Bill > HB2181

This bill addresses the response to significant atmospheric river and winter weather events that occurred in December 2025 in Washington state, which caused extensive damage to infrastructure, property, and transportation systems. The bill appropriates $690,000,000 from the Climate Commitment Act auction revenues to fund response and recovery activities, specifically allocating the funds to the Department of Transportation for cleanup, repairs, replacement, and restoration of transportation infrastructure. The bill authorizes the use of funds for repairing specific transportation routes including Interstate 90 and state routes 2, 167, and 410, with the transportation secretary having discretion to determine additional necessary restoration efforts. The legislation amends existing law to allow transfers from the Climate Investment Account to the Multimodal Transportation Account, and includes provisions ensuring that the funding can be used immediately due to the emergency nature of the event. The bill emphasizes that the Climate Commitment Act is intended to address major negative climate events and help communities recover from significant impacts, and the appropriated funds represent a windfall of auction revenues that exceed previously forecasted amounts. The bill declares an emergency and takes effect immediately upon passage, highlighting the urgent need to address the extensive damage from the December 2025 weather events.

Budget and Finance

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=2181&Year=2025&Initiative=false