Department of Commerce
| Average Annual FTEs | Near General Fund State | Other Funds | Total Funds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Dollars in Thousands) | ||||
| Current Budget | 349.0 | 364,994 | 2,379,539 | 2,744,533 |
| 2021-23 Maintenance Level | 349.0 | 366,091 | 2,457,841 | 2,823,932 |
| Difference from 2021-23 Original | 0.0 | 1,097 | 78,302 | 79,399 |
| % Change from 2021-23 Original | 0.0% | 0.30% | 3.3% | 2.9% |
2022 Policy Other Changes |
||||
| Refugee Legal Assistance | 0.30 | 2,200 | 0 | 2,200 |
| Utility Assistance | 0.0 | 0 | 100,000 | 100,000 |
| Landlord Mitigation | 0.0 | 11,271 | 0 | 11,271 |
| Right of Way Response & Outreach | 0.50 | 40,600 | 0 | 40,600 |
| Independent Youth Housing Program | 0.30 | 4,000 | 0 | 4,000 |
| Agrivoltaics Study | 0.0 | 150 | 0 | 150 |
| Foreclosure Assistance | 0.0 | 4,500 | 0 | 4,500 |
| Community Services Block Grant | 0.30 | 7,300 | 0 | 7,300 |
| Tubman Health Center | 0.0 | 1,124 | 0 | 1,124 |
| Working Families Tax Credit Program | 0.50 | 5,000 | 0 | 5,000 |
| Skagit River Salmon Protection | 0.30 | 4,500 | 0 | 4,500 |
| Motion Picture Incentives | 0.50 | 6,500 | 0 | 6,500 |
| Solar Incentives | 1.5 | 100,000 | 0 | 100,000 |
| Support Intellectual Disabilities | 0.30 | 0 | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| Glidepath for Supported Employment | 0.0 | 2,160 | 0 | 2,160 |
| Incorporation Study | 0.0 | 200 | 0 | 200 |
| Grants for Local Implementation | 0.60 | 19,340 | 0 | 19,340 |
| Energy Emergency Management | 1.0 | 469 | 0 | 469 |
| Regional Manufacturing Shovel Ready | 1.0 | 2,500 | 0 | 2,500 |
| Earned Income & Child Care Credit | 0.0 | 100 | 0 | 100 |
| Grants Youth Exiting System Care | 0.50 | 2,018 | 0 | 2,018 |
| Local Emergency Rapid Response | 0.50 | 5,157 | 0 | 5,157 |
| Firearm/Violence Prevention Grants | 0.50 | 4,111 | 0 | 4,111 |
| Federal Resource Coordinator | 0.70 | 218 | 0 | 218 |
| Clean Energy Workforce Transition | 0.50 | 157 | 0 | 157 |
| Business Assistance for Arts | 0.0 | 20,000 | 0 | 20,000 |
| Housing Nonprofit Capacity Support | 1.1 | 451 | 0 | 451 |
| Dispute Resolution Centers | 0.0 | 4,096 | 0 | 4,096 |
| Broadband Digital Equity | 0.80 | 3,986 | 0 | 3,986 |
| Building Performance Standards | 2.8 | 1,680 | 0 | 1,680 |
| Community Reinvestment Grants | 1.8 | 0 | 125,150 | 125,150 |
| Electric Vehicle Rebates | 1.3 | 100,000 | 0 | 100,000 |
| Industrial Waste/Symbiosis | 0.80 | 776 | 0 | 776 |
| HEAL Act Implementation | 3.8 | 1,592 | 0 | 1,592 |
| Affordable Housing Needs Assessment | 0.0 | 500 | 0 | 500 |
| 2022 Policy Other Changes Total | 22.2 | 356,656 | 230,150 | 586,806 |
2022 Policy Comp Changes |
||||
| State Employee Benefits | 0.0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| WFSE General Government | 0.0 | 290 | 633 | 923 |
| Rep Employee Health Benefits | 0.0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Non-Rep General Wage Increase | 0.0 | 406 | 121 | 527 |
| PERS & TRS Plan 1 Benefit Increase | 0.0 | 18 | 14 | 32 |
| 2022 Policy Comp Changes Total | 0.0 | 719 | 769 | 1,488 |
2022 Policy Central Services Changes |
||||
| Archives/Records Management | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Audit Services | 0.0 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Legal Services | 0.0 | 13 | 13 | 26 |
| CTS Central Services | 0.0 | 80 | 96 | 176 |
| DES Central Services | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| OFM Central Services | 0.0 | 259 | 180 | 439 |
| 2022 Policy Central Services Changes Total | 0.0 | 358 | 293 | 651 |
| Total Policy Changes | 22.2 | 357,733 | 231,212 | 588,945 |
| 2022 Policy Level | 371.2 | 723,824 | 2,689,053 | 3,412,877 |
| Difference from 2021-23 Original | 22.2 | 358,830 | 309,514 | 668,344 |
| % Change from 2021-23 Original | 6.4% | 98.3% | 13.0% | 24.4% |
Policy Changes
Audit Services
Adjustments are made for each agency’s anticipated cost of audits performed by the State Auditor’s Office. (General Fund - State, General Fund - Federal)
Legal Services
Adjustments are made for each agency's anticipated cost of Attorney General's Office legal services based on a three-year average. Because legal services costs are based on usage, funding provided in the central service model is not all inclusive. (General Fund - State, General Fund - Federal, Washington Housing Trust Fund - State, other funds)
DES Central Services
Adjustments are made to reflect each agency’s anticipated share of charges from the Department of Enterprise Services for campus rent, parking, security and contracts; capital project surcharges; financing cost recovery; public and historic facilities; real estate services; risk management services; personnel service rates; the Perry Street and Capitol Campus child care centers; small agency services; and the department’s enterprise applications. See the 2021-23 Budget Instructions for allocation methodologies. (General Fund - Federal, General Fund - State)
WFSE General Government
The collective bargaining agreement includes a general wage increase of 3.25% for fiscal year 2023 and a lump sum payment for employees who were employed continuously starting on or before July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022. (Washington Housing Trust Fund - State, General Fund - State, General Fund - Federal, other funds)
Refugee Legal Assistance
Grant funding is provided for pro-bono or low-bono legal services to assist indigent Washington residents, who were temporarily paroled into the United States in 2021 or 2022, with asylum applications or other matters related to adjusting their immigration status. (General Fund - State)
Utility Assistance
Loss of electricity and water due to unpaid bills results in an unsafe and unhealthy living situation, yet under current law, unpaid bills can be cited as a reason to evict tenants from their homes. Funding is provided for grants to public and privately-owned utilities to reduce or eliminate customer arrearages on unpaid electric, gas, water, and sewer utility bills. The department will prioritize funding to utilities based on arrearage balances as of March 31, 2022 and the arrearages of low-income customers, including customers who have received assistance through the low-income home energy assistance program, low-income water assistance program, or other ratepayer-funded assistance programs between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2022. (Coronavirus St Fiscal Recovery Fund - Federal)
Landlord Mitigation
The Landlord Mitigation program provides an incentive and added security for landlords to work with tenants who receive rental assistance. Funding is provided to address the increase in the number of applications for this program, which has outpaced its available revenue. (General Fund - State)
Right of Way Response & Outreach
At any time during the year, more than 10,000 people in Washington experience unsheltered homelessness, with many residing in unsanctioned encampments on the public right of way. The state will work collaboratively with local governments and community leaders to help people in these situations transition into permanent housing solutions. This appropriation funds governor-request legislation and includes flexible funding designed to support alternative response teams in local communities engaged in memoranda of understanding with state agencies to address homelessness on the public right of way. The department will use these funds to administer grants for administrative costs of alternative response teams and the costs to transition individuals to permanent housing. This includes increased pay for direct service staff, efforts to acquire identification, initial medical assessments, transportation and storage needs, immediate sheltering, move-in expenses and basic household items. (General Fund - State)
Independent Youth Housing Program
The department has proposed legislation to amend the Office of Homeless Youth's Independent Youth Housing Program (IYHP). If enacted, it will extend eligibility for services by two years (from age 22 to age 24), allow young adults enrolled in extended foster care to access program services, and expand eligibility to individuals who were in foster care at any age. This funding is provided to address this expanded IYHP eligibility. (General Fund - State)
Agrivoltaics Study
Funding is provided for a study on the potential of agrivoltaics in Washington state. (General Fund - State)
Foreclosure Assistance
The American Rescue Plan Act provided $174 million for a Homeowner Assistance Fund program. The enacted 2021-23 budget provided an appropriation to the department for this purpose, and $13 million of the appropriation was set aside for foreclosure assistance activities. Guidance published by the U.S. Treasury Department caps the amount that can be spent on legal assistance at 5% of the total award, limiting the amount that can be spent on foreclosure assistance. State funding is provided to make up for federal funds that cannot be used for this purpose. (General Fund - State)
Community Services Block Grant
Funding is provided to match the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funding awarded by the federal government. The department will use this funding to provide grants for programs to alleviate poverty, revitalize communities, and empower low-income families to become self-sufficient through a network of public and nonprofit agencies. Services include housing, energy assistance, nutrition, employment, training, emergency food and shelter, and asset development. (General Fund - State)
Tubman Health Center
Funds are provided to support baseline staffing and program needs for a patient-centered medical home and health clinic administered by the Tubman Center for Health and Freedom. Corresponding funding for site control and ownership is provided in the governor's capital budget request. (General Fund - State)
Working Families Tax Credit Program
The Department of Revenue has identified crucial investments needed to support implementation of the Working Families Tax Credit program. Funding is provided to the Department of Commerce for grants to community-based organizations for local outreach efforts to increase enrollment in the program. (General Fund - State)
Skagit River Salmon Protection
Funding is provided for a grant to the City of Seattle for deposit into the Skagit Environmental Endowment Fund to support the protection of the headwaters of the Skagit River watershed through the acquisition of land, mining and/or timber rights. This grant must be matched by non state sources. (General Fund - State)
Motion Picture Incentives
Funding is provided for incentives to attract motion picture production in Washington state. (General Fund - State)
Solar Incentives
The department is provided funding to distribute grants for the purchase and installation of solar energy systems paired with energy storage, including solar modules and inverters, and any controls necessary to pair the technology. Other eligible uses of grant funding include design and predesign efforts, feasibility studies, and the retrofit of existing solar projects with energy storage. Eligible recipients include retail electric utilities, Tribal governments, school districts, local governments, state agencies, housing authorities, and 501(c)(3) non-profit entities. (General Fund - State)
Support Intellectual Disabilities
Funding is provided for grants to organizations that serve the health and welfare of children and adults with intellectual disabilities through opportunities that build motor skills, support development, improve health, and develop leadership. The activities supported through these grants may be used for sports competition and will serve all ages, genders, ethnicities, and socio-economic backgrounds free of charge. (Coronavirus St Fiscal Recovery Fund - Federal)
Glidepath for Supported Employment
The Housing and Essential Needs (HEN) program provides access to temporary rental assistance and essential needs items for low-income individuals who are unable to work due to a physical or mental incapacity. Funding is provided to create a bridge period of housing assistance for individuals enrolled in the Foundational Community Supports initiative who are transitioning off of benefits under the HEN program due to increased income or other changes in eligibility. The Health Care Authority, Department of Social and Health Services, and Department of Commerce will collaborate on this effort. (General Fund - State)
Incorporation Study
Funding is provided for the department to contract with a consultant to study incorporating the unincorporated communities of Fredrickson, Midland, North Clover Creek, Collins, Parkland, Spanaway, Summit-Waller, and Summit View into a single city. The study must include, but not be limited to, the impacts of incorporation on the local tax base, crime, homelessness, infrastructure, public services, and behavioral health services in these communities. (General Fund - State)
Grants for Local Implementation
Ongoing funding is provided for grants to update and implement comprehensive plans and development regulations to meet the requirements of the Growth Management Act. Funding in fiscal year 2023 and ensuing biennia will pay for state and local government costs to prepare buildable lands reports required under RCW 36.70A.215, and to implement Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1099 (Chapter 254, Laws of 2021) and governor-request legislation related to salmon recovery habitat. Additional funds not used for these purposes may be used for growth management policy research and development. (General Fund - State)
Energy Emergency Management
Long-term funding is provided to expand the capacity of the Energy Emergency Office. Funding will enable the department to protect public safety and continue to address energy emergencies and resilience for communities across the state. (General Fund - State)
Regional Manufacturing Shovel Ready
In Chapter 64, Laws of 2021, the Legislature established ambitious goals to double the state’s manufacturing jobs, number of small businesses, and number of women and minority-owned manufacturing companies, and to drive forward these goals at the regional level. Site pre-development is critical in attracting new manufacturers as the site selection process for these businesses is highly competitive between states. This funding will provide four to eight pre-development planning grants annually to local governments and Tribes seeking to develop large manufacturing sites. (General Fund - State)
Earned Income & Child Care Credit
Funding is provided to expand outreach across Washington state for the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Care Tax Credit programs. This helps low-income earners prepare their tax returns and increase the number of people receiving the tax credit. Coupled with the Working Families Tax Credit, these campaigns market powerful tools for low-income families. (General Fund - State)
Grants Youth Exiting System Care
Funding is provided to expand existing System of Care grants through the Office of Homeless Youth to prevent youth from exiting public systems into homelessness. These resources may support expansion into new regions of the state, incorporation of peer navigators, and/or expansion of the scope of systems served to be inclusive of foster care, juvenile rehabilitation, juvenile detention, and inpatient behavioral health treatment. Additional funding for this program is set aside to assist young adults discharging from behavioral health inpatient settings specifically. (General Fund - State)
Local Emergency Rapid Response
The department is provided set-aside funding to quickly provide continuity of essential community services and recovery assistance -- including food, water, sewer, power, communication, and shelter -- to Tribes and local governments after an emergency event when federal funding lags. (General Fund - State)
Firearm/Violence Prevention Grants
Funding is provided for grants to cities most impacted by community violence through the Office of Firearm Safety & Violence Prevention (OFSVP). These grants will provide coordinated and sustained investments in evidence-based violence reduction strategies to reduce the human and financial costs of firearm violence and enhance firearm safety. In addition to these grants, funding is provided for community-based violence prevention and intervention services to about 150 individuals in south King County, identified through the King County "Shots Fired" social media network analysis as being at high risk of becoming a future victim or suspect in a firearm-related offense. Grants also will be provided for Family Integrated Transition services to youth who are at high risk to perpetrate gun violence and who reside in areas with high rates of gun violence. (General Fund - State)
Federal Resource Coordinator
Funding is provided for a federal resource coordinator who can coordinate with state and local agencies to package available resources and provide technical assistance in support of robust infrastructure projects and federal requirements. (General Fund - State)
Clean Energy Workforce Transition
Funding is provided to co-convene, with the Workforce Training & Education Coordinating Board, a Climate Change Workforce Group during fiscal years 2023 and 2024. The group will guide workforce policies that support implementation of the state energy strategy. (General Fund - State)
Business Assistance for Arts
Funding is provided to increase existing business assistance grants for the arts, heritage and science sectors. Grant eligibility criteria will be established jointly with the Washington State Arts Commission. (General Fund - State)
Housing Nonprofit Capacity Support
This item will provide technical assistance to housing-related nonprofit organizations throughout the state. It will include training, resources, and other assistance necessary to serve their communities, navigate state systems, better understand state funding, and learn the different aspects of building and growing a non-profit in Washington. (General Fund - State)
Dispute Resolution Centers
Dispute resolution centers provide communities with a range of programs, including trauma-informed services supporting housing stability, family stability, and youth and community restorative practices with a focus on equity. Funding for dispute resolution center operations is increased to address this critical community infrastructure. (General Fund - State)
Broadband Digital Equity
Funds are provided to the department to enhance digital equity by creating a dashboard that maps layers of access, affordability, and equity measures. Grants also will be provided to support locally-developed digital equity plans. (General Fund - State)
Building Performance Standards
Funding is provided to implement governor-request legislation that sets building performance standards for existing small commercial buildings. (General Fund - State)
Community Reinvestment Grants
Governor-request legislation will establish a Community Reinvestment Fund that will be capitalized with $125 million of cannabis tax revenues annually. The purpose of the fund is to provide grants to communities affected by economic and social disparities as a consequence of the historic, inequitable design and enforcement of criminal laws and penalties for illegal drug sales, possession and use. Grants will be provided in the following categories: economic development to reduce poverty in highly impacted communities, civil and criminal legal aid to vacate criminal convictions, violence prevention programs, and reentry services to facilitate the successful transition of persons formerly incarcerated in our state adult correctional or juvenile residential facilities. A portion of the funding will be used to develop a study to identify how community reinvestment grants may be targeted to communities to meet the goals established for the fund. Until the study is completed, the department will rapidly distribute funding to existing programs and networks. (Community Reinvestment Account - State, Dedicated Marijuana Acct - State)
Electric Vehicle Rebates
Funding is provided for the department to administer electric vehicle rebates for new and used electric vehicle purchases, including battery electric vehicles, fuel cell electric vehicles and zero-emission motorcycles and e-bikes. Rebates will be available to individuals filing income taxes as a single filer earning under $250,000 per year or under $500,000 filing jointly. An additional rebate will be provided for Washingtonians earning 60 percent of the statewide area median income. (General Fund - State)
Industrial Waste/Symbiosis
Funding is provided to fulfill the requirements of the Industrial Symbiosis Program associated with the passage of Senate Bill 5345 (Chapter 308, Laws of 2021). This request provides for staffing and grant funding to allow the program to meet basic requirements established in the legislation. (General Fund - State)
HEAL Act Implementation
Funding is provided for the implementation of the Environmental Justice Task Force as required under Chapter 314, Laws of 2021. (General Fund - State)
Affordable Housing Needs Assessment
The Department of Commerce, in coordination with the Affordable Housing Advisory Board, will utilize this funding to produce the Five Year Housing Advisory Plan, as required by RCW 43.185B.040. (General Fund - State)
State Employee Benefits
Health insurance funding is provided for state employees who are not covered by the healthcare coalition. The insurance funding rate is $936 per employee per month for fiscal year 2022 and $1,130 per employee per month for fiscal year 2023. (General Fund - State)
Rep Employee Health Benefits
Health insurance funding is provided as part of the master agreements for employees who bargain for health benefits as part of a coalition of unions. The insurance funding rate is $936 per employee per month for fiscal year 2022 and $1,130 per employee per month for fiscal year 2023. (General Fund - Federal, General Fund - State)
Non-Rep General Wage Increase
A general wage increase of 3.25%, effective July 1, 2022, is provided for state employees who are not represented by a union or who are covered by a bargaining agreement that is not subject to financial feasibility determination. (General Fund - State, Public Works Assistance Account - State, General Fund - Federal, other funds)
PERS & TRS Plan 1 Benefit Increase
For eligible Public Employees' and Teachers' Retirement Systems Plan 1 members, this item provides an increase of 3%, up to a maximum of $110 per month. (General Fund - Federal, Public Works Assistance Account - State, General Fund - State, other funds)
Archives/Records Management
Adjustments are made for each agency's anticipated share of charges for archives and records management services provided by the Secretary of State's Office. (General Fund - Federal, General Fund - State)
CTS Central Services
Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from Consolidated Technology Services (CTS) for the Office of the Chief Information Officer, Office of Cyber Security, state network, enterprise services, small agency IT services, security gateways, and geospatial imaging services. See the 2021-23 Budget Instructions for allocation methodologies. (General Fund - State, General Fund - Federal, Washington Housing Trust Fund - State, other funds)
OFM Central Services
Adjustments are made to reflect each agency’s anticipated share of charges for existing statewide applications, the One Washington program, and other central services provided by the Office of Financial Management. See the 2021-23 Budget Instructions for allocation methodologies. (General Fund - State, Washington Housing Trust Fund - State, Public Works Assistance Account - State, other funds)
