As HB 2020 worked its way through the House and Senate, it picked up one amendment, allowing the state Military Department to conduct rule-making to implement the public infrastructure assistance program's distribution of funds from county governments to recipients within the county, including cities. This was in part due to AWC’s advocacy efforts to ensure that cities were also eligible to benefit from the much-needed assistance provided by the bill.

The House operating budget includes a $250,000 allocation to the Military Department for implementation of the bill, pending passage.

HB 2020 passed off the Senate floor by a unanimous vote. It has passed both chambers and now goes to the Governor’s office for signature.

Proposed emergency infrastructure assistance program for local governments would exclude cities

January 5, 2024

At the request of the state Military Department, legislators have introduced HB 2020, which would establish a public infrastructure assistance program to assist federally recognized tribes and counties with the cost of disaster-related response. The bipartisan bill is sponsored by Rep. Joe Timmons (D–Bellingham) and Rep. Peter Abbarno (R–Centralia).

Recognizing the increasing rate and duration of disasters taking place in Washington, and the outsize burden placed on local and tribal governments to repair the resulting damage done to the state’s infrastructure, the bill would provide supplementary state funding to county and federally recognized tribes for the cost of addressing public infrastructure damage in the wake of a disaster for which the Governor has issued an emergency proclamation.

Specifically, covered costs would be for public property debris removal, emergency protective measures to protect life and property, and permanent repair work to damaged or destroyed public infrastructure. The program would be administered by the state’s emergency management division. Emergency assistance would be provided for damage due to natural, technological, or human-caused disasters.

As currently drafted, HB 2020 does not include cities as eligible entities to receive assistance from the proposed program. Recognizing that city infrastructure can be equally impacted by catastrophic events, AWC will work with bill sponsors to include cities as an eligible entity.

Dates to remember

HB 2020 is scheduled for a hearing in the House Innovation, Community & Economic Development, & Veterans Committee on Wednesday, January 10 at 8 am.