H-0735.1
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1057
State of Washington
69th Legislature
2025 Regular Session
By House Technology, Economic Development, & Veterans (originally sponsored by Representatives Barnard, Ryu, Leavitt, Barkis, Taylor, Jacobsen, Reed, Callan, Keaton, Timmons, Tharinger, Simmons, Duerr, Nance, Davis, Bernbaum, and Donaghy)
READ FIRST TIME 01/23/25.
AN ACT Relating to promoting economic development by increasing support for local communities to access federal funds; amending RCW 43.330.260 ; adding new sections to chapter 43.330 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that many of Washington's communities, particularly in rural areas, face an economic development dilemma in which they need matching dollars to compete for federal funds that would increase the local tax base, local revenue, and local employment and incomes. Lacking a thriving local tax base, it is difficult to generate the financial resources to supply the needed matching dollars to compete for federal economic development funds.
The legislature further finds that there are thousands of federal funding opportunities available for a wide variety of economic development projects, including broadband, equity, housing, infrastructure, innovation, regional development, skills training, transportation, and workforce development. In fiscal year 2019, the federal government provided state and local governments $750 billion for health care, transportation, income security, education, job training, social services, community development, and environmental protection; while in fiscal year 2023, the grants totaled $1.1 trillion.