2025 Legislative Session
The Workforce Board advises the Governor and Legislature on workforce development policy to shape strategies and create and sustain a high-skill, high-wage economy. The budget requests below showcase some of the agency’s top priorities.
The following 2025 Workforce Board budget requests have been submitted to the Office of Financial Management for review.
2025 Workforce Board Agency Request One Pager
Career Bridge Modernization
Career Bridge Modernization Fact Sheet
Washington’s publicfacing, career and education planning portal, Career Bridge, has been undergoing modernization with legislative investment. Procurement delays pushed some updates past the project deadline. Funds are needed now to finish Phase 1, ensuring data moves through data loaders and APIs, not manual updates. Additional site improvements will enhance how information is consumed and improve the user interface. Enhanced, ongoing site maintenance and further upgrades require that two current project positions (2 FTEs) be made permanent. Another 1.5 FTE project staff will oversee Phase II enhancement and four related pilot projects with education and industry partners.
No Wrong Door Integrated Data
No Wrong Door Integrated Data Fact Sheet
A lack of data sharing across the workforce system creates challenges for Washington job seekers and employers. This inefficient and disconnected service delivery has resulted in negative experiences and disengagement for job seekers, ultimately affecting retraining and employment outcomes. The Workforce Board and its partners seek to leverage modern and innovative practices to meaningfully address these longstanding challenges. Through the “no wrong door” approach, shared information across the full lifecycle of service delivery will help job seekers find meaningful work, connect employers with skilled workers, and strengthen economic stability and quality of life in Washington.
Workforce Digital Pathways
Workforce Digital Pathways Fact Sheet
Many marginalized communities in Washington face barriers to accessing quality jobs in the digital economy due to a lack of affordable and reliable internet, devices, skills, and support, with the digital divide disproportionately affecting the participation and opportunities of vulnerable groups. Continuing the 2024 state budget investment, public, private, state, and local partners will work together, building on existing infrastructures, to narrow this digital divide through expanded or enhanced career pathways leading to good jobs through the Workforce Digital Pathways Initiative. Initiative solutions include digital literacy education and credentials, rapid response skills gap programs to support training for new jobs created from federal Infrastructure Investment grants, workbased training and supports, and career readiness resources and tools.
WAVE Funding
In a time of rising college costs and skilled labor shortages, the Washington Award for Vocational Excellence (WAVE) celebrates top CTE students at Washington high schools and community and technical colleges. The scholarship pays for two years of tuition or other expenses for up to 147 awardees each year—three from each Legislative District. Students may attend an institution of their choice. This scholarship program has been significantly underfunded since its 2022 relaunch. Additional funding is needed to match the rising cost of postsecondary education.
Health Workforce Planning
Health Workforce Planning Fact Sheet
Policy efforts related to the healthcare and behavioral health workforce have significantly expanded, even as funding has decreased due to the expiration of a budget proviso. The remaining funds appropriated to the Workforce Board for staffing the Health Workforce Council, supporting related behavioral health workforce projects, and maintaining Washington’s Health Workforce Sentinel Network are insufficient to continue the data collection, analysis, and policy work required by the Council’s statute (RCW 28C.18.120 and ESSB 5950). To address this gap, the Workforce Board requests ongoing funding for an additional 1.65 FTE (for a total of 2.5 FTE dedicated to Council work) and an increase to the funds for the Sentinel Network to support healthcare and behavioral health workforce research and policy development in the state.
Long-Term Care Initiative Continuation
Long-Term Care Initiative Continuation Fact Sheet
Long-term care (LTC) staffing challenges are creating situations that place those needing this critical care at risk. These challenges are expected to worsen due to an increased demand for services coupled with a shrinking workforce. The LTC Workforce Initiative is a multiorganization collaborative of professionals that has spent the last two years focused on LTC policy development, comprehensive research, and the launch of a pilot LPN registered apprenticeship. Funding for this work ends in June of 2025. This request is seeking funding to continue the focused efforts of the Initiative, including continued support for prerequisite courses for potential LPN apprentices.
WAVE Scholarship Administration
The Washington Award for Vocational Excellence (WAVE) is a merit scholarship awarded to CTE students. WAVE was suspended for 12 years during the Great Recession. The Board received funds to support the relaunch, but building back to prerecession programming has been staff intensive, causing staff expenses beyond the funds provided. To meet reasonable administrative standards for the program such as: outreach, applicant support, recruiting and training approximately 100 volunteer reviewers, and processing an increasing number of WAVE applications, the Workforce Board requests funding for fulltime staffing and software licensing costs to sustain appropriate access and timely award decisions for applicants.
Contracts Support
The Workforce Board requests ongoing funding to hire a Contracts Specialist 3 (1.0 FTE). In FY 2024, the Workforce Board executed 26 contracts with a total value of more than $30 million without dedicated contracts staff. We request ongoing funding for contracts staff to carry out procurement and contracting activities so project/policy staff will not be taken away from their primary job duties to complete these activities. This will allow the agency to carry out legislative mandates to contract and procure goods/services efficiently and to comply with state procurement requirements.
Reasonable Accommodation
The Workforce Board is requesting a fund for Reasonable Accommodation (RA) requests from staff going through the RA process. Under current agency funding limitations, RA requests must be put through the legislative budget process, creating a much longer lag time between approved requests for staff members seeking accommodation for essential work functions.
Federal Perkins CTE Match Funds
The Workforce Board requests a maintenance budget adjustment to support critical activities and functions necessary to comply with federal and state mandates to administer the federal Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education (CTE) program. Currently, insufficient state administrative funding is hindering the Perkins program’s ability to reach its full potential. This limitation prevents the program from meeting the required dollar for dollar match, which is necessary to fully utilize federal CTE grant funds. By providing state specific CTE funding to match to federal outlays, the state can ensure that all federal grant allocations are effectively deployed, and that Washington doesn’t forfeit any unspent funds.
The Workforce Board and its partners have crafted a unified policy agenda for 2025 to advance the goals of Washington’s workforce plan, Talent and Prosperity for All (TAP). Focused on six priorities, this agenda reflects a commitment to building an equitable, dynamic system that strengthens communities, fuels economic growth, and empowers workers and businesses to succeed.
TAP 2025 Workforce System Legislative Agenda One Pager.
Provide Additional Funding for the Job Skills Program (JSP)
In partnership with SBCTC and local community and technical colleges, this investment will address unmet need for employers by expanding program and college capacity. SBCTC has put in a request to increase grant funds available for this program. System partners are in support of their request and ask policymakers to support investment in the program. More on JSP here.
Maintain Funding for the Economic Security for All (EcSA) Program
Ongoing appropriations to the Employment Security Department (ESD) for the core ECSA services adjusted for inflation. Simplify EcSA funding streams under a single maintenance budget line item to support local board services to move people out of poverty and into self-sufficiency, including post-employment retention support. This request presumes a continued interagency agreement with ESD and the Department of Commerce to direct Community Reinvestment Funds to enhance EcSA pro-equity poverty reduction services. More on EcSA here.
Fully Fund the Washington Award for Vocational Excellence (WAVE)
Full funding WAVE to up to $12,000 a year for two years. The WAVE Scholarship supports up to 147 winners per year, or three per 49 Legislative Districts. This scholarship sends a clear message that career and technical education (CTE) is valued, that the students enrolled and excelling in CTE are valued, and that Washington proudly supports this work with scholarship awards. This scholarship provides a financial incentive and encourages students to further their education. Agency request legislation submitted by the Workforce Board will implement this request in statute and add registered apprenticeship participants at community and technical colleges as eligible applicants.
Digital Workforce Pathways Initiative
For five years, a collective impact group has driven the creation and expansion of policies meant to support increased access to, and creation of, training, education, and support programs focused on digital literacy and IT career pathways. These are designed to close race, gender, and ability gaps in the IT workforce by reducing digital illiteracy and building accessible entry points into IT careers. With a one-time state funding investment in 2024, the Board kickstarted this essential work and laid the groundwork for ongoing progress. A legislative request has been submitted to ensure continued efforts to bridge this critical digital divide.
No Wrong Door – Data Integration for Integrated Service Delivery
The Workforce Board and a multi-agency stakeholder team have developed a proposal for the technology solution to begin data sharing in support of streamlined customer intake across the workforce system. The Governor and Legislature provided two-year funding for the planning phase, which ends June 30, 2025. Activities culminated in a feasibility and analysis report and a request for funds to build out the technology solution, including the resource needs of partner agencies for full, systemwide implementation over four to six years.
Workforce Impact of Benefits Cliffs
The workforce system has long recognized the need to tackle the damaging effects of benefits cliffs on workforce development. When individuals surpass income thresholds, they often face the abrupt loss of critical public assistance, like healthcare, childcare, housing, and disability supports, leaving families struggling just as they near self-sufficiency. This not only undermines financial stability but also hampers employers’ ability to retain skilled talent. We are calling for decisive action from policymakers: protect and enhance benefit incentives, provide comprehensive wrap-around services to help workers advance into higher-paying careers while managing the loss of benefits, and dramatically expand access to affordable childcare
and housing.
Workforce Board Legislative Bill Tracker
Updated 2.20.2025
| Bill No. | Abbrev. Title | Short Description | Status | Sponsor |
| HB 1016 | Veterans/employer incentives | Providing employer tax incentives for the support of veterans and military families. | H Finance | Abbarno |
| HB 1020 | Academic reengagement | Increasing the accessibility of academic reengagement opportunities for eligible students. | H Education | Shavers |
| HB 1021 | Military families/education | Promoting educational stability for children of military families. | H Education | Shavers |
| SHB 1023 | Cosmetology compact | Adopting the cosmetology licensure compact. | H Rules R | Ryu |
| HB 1027 | Housing of inmates | Concerning housing of inmates in state correctional facilities. | H Community Safe | Jacobsen |
| HB 1035 | Higher ed. traumatic stress | Creating policies and resources to address secondary traumatic stress in the higher education workforce. | H Postsec Ed & W | Ortiz-Self |
| SHB 1036 | Labor trustees/colleges | Adding labor trustees to college boards. | H Rules R | Ortiz-Self |
| HB 1049 | Sexual assault nurses | Increasing the availability of sexual assault nurse examiners. | H Approps | Shavers |
| SHB 1057 | Access to federal funds | Promoting economic development by increasing support for local communities to access federal funds. | H Approps | Barnard |
| HB 1073 | National guard retention | Keeping our Washington national guard strong act. | H Approps | Leavitt |
| HB 1082 (SB 5279) | Child care provider qualif. | Concerning qualifications for child care providers. | H EL & Human Svc | Senn |
| SHB 1108 | Housing cost task force | Creating a task force on housing cost driver analysis. | H Approps | Klicker |
| SHB 1121 | Work restrictions/age 16, 17 | Concerning restrictions on the working conditions and hours of sixteen- and seventeen-year olds. | H Rules R | McClintock |
| SHB 1128 (SSB 5062) | Child care workforce board | Establishing a child care workforce standards board. | H Approps | Fosse |
| HB 1130 | Dev. disabilities waiver use | Concerning utilization of developmental disabilities waivers. | H Passed 3rd | Farivar |
| SHB 1136 | Student navigational support | Providing student navigational supports to increase postsecondary enrollment. | H Approps | Leavitt |
| HB 1140 | K-12 scholarship program | Establishing empowerED scholarships using educational savings accounts. | H Education | Couture |
| SHB 1142 (SB 5100) | In-home care training | Standardizing basic training and certification requirements for long-term care workers who provide in-home care for their family members, including spouses or domestic partners. | S Health & Long-T | Macri |
| HB 1143 (SB 5205) | College grant award amounts | Concerning Washington college grant award amounts. | H Postsec Ed & W | Mena |
| SHB 1147 | Civic engage./state custody | Supporting civic engagement for incarcerated and institutionalized individuals in state custody to promote inclusion and rehabilitation. | H Approps | Farivar |
| SHB 1150 (SSB 5284) | Solid waste management | Improving Washington’s solid waste management outcomes. | H Approps | Berry |
| HB 1151 (SB 5210) | Ninth grade success grants | Establishing the ninth grade success grant program. | H Approps | Steele |
| SHB 1155 (SB 5437) | Noncompetition agreements | Prohibiting noncompetition agreements and clarifying nonsolicitation agreements. | H Rules R | Berry |
| HB 1158 (SB 5428) | Community inclusion services | Improving community inclusion services for individuals with developmental disabilities. | H EL & Human Svc | Leavitt |
| SHB 1161 | Veteran employability | Establishing the veteran employability training and career advancement for reentry program. | H Approps | Ryu |
| SHB 1162 (SB 5162) | Health care work violence | Concerning workplace violence in health care settings. | H Approps | Leavitt |
| HB 1166 | DOC reentry education | Establishing the providing effective education for reentry success act. | H Postsec Ed & W | Shavers |
| HB 1167 | Maritime careers task force | Directing the statewide career and technical education task force to consider educational opportunities for careers in maritime professions. | H Rules R | Shavers |
| HB 1173 (SB 5447) | High-hazard facility wages | Concerning wages for journeypersons in high-hazard facilities. | H Rules R | Bronoske |
| SHB 1177 (SSB 5508) | Child welfare housing assist | Concerning the child welfare housing assistance program. | H Approps | Ortiz-Self |
| HB 1181 | Labor standards | Concerning labor standards and the Washington minimum wage act. | H Labor & Workpl | Mena |
| HB 1190 | UW health sciences library | Allowing additional health professions to access the University of Washington health sciences library. | S Health & Long-T | Marshall |
| HB 1197 (SB 5166) | Operating budget, supp. | Making 2023-2025 fiscal biennium second supplemental operating appropriations. | H Approps | Ormsby |
| SHB 1200 (SB 5211) | DD parental caregivers | Authorizing payment for parental caregivers of minor children with developmental disabilities. | H Approps | Taylor |
| SHB 1213 (SB 5539) | Paid family & medical leave | Expanding protections for workers in the state paid family and medical leave program. | H Approps | Berry |
| HB 1214 | Working families’ tax credit | Expanding eligibility for the working families’ tax credit to everyone age 18 and older. | H Finance | Thai |
| HB 1224 | Working families’ tax credit | Modifying the working families’ tax credit by enhancing collection services and increasing participation rates through data-sharing agreements. | H Finance | Thai |
| HB 1233 | Work programs/incarceration | Concerning work programs for incarcerated persons. | H Approps | Simmons |
| HB 1242 | Prof. licensing reporting | Expanding professional licensing reporting requirements. | H ConsPro&Bus | Jacobsen |
| SHB 1243 (SB 5079) | DSHS overpayments | Addressing the burden of unintentional overpayments on older adults and adults with disabilities served by the department of social and health services. | H Approps | Simmons |
| HB 1244 (SB 5198) | Driver training alternative | Concerning training as an alternative to driver license suspension for the accumulation of certain traffic infractions. | H Transportation | Wylie |
| SHB 1263 (SSB 5232) | Essential needs program uses | Updating eligible uses for the essential needs and housing support program. | H Approps | Cortes |
| SHB 1273 | Dual credit program access | Improving student access to dual credit programs. | H EDDPS | Paul |
| HB 1279 | Postsecondary ed protections | Providing postsecondary education consumer protections. | H Rules R | Pollet |
| HB 1280 (SSB 5358) | Career & tech. ed./6th grade | Concerning career and technical education in sixth grade. | H Approps | Shavers |
| SHB 1285 | Financial education | Making financial education instruction a graduation requirement in public schools. | H Approps | Rude |
| HB 1288 | Climate funding/outdoor rec. | Concerning environmental leadership through outdoor recreation and climate adaptation investments. | H Env & Energy | Dye |
| HB 1295 | Reading and writing literacy | Using evidence-based instructional practices in reading and writing literacy for public elementary students. | H Education | Pollet |
| HB 1306 (SB 5185) | International med. pathways | Establishing preceptorship and hardship pathways to medical practice for international medical graduates. | H HC/Wellness | Reed |
| SHB 1313 | Mass layoffs | Addressing mass layoffs, relocations, and terminations. | H Rules R | Scott |
| HB 1316 | Postsecondary homelessness | Expanding the scope of programs for postsecondary students experiencing homelessness and former foster youth. | H Approps | Leavitt |
| HB 1335 | Military spouse employment | Protecting military spouses from employment discrimination. | H Approps | Richards |
| SHB 1344 | Respite care | Increasing access to respite care for those with intellectual or developmental disabilities and their caregivers. | H Approps | Barnard |
| HB 1352 (SB 5270) | Educator support/nurses | Providing mentors to novice nurses in the beginning educator support team program. | H Education | Bernbaum |
| SHB 1395 (SB 5531) | Home care worker background | Streamlining the home care worker background check process. | H Rules R | Farivar |
| HB 1402 | Job posting/driver’s license | Concerning job postings requiring driver’s licenses. | H Approps | Scott |
| HB 1404 (SB 5352) | Free school meals | Increasing student access to free meals served at public schools. | H Approps | Berg |
| SHB 1414 | CTE careers work group | Improving access to career opportunities for students. | H EDDPS | Connors |
| HB 1429 (SSB 5082) | Extended foster care/housing | Creating a housing assistance program for youth enrolled in extended foster care. | H EL & Human Svc | Taylor |
| SHB 1430 | APRN & PA reimbursement | Concerning advanced practice registered nurse and physician assistant reimbursement. | H 2nd Reading | Simmons |
| HB 1432 (SB 5477) | Mental health services | Improving access to appropriate mental health and substance use disorder services. | H Exec Action | Simmons |
| HB 1435 (SSB 5060) | Law enf. hiring grants | Creating a law enforcement hiring grant program. | H Approps | Abell |
| HB 1447 | Financial aid award amounts | Tracking Washington application for state financial aid award amounts. | H Postsec Ed & W | Jacobsen |
| HB 1463 | Cash assistance time limits | Expanding time limit exemptions applicable to cash assistance programs. | H EL & Human Svc | Cortes |
| HB 1479 | Office of native ed. grants | Establishing a state matching grant to support American Indian and Alaska Native students. | H Education | Lekanoff |
| SHB 1489 | Childhood ed./impl. dates | Adjusting implementation dates for programs related to early childhood education and child care. | H Rules R | Ormsby |
| HB 1492 | Students with dependents | Providing early registration for students with dependents. | H Postsec Ed & W | Salahuddin |
| HB 1493 (SB 5681) | DDA employment services age | Concerning the age at which clients of the developmental disabilities administration may receive employment and community inclusion services. | H EL & Human Svc | Paul |
| HB 1495 (SB 5442) | College promise pilot | Establishing a college promise pilot program. | H Approps | Hill |
| HB 1502 | Behavioral health teaching | Establishing a behavioral health teaching clinic designation and enhancement rate. | H HC/Wellness | Rule |
| SHB 1503 | Digital equity | Furthering digital equity and opportunity in Washington state. | H Approps | Gregerson |
| HB 1517 | Digital equity/revenue | Providing a revenue stream to fund digital equity programs. | H Finance | Gregerson |
| HB 1521 (SB 5504) | Complex care serv./children | Supporting caregivers who provide complex care services to children with heightened medical needs. | H HC/Wellness | Rule |
| SHB 1533 | Specialty electricians | Allowing a specialty electrician to continue working under a valid specialty certificate of competency while enrolled in a journey level apprenticeship program. | H LAWSDPS | Schmidt |
| HB 1540 (SB 5304) | Homelessness/tribal colleges | Expanding eligibility for the students experiencing homelessness and foster youth program to an accredited tribal college. | H Passed 3rd | Timmons |
| SHB 1541 (SSB 5338) | Veterans affairs adv. comm. | Concerning the veterans affairs advisory committee. | H Rules R | Abell |
| HB 1547 (SB 5126) | Student mental health net. | Establishing a statewide network for student mental and behavioral health. | H Education | Santos |
| HB 1554 (SB 5543) | College bound scholarship | Providing equity in eligibility for the college bound scholarship. | H Approps | Timmons |
| HB 1556 (SB 5542) | HS completers/CTC tuition | Expanding tuition waivers for high school completers at community and technical colleges. | H Rules R | Entenman |
| SHB 1557 (SB 5308) | Guaranteed admissions prg. | Establishing the Washington guaranteed admissions program and requiring student notifications. | H Approps | Reed |
| HB 1561 (SSB 5023) | Domestic workers | Providing labor market protections for domestic workers. | H Labor & Workpl | Stonier |
| HB 1564 | Child care assist./B&O tax | Supporting employers providing child care assistance to employees by establishing a business and occupation and public utility tax credit. | H Finance | Penner |
| SHB 1565 | Dual enrollment scholarship | Continuing the Washington dual enrollment scholarship. | H Approps | Paul |
| HB 1568 (SSB 5402) | Financial aid eligibility | Modifying financial aid eligibility. | H Postsec Ed & W | Paul |
| HB 1580 | CTE/alt. learning exp. prgs. | Concerning career and technical education in alternative learning experience programs. | H Approps | Nance |
| SHB 1587 | Partner promise scholarships | Encouraging local government partner promise scholarship programs within the opportunity scholarship program. | H Approps | Bergquist |
| SHB 1595 | Economic development plan | Creating a five-year statewide economic development plan. | H Approps | Ryu |
| HB 1612 | High school/AP, IB, CIE exam | Concerning advanced placement, international baccalaureate, and Cambridge international exams. | H Approps | Doglio |
| HB 1618 | College in HS/private school | Expanding access to college in the high school to private school students. | H Education | Low |
| HB 1634 | Behavioral health/schools | Providing school districts and public schools with assistance to coordinate comprehensive behavioral health supports for students. | H Exec Action | Thai |
| SHB 1648 | Child care qualifications | Modifying child care provider qualifications. | H Approps | Dent |
| HB 1649 | Child care/community pathway | Redesigning the community-based training pathway for licensed child care providers. | H EL & Human Svc | Dent |
| SHB 1651 (SB 5693) | Teacher residency & apprent. | Concerning teacher residency and apprenticeship programs. | H EDDPS | Ortiz-Self |
| HB 1657 | Washington 13 free guarantee | Establishing the Washington 13 free guarantee. | H Postsec Ed & W | Bergquist |
| SHB 1662 | Education agencies/OSPI | Removing the requirement for certain education agencies to reside in the office of the superintendent of public instruction for administrative purposes and by making other necessary changes to support independent administration of each agency. | H Approps | Santos |
| HB 1663 (SSB 5369) | Youth mental health/schools | Enhancing youth mental health and well-being through advanced training and expansion of the workforce in schools. | H Education | Rule |
| SHB 1672 | Employer technology use | Addressing technology used by employers in the workplace. | H LAWSDPS | Kloba |
| SHB 1682 | Unemployment ins./part-time | Concerning part-time workers in the unemployment insurance system. | H Approps | Ortiz-Self |
| HB 1722 | Secondary career education | Reviewing state restrictions affecting students participating in secondary career and technical education programs and other state-approved career pathways. | H LAWSDP | Connors |
| HB 1727 | School library info and tech | Concerning school library information and technology programs. | H Education | Rule |
| HB 1734 | Outdoor learning grants | Concerning outdoor learning grants to expand and improve the delivery of outdoor learning opportunities. | H Cap Budget | Rule |
| HB 1737 | Apprenticeships/tribal gov. | Concerning federally approved apprenticeship programs operated by tribal governments. | H Labor & Workpl | Schmidt |
| SHB 1738 (SB 5420) | Veteran benefits access | Ensuring access to state benefits and opportunities for veterans, uniformed service members, and military spouses. | H Approps | Shavers |
| HB 1747 (SB 5549) | Job applicants and employees | Expanding protections for applicants and employees under the Washington fair chance act. | H LAWSDP | Ortiz-Self |
| HB 1751 | Course materials sales tax | Establishing a sales and use tax exemption for required course materials at public institutions of higher education. | H Finance | Timmons |
| HB 1777 | Apprenticeship approval | Concerning the requirements and process for approving and registering apprenticeship programs. | H Postsec Ed & W | Schmidt |
| SHB 1783 | Law enf. officers/colleges | Concerning law enforcement officers participating in college and technical school programs. | H PEWDPS | Mendoza |
| HB 1838 | College grant/cert. programs | Expanding access to the Washington college grant to students enrolled in certificate programs for high-demand fields. | H Approps | Parshley |
| HB 1839 | Advanced computing surcharge | Increasing the investments in our workforce by amending the advanced computing surcharge. | H Finance | Reed |
| HB 1843 (SB 5540) | Students/unemployment ins. | Concerning students’ eligibility to receive unemployment insurance benefits. | H Rules R | Entenman |
| HB 1845 | Cash assistance payments | Concerning payment standards for cash assistance programs. | H EL & Human Svc | Scott |
| HB 1865 | Working conn. child care | Expanding access for small business employees and adjusting implementation dates for working connections child care. | H EL & Human Svc | Bergquist |
| HB 1873 | WC child care/grad. students | Increasing access to the working connections child care program for graduate and professional students. | H EL & Human Svc | Zahn |
| SHB 1879 | Hospital worker breaks | Concerning meal and rest breaks for hospital workers. | H Rules R | Thomas |
| HB 1883 (SB 5682) | Employment training program | Concerning the Washington customized employment training program. | H Finance | Salahuddin |
| HB 1895 | Educational assist./B&O tax | Establishing a business and occupation tax credit for small business employers providing educational assistance to employees. | H Finance | Richards |
| HB 1919 | Working conn. child care | Modifying access to the working connections child care program. | H EL & Human Svc | Bergquist |
| HB 1925 (SB 5567) | Natural resources careers | Expanding secondary training for careers in natural resources and conservation. | H Education | Rule |
| SHB 1926 | Home care aides | Regarding training and testing of home care aides. | H PEWDPS | Timmons |
| HB 1942 | AI economic development | Promoting the economic development of innovative uses of artificial intelligence. | H Tech, Econ Dev | Keaton |
| HB 1984 | Autonomous vehicles | Concerning vehicle and operator requirements for autonomous vehicles. | H Transportation | Kloba |
| HB 2007 | Expanding opportunities for competency-based assessments in graduation pathway options. | H Education | Stonier | |
| SB 5022 | Law enf. hiring | Concerning law enforcement agency and prosecutor offices hiring. | S Law & Justice | Lovick |
| SSB 5023 (HB 1561) | Domestic workers | Providing labor market protections for domestic workers. | S Rules 2 | Saldana |
| SB 5042 | Autonomous vehicles | Concerning vehicle and operator requirements for autonomous vehicles. | S Transportation | Lovick |
| SB 5051 (HB 1792) | Nursing assistant regulation | Consolidating regulatory authority for nursing assistants. | H HC/Wellness | Bateman |
| SSB 5060 (HB 1435) | Law enforcement personnel | Creating a law enforcement hiring grant program. | S Ways & Means | Holy |
| SSB 5062 (SHB 1128) | Child care workforce board | Establishing a child care workforce standards board. | S Ways & Means | Stanford |
| SB 5068 | Public employ. eligibility | Concerning agencies, firefighters, prosecutors, and general or limited authority law enforcement, extending eligibility for employment to all United States citizens or persons legally authorized to work in the United States under federal law. | H Community Safet | Lovick |
| SB 5079 (SHB 1243) | DSHS overpayments | Addressing the burden of unintentional overpayments on older adults and adults with disabilities served by the department of social and health services. | S 2nd Reading | Muzzall |
| SB 5080 | Financial education | Making financial education instruction a graduation requirement. | S EL/K-12 | Valdez |
| SSB 5082 (HB 1429) | Extended foster care/housing | Creating a housing assistance program for youth enrolled in extended foster care. | S Ways & Means | Wilson |
| SSB 5083 (SHB 1123) | Health carrier reimbursement | Ensuring access to primary care, behavioral health, and affordable hospital services. | S Ways & Means | Robinson |
| SB 5087 | CTC legal education programs | Establishing legal education programs at community and technical colleges. | S Higher Ed & Wo | Torres |
| SB 5100 (SHB 1142) | In-home care training | Standardizing basic training and certification requirements for long-term care workers who provide in-home care for their family members, including spouses or domestic partners. | S Health & Long- | Bateman |
| SSB 5101 | Worker leave/hate crimes | Expanding access to leave and safety accommodations to include workers who are victims of hate crimes or bias incidents. | S Ways & Means | Valdez |
| SB 5110 | Tribal elder tuition waivers | Providing tuition waivers for tribal elders at Washingtonâs community and technical colleges. | S 2nd Reading | Kauffman |
| SB 5115 | Service grant program | Creating the Washington dream act service incentive program. | S Higher Ed & Wo | Valdez |
| SSB 5118 | International medical grads | Updating the requirements for the clinical experience license for international medical graduates. | S 2nd Reading | Valdez |
| SB 5119 (HB 1570) | Academic employee bargaining | Concerning collective bargaining for certain employees who are enrolled in academic programs at public institutions of higher education. | S Labor & Comm | Nobles |
| SB 5120 | Learning assistance program | Expanding the learning assistance program. | S EL/K-12 | Nobles |
| SB 5126 (HB 1547) | Student mental health net. | Establishing a statewide network for student mental and behavioral health. | S EL/K-12 | Nobles |
| SSB 5128 | Juvenile detention, medical | Concerning the provision of medical assistance to individuals in juvenile detention facilities. | S 2nd Reading | Wilson |
| SB 5130 | Child care licensing fees | Eliminating child care licensing fees. | S Ways & Means | Wilson |
| SB 5162 (SHB 1162) | Health care work violence | Concerning workplace violence in health care settings. | S Labor & Comm | Lovick |
| SSB 5164 | Student navigational support | Providing student navigational supports to increase postsecondary enrollment. | S Ways & Means | Nobles |
| SB 5167 (HB 1198) | Operating budget | Making 2025-2027 fiscal biennium operating appropriations. | S Ways & Means | Robinson |
| SSB 5182 | Incarcerated parents | Concerning programs and services for incarcerated parents at the department of corrections. | S Rules 2 | Nobles |
| SB 5185 (HB 1306) | International med. pathways | Establishing preceptorship and hardship pathways to medical practice for international medical graduates. | S Health & Long- | Saldana |
| SB 5188 | Broadband repair loans | Concerning broadband infrastructure repair loans. | S Ways & Means | Wellman |
| SB 5189 | Competency-based education | Supporting the implementation of competency-based education. | S Ways & Means | Wellman |
| SB 5192 | School district materials | Concerning school district materials, supplies, and operating costs. | S Ways & Means | Nobles |
| SB 5198 (HB 1244) | Driver training alternative | Concerning training as an alternative to driver license suspension for the accumulation of certain traffic infractions. | S Law & Justice | Valdez |
| SB 5205 (HB 1143) | College grant award amounts | Concerning Washington college grant award amounts. | S Ways & Means | Conway |
| SB 5210 (HB 1151) | Ninth grade success grants | Establishing the ninth grade success grant program. | S Ways & Means | Liias |
| SB 5211 (SHB 1200) | DD parental caregivers | Authorizing payment for parental caregivers of minor children with developmental disabilities. | S Ways & Means | Frame |
| SSB 5217 | Pregnancy accommodations | Expanding pregnancy-related accommodations. | S Ways & Means | Nobles |
| SSB 5226 | Physician res./international | Establishing funding for physician residency positions dedicated to international medical graduates. | S Ways & Means | Nobles |
| SSB 5232 (SHB 1263) | Essential needs program uses | Updating eligible uses for the essential needs and housing support program. | S 2nd Reading | Wilson |
| SB 5242 | Behavioral health resources | Establishing an interactive screening program to improve access to behavioral health resources for health care providers. | S Health & Long- | Orwall |
| SB 5270 (HB 1352) | Educator support/nurses | Providing mentors to novice nurses in the beginning educator support team program. | S EL/K-12 | Wellman |
| SSB 5275 | Passport to careers program | Modifying funding and award levels for the passport to careers program and eligibility for the Washington college grant. | S Ways & Means | Nobles |
| SB 5285 (HB 1436) | Law enf. officers/increase | Incentivizing cities and counties to increase employment of commissioned law enforcement officers. | S Loc Gov | Holy |
| SB 5304 (HB 1540) | Homelessness/tribal colleges | Expanding eligibility for the students experiencing homelessness and foster youth program to an accredited tribal college. | S Rules 2 | Kauffman |
| SB 5308 (SHB 1557) | Guaranteed admissions prg. | Establishing the Washington guaranteed admissions program and requiring student notifications. | S Higher Ed & Wo | Hansen |
| SSB 5327 | Learning standards | Concerning learning standards and graduation requirements. | S Ways & Means | Wellman |
| SSB 5335 | Rural nursing education | Establishing the rural nursing education program. | S Ways & Means | Slatter |
| SSB 5338 (SHB 1541) | Veterans affairs adv. comm. | Concerning the veterans affairs advisory committee. | S 2nd RdConsCal | Nobles |
| SSB 5344 (HB 1523) | Essential worker health care | Establishing the essential worker health care program. | S Ways & Means | Riccelli |
| SB 5352 (HB 1404) | Free school meals | Increasing student access to free meals served at public schools. | S EL/K-12 | Riccelli |
| SSB 5355 | Higher education safety | Improving safety at institutions of higher education while supporting student survivors of sexual assault. | S Ways & Means | Orwall |
| SSB 5358 (HB 1280) | Career & tech. ed./6th grade | Concerning career and technical education in sixth grade. | S Ways & Means | Braun |
| SSB 5359 (HB 1328) | Clean energy development | Accelerating the development of clean energy and transmission. | S Ways & Means | Shewmake |
| SSB 5369 (HB 1663) | Youth mental health/schools | Enhancing youth mental health and well-being through advanced training and expansion of the workforce in schools. | S Ways & Means | Orwall |
| SB 5388 | DOC behavioral health cert. | Concerning department of corrections behavioral health certification. | S Ways & Means | Dhingra |
| SB 5397 | CTC faculty w/o tenure limit | Establishing limits on the percentage of courses taught by faculty without tenure track status at community and technical colleges. | S Higher Ed & Wo | Ramos |
| SSB 5402 (HB 1568) | Financial aid eligibility | Modifying financial aid eligibility. | S Ways & Means | Hansen |
| SB 5420 (SHB 1738) | Veteran benefits access | Ensuring access to state benefits and opportunities for veterans, uniformed service members, and military spouses. | S Rules 2 | Lovick |
| SB 5422 (HB 1622) | Collective bargaining/AI use | Allowing bargaining over matters related to the use of artificial intelligence. | S Labor & Comm | Bateman |
| SB 5442 (HB 1495) | College promise pilot | Establishing a college promise pilot program. | S Higher Ed & Wo | Riccelli |
| SB 5447 (HB 1173) | High-hazard facility wages | Concerning wages for journeypersons in high-hazard facilities. | S Labor & Comm | Saldana |
| SB 5452 | Psychiatric pharmacists | Allowing board-certified psychiatric pharmacists to be licensed as agency-affiliated counselors. | S Health & Long- | Slatter |
| SSB 5501 | Employee driving requirement | Concerning employer requirements for driving. | S 2nd Reading | Stanford |
| SB 5504 (HB 1521) | Complex care serv./children | Supporting caregivers who provide complex care services to children with heightened medical needs. | S Health & Long- | Chapman |
| SSB 5525 | Layoffs | Concerning employment loss due to businesses closing or mass layoffs. | S Rules 2 | Cleveland |
| SB 5542 (HB 1556) | HS completers/CTC tuition | Expanding tuition waivers for high school completers at community and technical colleges. | S Rules 2 | Boehnke |
| SB 5543 (HB 1554) | College bound scholarship | Providing equity in eligibility for the college bound scholarship. | S Ways & Means | Boehnke |
| SB 5549 (HB 1747) | Job applicants and employees | Expanding protections for applicants and employees under the Washington fair chance act. | S Labor & Comm | Saldana |
| SB 5551 | School library info and tech | Concerning school library information and technology programs. | S EL/K-12 | Wellman |
| SB 5562 | Students/apprenticeships | Concerning students attending approved apprenticeship programs. | S Higher Ed & Wo | Hansen |
| SB 5567 (HB 1925) | Natural resources careers | Expanding secondary training for careers in natural resources and conservation. | S Ways & Means | Nobles |
| SB 5596 | Interstate teacher compact | Repealing the interstate teacher mobility compact. | S Rules 2 | Wellman |
| SB 5658 | Workforce education account | Concerning the workforce education investment account. | S Higher Ed & Wo | Hansen |
| SSB 5663 | Virtual campus/colleges | Establishing a virtual campus for all Washingtonians. | S Rules 2 | Slatter |
| SB 5666 | Mental health internships | Establishing a public school-based mental health internship grant program. | S Higher Ed & Wo | Slatter |
| SB 5671 | Broadband grant & loan prg. | Modifying eligibility for the broadband service expansion grant and loan program. | S Environment, E | Hansen |
| SB 5681 (HB 1493) | DDA employment services age | Concerning the age at which clients of the developmental disabilities administration may receive employment and community inclusion services. | S Human Services | Cortes |
| SB 5682 (HB 1883) | Employment training program | Concerning the Washington customized employment training program. | S Ways & Means | Warnick |
| SB 5693 (SHB 1651) | Teacher residency & apprent. | Concerning teacher residency and apprenticeship programs. | S EL/K-12 | Cortes |
| SB 5722 | Local farming grant program | Creating a grant program to promote local workforce development, reduce transportation pollution, and strengthen food sovereignty and climate and disaster resiliency. | S Labor & Comm | Saldana |
| SB 5724 | Dual credit programs | Improving student access to dual credit programs, including career and technical education dual credit programs. | S EL/K-12 | Krishnadasan |
| SB 5725 | Housing on college lands | Expanding affordable housing opportunities on community and technical college lands. | S Housing | Slatter |
| SB 5756 (SHB 1644) | Working minors | Concerning the safety and health of working minors. | S Labor & Comm | Stanford |
| SJM 8004 | Universal health care | Concerning Universal Health Care. | H HC/Wellness | Hasegawa |
| SJM 8006 | Limited license legal tech. | Concerning the limited license legal technician program. | H Civil R & Judi | Torres |
RCW 28C.18.060(5) directs the Board to “… review and make recommendations to the Office of Financial Management (OFM) and the Legislature on operating and capital budget requests for operating agencies of the state training system for purposes of consistency with the state comprehensive plan for workforce training and education.”
This statutory requirement provides the framework for the review of workforce system requests, and implementation of the state’s strategic plan for workforce development, Talent and Prosperity for All (TAP), enabling a focus on system-specific legislative requests that can move the workforce system toward one or more of the goals and strategies outlined in the plan.
To see more details on each request, see the submitted information from the agencies here: https://wtb.wa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Finalized-Endorsement-Packet-2025.pdf.
The Board endorsed recommendations are as follows:
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)
- Investing in 9th Grade Success to Support On-Time Graduation
- Career Preparation and Launch Grants
- Driving Equitable Postsecondary Opportunities from College Enrollment through Graduation
- Increasing Equitable Access to Dual Credit and Reducing Barriers to Credential Attainment.
- Funding the Successful Implementation of a Statewide High School and Beyond Plan Platform
- Preparing Washington’s Future Workforce with Microsoft IT Academy
- Making Progress on the State’s Plan to Oversee the Educational Delivery of Justice-Involved Youth
- Statewide Support for Student Mental and Behavioral Health
- Maintaining Targeted Support and Expansion of the Washington Educator Workforce
- Creating New Opportunities for Career-Connected Environmental Learning
Employment Security Department (ESD)
- Agricultural Workforce Services
- Career Connect Washington
- Economic Security for All (EcSA) (Already a board support item)
- Justice Involved Employment Support
- Washington Service Corps
WaTech
- IE&E Roadmap Continuation
Department of Health (DOH)
- Behavioral Health Provider Supervisor Stipend Program
- Improving Credentialing Timelines
- Health Workforce in Rural Areas
Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS)
- Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Employment and Training
Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF)
- Extended Foster Care – Incentive Payment Program
- Adolescent Services – LifeSet and Independent Living
- Comply with New CCDF Requirements
- WCCC Eligibility 75% SMI and Dual Language
- Child Care Subsidy Base Rates