Bill > HB2449

This bill establishes a new process for reviewing state agency budgets in Washington, known as "zero-based budget reviews," which means that agencies will have to justify their entire budget from scratch, rather than just adjusting previous budgets. Starting in 2026, the legislature will identify specific "programs" – which are defined as services or groups of services aimed at achieving a public goal, excluding certain entitlement services – for these reviews, with the goal of reviewing 20% of all state programs over a ten-year cycle. Agencies will then be required to submit detailed information and analysis for these selected programs as part of their biennial budget requests, including their statutory basis, how they align with agency goals, performance measures, costs, staffing needs, and benefits. This information will be considered by the governor and legislature during budget development, and legislative committees will hold public hearings on the reviews, with the submitted data being filed electronically on a state fiscal website.

Budget and Finance

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=2449&Year=2025&Initiative=false