The fiscal note process in the Washington Legislature is intended to estimate a bill’s financial impact on the state budget before a vote. However, in the 2025 session, this process has been applied inconsistently. Some bills move forward without fiscal notes, others receive notes only after committee votes, and some are incomplete, omitting key components necessary to capture the full impact on all state agencies.
For example, HB 1308 expands personnel record requirements and imposes a private right of action on employers who fail to respond within 21 days. Its fiscal note masks a $4.45 million cost to public agencies by incorrectly categorizing requests under the Public Records Act, granting them “good faith” lawsuit protection. This discrepancy unfairly penalizes private employers while shielding public entities.
Similarly, HB 1707, which would provide presumptive Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) workers’ compensation coverage for correction officers, includes an incomplete and underestimated fiscal note. WR testified before the House Appropriations Committee that this note lacks several key components found in a similar bill (SB 6214, 2018) for law enforcement officers and firefighters (LEOFF). Notably, correction officers would be eligible after just 90 days of service, compared to 10 years for law enforcement, yet the projected cost fails to account for this broader eligibility.
These inconsistencies must be addressed to ensure that legislative proposals accurately reflect financial impacts and fairly distribute burdens.
