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)
• Register for the July 30 5:30 p.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)

Audiences for these sessions include households, community leaders, elected officials, business owners, etc.

In-Person Sessions

• Spokane – Tuesday, July 21 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Kennewick – Wednesday, July 22 10:00 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Vancouver – Thursday, July 23 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Attend any session to provide input on proposals. Input will be received in groups by Division in hourly blocks:

• Hour 1: Local Government/Capital Programs
• Hour 2: Economic Development, Energy
• Hour 3: Community Services, Overall Agency (Inc. Childcare), Housing

In-person session locations will be provided with registration confirmation and meeting materials.

• Register to attend an in-person session

Audiences for these in-person sessions include Tribes, local government, economic development, faith- and community-based organizations, education, social services, health care, business, law enforcement and all other sectors.

Additional details

• Community compensation is available to those who qualify.
• Community members can be compensated for one session per day.
• Spanish interpretation will be available at each session

Amends a series of chapters of RCW to:

• Replace the term “street youth” with “unaccompanied homeless youth”
• Ensure consistency in the use of the term “compelling reason” for contacting parents and guardians of youth accessing shelter
• Expand eligibility to a variety of OHY programs

Virtual Sessions

Topics within Local Government, Economic Development and Energy Divisions will be covered at the following times:

• Register for the July 28 11:30 a.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)
• Register for the July 28 5:30 p.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)

Topics within Community Services, Overall Agency, and Housing will be covered at the following times:

• Register for the July 30 11:30 a.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)
• Register for the July 30 5:30 p.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)

Audiences for these sessions include households, community leaders, elected officials, business owners, etc.

In-Person Sessions

• Spokane – Tuesday, July 21 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Kennewick – Wednesday, July 22 10:00 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Vancouver – Thursday, July 23 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Attend any session to provide input on proposals. Input will be received in groups by Division in hourly blocks:

• Hour 1: Local Government/Capital Programs
• Hour 2: Economic Development, Energy
• Hour 3: Community Services, Overall Agency (Inc. Childcare), Housing

In-person session locations will be provided with registration confirmation and meeting materials.

• Register to attend an in-person session

Audiences for these in-person sessions include Tribes, local government, economic development, faith- and community-based organizations, education, social services, health care, business, law enforcement and all other sectors.

Additional details

• Community compensation is available to those who qualify.
• Community members can be compensated for one session per day.
• Spanish interpretation will be available at each session

Commerce is tasked with completing dozens of legislative reports every year. Some are outdated and no longer a Gov/Leg priority, some can be combined for efficiency, some need updating to better align with data collection or legislative changes. Some can just be repealed as we no longer offer programs to support it and it hasn’t been addressed in legislation for awhile. Making these changes or editing will help ease our already heavy workloads and allow more time to do our work in communities. We are proposing to update statute across programs to either repeal or update legislative reporting requirements.

Virtual Sessions

Topics within Local Government, Economic Development and Energy Divisions will be covered at the following times:

• Register for the July 28 11:30 a.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)
• Register for the July 28 5:30 p.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)

Topics within Community Services, Overall Agency, and Housing will be covered at the following times:

• Register for the July 30 11:30 a.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)
• Register for the July 30 5:30 p.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)

Audiences for these sessions include households, community leaders, elected officials, business owners, etc.

In-Person Sessions

• Spokane – Tuesday, July 21 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Kennewick – Wednesday, July 22 10:00 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Vancouver – Thursday, July 23 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Attend any session to provide input on proposals. Input will be received in groups by Division in hourly blocks:

• Hour 1: Local Government/Capital Programs
• Hour 2: Economic Development, Energy
• Hour 3: Community Services, Overall Agency (Inc. Childcare), Housing

In-person session locations will be provided with registration confirmation and meeting materials.

• Register to attend an in-person session

Audiences for these in-person sessions include Tribes, local government, economic development, faith- and community-based organizations, education, social services, health care, business, law enforcement and all other sectors.

Additional details

• Community compensation is available to those who qualify.
• Community members can be compensated for one session per day.
• Spanish interpretation will be available at each session

During session 2026, the Community Reinvestment Program was codified in statute through the passage of HB 2523. Goal: To ensure the program can operate effectively long‑term in a way that reflects legislative intent and community‑driven priorities. The proposed agency request legislation may:

• Reconcile differences between the original Community Reinvestment Plan/prior proviso language and new statute
• Address funding eligibility criteria that may create unintended barriers for by-and-for and grass roots organizations
• Integrate recommendations developed by a workgroup tasked to create a new administrative framework for the Community Reinvestment Program

Virtual Sessions

Topics within Local Government, Economic Development and Energy Divisions will be covered at the following times:

• Register for the July 28 11:30 a.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)
• Register for the July 28 5:30 p.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)

Topics within Community Services, Overall Agency, and Housing will be covered at the following times:

• Register for the July 30 11:30 a.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)
• Register for the July 30 5:30 p.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)

Audiences for these sessions include households, community leaders, elected officials, business owners, etc.

In-Person Sessions

• Spokane – Tuesday, July 21 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Kennewick – Wednesday, July 22 10:00 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Vancouver – Thursday, July 23 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Attend any session to provide input on proposals. Input will be received in groups by Division in hourly blocks:

• Hour 1: Local Government/Capital Programs
• Hour 2: Economic Development, Energy
• Hour 3: Community Services, Overall Agency (Inc. Childcare), Housing

In-person session locations will be provided with registration confirmation and meeting materials.

• Register to attend an in-person session

Audiences for these in-person sessions include Tribes, local government, economic development, faith- and community-based organizations, education, social services, health care, business, law enforcement and all other sectors.

Additional details

• Community compensation is available to those who qualify.
• Community members can be compensated for one session per day.
• Spanish interpretation will be available at each session

The federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding is Washington’s most substantial resource to support critical services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, trafficking, and more. The VOCA State Plan supports 70% of the Office of Crime Victim’s Advocacy (OCVA) total victim services pass through dollars. But Federal VOCA funds are continually declining, and the federal climate creates additional uncertainty. The state has provided vital supplemental funds for the past six years; Commerce recommends a solution to create a more stable path forward for Washington State. Proposal to create a state victims of crime account where supplemental funds can be deposited; amounts are informed by Commerce’s required biennial decision package.

Virtual Sessions

Topics within Local Government, Economic Development and Energy Divisions will be covered at the following times:

• Register for the July 28 11:30 a.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)
• Register for the July 28 5:30 p.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)

Topics within Community Services, Overall Agency, and Housing will be covered at the following times:

• Register for the July 30 11:30 a.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)
• Register for the July 30 5:30 p.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)

Audiences for these sessions include households, community leaders, elected officials, business owners, etc.

In-Person Sessions

• Spokane – Tuesday, July 21 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Kennewick – Wednesday, July 22 10:00 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Vancouver – Thursday, July 23 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Attend any session to provide input on proposals. Input will be received in groups by Division in hourly blocks:

• Hour 1: Local Government/Capital Programs
• Hour 2: Economic Development, Energy
• Hour 3: Community Services, Overall Agency (Inc. Childcare), Housing

In-person session locations will be provided with registration confirmation and meeting materials.

• Register to attend an in-person session

Audiences for these in-person sessions include Tribes, local government, economic development, faith- and community-based organizations, education, social services, health care, business, law enforcement and all other sectors.

Additional details

• Community compensation is available to those who qualify.
• Community members can be compensated for one session per day.
• Spanish interpretation will be available at each session

This ARL proposal seeks to implement an agile, scenario-based planning approach grounded in foresight methods to identify funding needs through engagement with BRAC, using existing resources and direct contact with relevant state agencies, including WaTech, ESD, Public Works Board, and the Community and Economic Revitalization Board. Important components of this policy request include:

• Renaming “Digital Equity Forum” to “Broadband Roadmap Advisory Council” (BRAC) while retaining its advisory function and removing the legislative report requirement. This helps the forum avoid getting bogged down in the very challenging work of authoring a report, while also giving members more time to advise the WSBO and provide their important perspectives during meetings.
• Removing the requirement for the Office of Equity to participate, so it can dedicate its limited resources to address critical priorities, such as Impact (formerly referred to as Pro-Equity Antiracism, PEAR) implementation and the Immigration Subcabinet.
• Modifying RCW 43.330.5395 by adding tech industry partners as a priority group and removing state agency representatives from the priority group list.
• Limiting the BRAC to 16 members (in addition to ex officio members), appointed every two years, with up to one reappointment by the WSBO director (4-year terms) to allow for continuity while fostering diverse viewpoints to inform this ongoing work. The NTIA State Digital Equity Plan is outdated, and technology has rapidly advanced since it was approved over two years ago. An attempt to fund updates and implement this plan will be costly to taxpayers. The broadband roadmap will provide the information state agencies need to identify common decision packages to fund critical operating dollars for programs, such as promoting connections with workforce partners and protecting residents from cyber threats and scams. Other areas of need will be identified based on iterative engagement with the BRAC and collaboration with ESD, WaTech and other agency partners. In a lean budget environment, garnering private-sector support could fill gaps that the Legislature cannot fund due to competing priorities.

Virtual Sessions

Topics within Local Government, Economic Development and Energy Divisions will be covered at the following times:

• Register for the July 28 11:30 a.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)
• Register for the July 28 5:30 p.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)

Topics within Community Services, Overall Agency, and Housing will be covered at the following times:

• Register for the July 30 11:30 a.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)
• Register for the July 30 5:30 p.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)

Audiences for these sessions include households, community leaders, elected officials, business owners, etc.

In-Person Sessions

• Spokane – Tuesday, July 21 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Kennewick – Wednesday, July 22 10:00 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Vancouver – Thursday, July 23 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Attend any session to provide input on proposals. Input will be received in groups by Division in hourly blocks:

• Hour 1: Local Government/Capital Programs
• Hour 2: Economic Development, Energy
• Hour 3: Community Services, Overall Agency (Inc. Childcare), Housing

In-person session locations will be provided with registration confirmation and meeting materials.

• Register to attend an in-person session

Audiences for these in-person sessions include Tribes, local government, economic development, faith- and community-based organizations, education, social services, health care, business, law enforcement and all other sectors.

Additional details

• Community compensation is available to those who qualify.
• Community members can be compensated for one session per day.
• Spanish interpretation will be available at each session

The State of Washington designated Frontier One and Frontier Two counties of importance in ESHB 1835 – Session Law on June 6, 2024, and amended RCW 43.160.020 and included it in Commerce’s definitions in RCW 43.330.010 for special consideration for diversified economic development and job creation as areas impacted by cutbacks in old growth timber sales.

The latest proviso changes in the short session for Supplemental FY27 ESSB 5998 struck out underlying former proviso language around Associate Development Organization (ADO) base (up to $50k) and match funding (up to $1 for rural), reverting Commerce to the RCW 43.330.086 (BEDROCK) base and match funding amount ($40k, up to $.90 match).

As a result, while the Legislature cut $152,000 of funding to ADOs compared to FY26, due to the constraints of the RCW 43.330.086 as written, Commerce was forced to disproportionately take the vast bulk of those cuts from the least populous (aka Frontier One & Frontier Two) counties, resulting in those two areas absorbing over 90% of the cuts. The solution is simply to provide Commerce the option of considering all factors when allocating funds to each county.

We propose doing this by raising the per capita match rate for the Frontier One counties up to $5.00 per capita and up to $4.00 per capita for the Frontier Two counties, and up to $1.00 per capita for all other rural counties- as well as the frontier county base rate as up to $60,000. We need this bill to ensure a fair and equitable process so we can provide adequate funding to these less populated counties who are tasked with doing the exact same work including the same core deliverables, as their non-rural counterparts, while having less resources and fewer opportunities to raise additional funding.

Virtual Sessions

Topics within Local Government, Economic Development and Energy Divisions will be covered at the following times:

• Register for the July 28 11:30 a.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)
• Register for the July 28 5:30 p.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)

Topics within Community Services, Overall Agency, and Housing will be covered at the following times:

• Register for the July 30 11:30 a.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)
• Register for the July 30 5:30 p.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)

Audiences for these sessions include households, community leaders, elected officials, business owners, etc.

In-Person Sessions

• Spokane – Tuesday, July 21 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Kennewick – Wednesday, July 22 10:00 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Vancouver – Thursday, July 23 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Attend any session to provide input on proposals. Input will be received in groups by Division in hourly blocks:

• Hour 1: Local Government/Capital Programs
• Hour 2: Economic Development, Energy
• Hour 3: Community Services, Overall Agency (Inc. Childcare), Housing

In-person session locations will be provided with registration confirmation and meeting materials.

• Register to attend an in-person session

Audiences for these in-person sessions include Tribes, local government, economic development, faith- and community-based organizations, education, social services, health care, business, law enforcement and all other sectors.

Additional details

• Community compensation is available to those who qualify.
• Community members can be compensated for one session per day.
• Spanish interpretation will be available at each session

The Equitable Access to Credit Program (2022 HB1015, RCW 43.390.020) tax preference expires July 1, 2027. The Equitable Access to Credit program expands access to capital for small businesses and underserved communities by leveraging private contributions to fund grant-making activities. This is a well-established program that builds on current state B&O tax credit funding instrument to support Community Development Financial Institutions make loans and provide technical assistance and small business training programs to support tribal, rural and underbanked communities with access to credit and capital.

• RCW 82.04.449 Credit – Equitable access to credit program (Expires July 1, 2027)
• RCW 43.390.020 Equitable access to credit program

Virtual Sessions

Topics within Local Government, Economic Development and Energy Divisions will be covered at the following times:

• Register for the July 28 11:30 a.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)
• Register for the July 28 5:30 p.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)

Topics within Community Services, Overall Agency, and Housing will be covered at the following times:

• Register for the July 30 11:30 a.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)
• Register for the July 30 5:30 p.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)

Audiences for these sessions include households, community leaders, elected officials, business owners, etc.

In-Person Sessions

• Spokane – Tuesday, July 21 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Kennewick – Wednesday, July 22 10:00 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Vancouver – Thursday, July 23 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Attend any session to provide input on proposals. Input will be received in groups by Division in hourly blocks:

• Hour 1: Local Government/Capital Programs
• Hour 2: Economic Development, Energy
• Hour 3: Community Services, Overall Agency (Inc. Childcare), Housing

In-person session locations will be provided with registration confirmation and meeting materials.

• Register to attend an in-person session

Audiences for these in-person sessions include Tribes, local government, economic development, faith- and community-based organizations, education, social services, health care, business, law enforcement and all other sectors.

Additional details

• Community compensation is available to those who qualify.
• Community members can be compensated for one session per day.
• Spanish interpretation will be available at each session

The Small Business Resiliency Network (SBRN) is a community‑driven, trusted‑messenger network operating under an inclusive structure co-governance model where community-led organizations fill gaps where traditional systems have not been able to reach small businesses. These by-and-for organizations understand the cultural nuances, language access needs, and relationship-building required to provide culturally appropriate and trusted customer service that is person-focused to support underserved and underestimated entrepreneurs with government resources and business support. SBRN Partners do this work, often without stable funding or recognition as legitimate economic development partners. Codifying SBRN acknowledges the value of this existing community-led infrastructure and creates a long-term statewide system that supports both the nonprofit organizations providing this work and the small businesses relying on it. It ensures entrepreneurs across Washington have ongoing access to culturally responsive support that helps them build resilience, stability, and long-term economic growth.

Virtual Sessions

Topics within Local Government, Economic Development and Energy Divisions will be covered at the following times:

• Register for the July 28 11:30 a.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)
• Register for the July 28 5:30 p.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)

Topics within Community Services, Overall Agency, and Housing will be covered at the following times:

• Register for the July 30 11:30 a.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)
• Register for the July 30 5:30 p.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)

Audiences for these sessions include households, community leaders, elected officials, business owners, etc.

In-Person Sessions

• Spokane – Tuesday, July 21 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Kennewick – Wednesday, July 22 10:00 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Vancouver – Thursday, July 23 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Attend any session to provide input on proposals. Input will be received in groups by Division in hourly blocks:

• Hour 1: Local Government/Capital Programs
• Hour 2: Economic Development, Energy
• Hour 3: Community Services, Overall Agency (Inc. Childcare), Housing

In-person session locations will be provided with registration confirmation and meeting materials.

• Register to attend an in-person session

Audiences for these in-person sessions include Tribes, local government, economic development, faith- and community-based organizations, education, social services, health care, business, law enforcement and all other sectors.

Additional details

• Community compensation is available to those who qualify.
• Community members can be compensated for one session per day.
• Spanish interpretation will be available at each session

Carbon capture, storage, and utilization (CCUS) is a technological approach for preventing climate-damaging carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from entering the atmosphere by trapping CO2 before it is emitted. For CCUS to be effective the trapped carbon dioxide must be prevented from being re-released back into the atmosphere shortly after capture (which occurs with using the gas in beverages, for example). This is done by permanently sequestering the captured carbon underground or utilizing it to make products like building materials that trap the carbon.

This concept would put in place methods by which electric utilities could count electrical generation for which the associated greenhouse gas emissions are addressed appropriately through CCUS technology as “non-emitting” generation for compliance purposes with the Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA) and its clean electricity mandate, with the remainder remaining “emitting” generation. This proportional approach maintains the integrity of the “non-emitting” generation category in CETA with a minimum of changes to the CETA law. In short, generation for which the harmful greenhouse gas emissions are captured and eliminated from entering the atmosphere would be considered zero emissions, while any remaining generation which is not dealt with by the technology would remain as fossil-fuel generated electricity under CETA.

Virtual Sessions

Topics within Local Government, Economic Development and Energy Divisions will be covered at the following times:

• Register for the July 28 11:30 a.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)
• Register for the July 28 5:30 p.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)

Topics within Community Services, Overall Agency, and Housing will be covered at the following times:

• Register for the July 30 11:30 a.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)
• Register for the July 30 5:30 p.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)

Audiences for these sessions include households, community leaders, elected officials, business owners, etc.

In-Person Sessions

• Spokane – Tuesday, July 21 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Kennewick – Wednesday, July 22 10:00 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Vancouver – Thursday, July 23 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Attend any session to provide input on proposals. Input will be received in groups by Division in hourly blocks:

• Hour 1: Local Government/Capital Programs
• Hour 2: Economic Development, Energy
• Hour 3: Community Services, Overall Agency (Inc. Childcare), Housing

In-person session locations will be provided with registration confirmation and meeting materials.

• Register to attend an in-person session

Audiences for these in-person sessions include Tribes, local government, economic development, faith- and community-based organizations, education, social services, health care, business, law enforcement and all other sectors.

Additional details

• Community compensation is available to those who qualify.
• Community members can be compensated for one session per day.
• Spanish interpretation will be available at each session

Amend RCW chapter 43.185C to:

• Ensure consistency in program language
• Broaden the participation of relevant interested parties in the statewide strategic plan
• Eliminate redundant reporting the years a new strategic plan is released
• Eliminate subsections that discuss programs that no longer exist

Virtual Sessions

Topics within Local Government, Economic Development and Energy Divisions will be covered at the following times:

• Register for the July 28 11:30 a.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)
• Register for the July 28 5:30 p.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)

Topics within Community Services, Overall Agency, and Housing will be covered at the following times:

• Register for the July 30 11:30 a.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)
• Register for the July 30 5:30 p.m. virtual meeting (on Zoom)

Audiences for these sessions include households, community leaders, elected officials, business owners, etc.

In-Person Sessions

• Spokane – Tuesday, July 21 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Kennewick – Wednesday, July 22 10:00 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Vancouver – Thursday, July 23 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Attend any session to provide input on proposals. Input will be received in groups by Division in hourly blocks:

• Hour 1: Local Government/Capital Programs
• Hour 2: Economic Development, Energy
• Hour 3: Community Services, Overall Agency (Inc. Childcare), Housing

In-person session locations will be provided with registration confirmation and meeting materials.

• Register to attend an in-person session

Audiences for these in-person sessions include Tribes, local government, economic development, faith- and community-based organizations, education, social services, health care, business, law enforcement and all other sectors.

Additional details

• Community compensation is available to those who qualify.
• Community members can be compensated for one session per day.
• Spanish interpretation will be available at each session