HB 1870, as amended by the Senate, was adopted on the Senate floor and sent back to the House for concurrence. The House quickly concurred with the changes and adopted the bill by unanimous vote. The legislation now goes to the Governor for signature.
HB 1870 includes a null and void clause, stating that if funding for implementation of the bill is not included in the state’s final operating budget, the legislation will not go into effect. The final operating budget includes $500,000 for Commerce in FY 2025 to implement the bill.
Support program for underserved communities applying for federal grants scaled back, funded in House operating budget
March 1, 2024
Amendments made to HB 1870 as it moved through its Senate committees reduced the scope of the bill and aligned the provisions with existing statute.
One amendment removed the provision to create the Moving Assets Toward Community Health (MATCH) Program. For background, in 2023, the Legislature directed the Dept. of Commerce to establish a grant program to support Associate Development Organizations (of which there are 34 throughout the state) in recruiting, hiring, and retention of grant writers. ADOs are under contract with the state to provide economic development services in the communities they represent. Currently they are not specifically instructed to assist locals in applying for federal funding. Thus, instead of establishing the MATCH Program, HB 1870 now directs Commerce to provide technical assistance, either as an agency or through a contracted party, such as an ADO, to help local communities develop competitive applications for federal funding.
A second amendment expanded the prioritization model that Commerce uses to award grants to ADOs to include grant applications for federal funds in addition to whether the grant application originates from a distressed area, as currently defined in statute.
Finally, HB 1870 authorizes Commerce to provide a resource guide for applicants for federal grants.
The House operating budget proposal includes $750,000 for Commerce in FY 2025 to implement the bill.
HB 1870 passed out of the Senate by a unanimous vote and heads back to the House for concurrence.
Legislature considers new federal support program for underserved communities
January 5, 2024
After years of ranking nearly dead last in federal funds directed into the state, the Legislature is looking to create a new program to help communities access federal funds.
HB 1870, sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Barnard (R–Pasco), would establish the Moving Assets Towards Community Health (MATCH) Program to help assist local communities in successfully applying for federal grant dollars. The bill would direct the Dept. of Commerce to establish the MATCH Program to provide technical assistance and resources to local communities to help develop competitive applications for federal funding.
Over the past few years, the federal government has significantly increased the amount of funds available to state and local governments. Despite this, in a 2022 study, Washington ranked 50 out of 51 in dependency on the federal government with only 16% of state revenues made up of federal funding. For context, Vermont ranked number 1, with nearly 36% of state revenues coming from federal funds.
AWC supports this bill.
Dates to remember
HB 1870 is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Innovation, Community & Economic Development, and Veterans Committee on Tuesday, January 9 at 10:30 am.