Governor signs stimulus bill, fiscal cutoff looms
Prepared by Marie Sullivan, WSPTA Legislative Consultant, legconsultant@wastatepta.org
On Friday, February 19, Governor Jay Inslee signed into law ESHB 1368, putting $2.2 billion into play across the state for activities related to economic and small business recovery, reopening schools, rental assistance, and COVID-related contact tracing, testing, and vaccinations.
School districts must submit a school reopening plan to OSPI by March 1 to receive their portion of the federal stimulus funding. The template for reopening plans was sent to all school district superintendents last week. Bills to stabilize funding related to declines in bus ridership (2SSB 5128) and to stabilize declines in student enrollment (SHB 1476) have passed out of their respective fiscal committees. SHB 1208 would create flexibility in spending Learning Assistance Program (LAP) funds and passed House Appropriations Friday.
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