On Monday, the Senate Ways & Means (W&M) Committee amended and passed its chair’s operating budget proposal. Adopted amendments would increase appropriations from funds subject to the outlook (NGFO) by $191.1 million in 2023–25. Total NGFO appropriations for 2023–25 would be $69.375 billion.

Of the changes, the maintenance level (the cost of continuing current services, adjusted for enrollment and inflation) would increase by $13.2 million and new policies would add $177.9 million. Major new policy amendments included:

• $50.0 million for UW hospital support
• $32.0 million for the Office of Crime Victims Advocacy in the Department of Commerce
• $24.0 million for the Department of Social and Health Services for domestic violence victim services
• $21.2 million for unemployment insurance staffing at the Employment Security Department
• $20.0 million in additional funding for employee compensation costs in the Community and Technical College System

The only NGFO change to the 2023 supplemental proposal would be to add $20,000 for the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council.

With the spending changes approved by W&M, the budget would not balance over four years. However, W&M also approved an amendment that would increase the transfer from the Washington rescue plan transition account (WRPTA, an unrestricted reserve account) to the general fund–state. Originally, the Senate chair had proposed using $650.0 million from the WRPTA. As amended, the proposal would increase the transfer to $800.0 million.

All told, as approved by W&M, the operating budget proposal would leave an unrestricted NGFO ending balance of $37 million in 2025–27 and total reserves (including the unrestricted ending balance, the budget stabilization account, and the WRPTA) of $3.467 billion.