Billions of dollars in federal relief have flowed to Washington in response to the pandemic. Some of that is earmarked by federal legislation for specific purposes, but the coronavirus state fiscal relief fund (CSFRF) may be used broadly in response to the pandemic and its economic effects. The state of Washington received $4.428 billion from the CSFRF. Of that, $3.155 was appropriated last year in the 2021 supplemental and 2021–23 biennial budget.

The supplemental budget proposals in the Senate and House differ in their use of the CSFRF. The Senate would spend it down, while the House would save about $1 billion to appropriate in the future. (Under the federal legislation, spending must be obligated by Dec. 31, 2024.)

As passed by the Senate Ways & Means Committee, the operating budget proposal would increase CSFRF appropriations by $714.3 million and the capital budget proposal would increase CSFRF appropriations by $561.6 million.

Meanwhile, the House Appropriations chair’s proposal would increase appropriations from the CSFRF by just $281.7 million. (The Appropriations Committee approved a budget proposal on Feb. 23, but updated numbers and language are not yet available. Based on my review of the adopted amendments, it doesn’t look like the committee made any changes to the use of the CSFRF in the budget.)

Both the Senate and House proposals would appropriate $20.0 million from the CSFRF for business grants for the arts, heritage, and science sectors and $5.0 million for grants to businesses dependent on conventions.

Additional Senate appropriations would include:

• $156.1 million for Dept. of Health activities to contain the spread of COVID-19
• $100.1 million for COVID-19 vaccination
• $50.0 million for utility assistance (grants to utilities to reduce customer arrearages)
• $50.0 million for energy and water assistance for low-income individuals
• $35.0 million for convention centers that lost more than $200 million in 2020, 2021, and 2022
• $15.0 million for grants to hotels that have lost revenue as a result of the eviction moratorium
• $40.6 million for right of way response and outreach (grants for alternative response teams and transitioning people to permanent housing)
• $95.0 million for community solar projects
• $78.0 million for electric vehicle charging

Additional House appropriations would include:

• $200.0 million for business assistance for the hospitality industry
• $45.0 million for non-profit organizations to encourage small business recovery, start-ups and growth
• $78.0 million for homeless service provider stipends
• $58.0 million for behavioral health provider relief

The enacted capital budget appropriated $102.6 million for broadband; that funding would be shifted to the federal coronavirus capital projects account in both the Senate and House supplemental budget proposals. The House proposal would not increase capital budget appropriations of the CSFRF. However, with the funding freed up by shifting broadband to another account, the House would fund rapid capital housing and the housing trust fund.

The Senate’s increased CSFRF appropriations in the capital budget are:

• $345.4 million for rapid capital housing
• $145.7 million for the housing trust fund
• $86.0 million for crisis stabilization facilities

(Read more about the supplemental proposals here.)