New policies in the House Appropriations Committee chair’s 2023–25 operating budget proposal would increase appropriations from funds subject to the outlook (NGFO) by $5.004 billion. (Maintenance level changes would increase appropriations by another $914.6 million.)

The chart below compares the policy changes to those in the proposals from the governor and the Senate Ways & Means Committee chair, by category.

The new NGFO policy spending in the House chair’s proposal includes:

• Department of Commerce: $76.0 million for emergency housing/shelter, $60.0 million for encampment response, $52.5 million to increase homeless services contracts, $26.5 million for housing and essential needs, and $15.0 million for permanent supportive housing.
• Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS): $257.2 million to adjust consumer directed employer (individual provider) rates and $61.9 million for agency provider parity, $262.5 million to increase rates for other service providers, $151.7 million for the adult family home collective bargaining agreement (CBA), and $40.6 million to increase cash grants by 8%.
• Health Care Authority (HCA): $95.3 million to increase behavioral health provider rates and $67.0 million to increase rates for other service providers.
• Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF): $256.2 million for the family childcare CBA, $39.9 million to increase Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) rates, and $38.5 million to make other changes to ECEAP.
• Public Schools: $261.7 million for K–12 salary inflation (ESHB 1732), $38.5 million to increase the cap for special education enrollment (ESHB 1436), and $46.5 million to increase the special education excess cost multiplier (ESHB 1436).
• Special Appropriations: $60.0 million for foundational public health services.

As in the Senate chair’s proposal, the House chair’s proposal would fund the CBAs with state employees. However, the House chair’s proposal would not fund a benefit increase for eligible members of Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) Plan 1 and Teachers’ Retirement Systems (TRS) Plan 1. Additionally, the House chair’s proposal books savings of $337.0 million from lower required contributions to the unfunded actuarial accrued liability in PERS 1 and TRS 1. (The Senate chair’s corresponding policy change would save $807.7 million.)

(For my overview of the House chair’s proposal, see here.)