Bill to reshape Climate Commitment Act accounts draws praise and criticism at Ways & Means hearing

The Senate Ways and Means Committee took testimony Feb. 24 on engrossing second substitute House Bill 2,251, a bill that restructures the Climate Commitment Act (CCA) accounts. Committee staff said the bill would repeal three current CCA accounts and replace them with two new accounts — a CCA operating account and a CCA capital account — and outlined how revenue would be distributed and new allowable uses.

Staff summary: "The bill before you would repeal 3 of the 5 current CCA accounts and replace them with 2 accounts," Michael Buzantzen said, adding that the proposal clarifies allowable uses (including EV infrastructure and housing that reduces commute burdens), adjusts tribal consultation thresholds and shifts some reporting from annual to biannual cycles.

Supporters and caveats: Martin Gibbons of the League of Women Voters said the League supports adjustments to respond to economic change and suggested additional amendments "to ensure results conform to the intent and commitments of the policy." "If required, the League would be supportive of additional amendments towards those goals," Gibbons said.

Critics urged stronger accountability. Todd Myers of the Washington Policy Center testified that the bill "still does nothing to require that expenditures from the CCA are actually effective," and criticized the move from annual to biannual reporting as a reduction in oversight. "This report is critical if we are gonna determine how we are spending our money is actually effective," he said, citing earlier CCA expenditures and disputed greenhouse‑gas reductions estimates.

Key technical changes described by staff include capping Ecology's administrative costs in the operating account at $25,000,000 per year (instead of a percentage of total CCA revenues), expanding allowable environmental‑justice activities, allowing capital funds for EV infrastructure in buildings and housing that reduces commute distances for low‑income households, and revising distribution percentages that direct funds to transportation, operating and capital accounts depending on auction revenue thresholds.

Committee status: The hearing concluded with public testimony but no final action on amendments or engrossing was recorded during this session. Committee staff asked members if they had questions; none were raised in the hearing record prior to public testimony.