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Bill would create grant and loan program to support port freight development plans
Summary
Senate Bill 5,649 would create a grant-and-loan program for public and tribal ports to fund freight mobility projects that appear in port freight development plans and align with program goals; WSDOT would set priorities and collaborate with supply-chain stakeholders.
Committee staff briefed the Senate Transportation Committee on Senate Bill 5,649, a proposal to create a grant-and-loan program for public ports and tribal ports with public operations to support freight mobility projects set out in port freight development plans.
Mark Gehling, committee staff, said the bill requires the Washington State Department of Transportation to set program priorities, work with critical supply-chain stakeholders to develop performance metrics and publish eligible project types. Projects must be included in a port—s freight development plan and align with six programmatic goals to qualify. The bill would also create a new state treasury account for the program.
WSDOT fiscal staff described the agency fiscal note as indeterminate and said implementation costs would depend on program size; WSDOT provided an estimate of approximately $556,000 in 2025-27 to implement the plan and coordinate with stakeholders, and the Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board (FMSIB) estimated coordination costs of about $52,000.
Port leaders and industry witnesses testified in support during the public hearing, emphasizing the program—s flexibility to target multimodal and port-adjacent infrastructure, address constraints at smaller and rural ports, and complement existing freight programs. John Flanagan of the Port of Seattle told the committee the program could support investments beyond traditional cargo terminals, such as fuel-transport and storage infrastructure needed for sustainable fuels. Port of Everett described needs including seawall repair and undergrounding utilities to move oversized freight between terminals. Port association staff said the program is intended to sit alongside, not replace, existing freight programs and could help smaller ports and regional projects that do not neatly fit other funding sources.
Sponsors and port representatives said the program aims to strengthen competitiveness, resiliency and the statewide freight system by filling project gaps where local, federal and other funds fall short. The public hearing closed after testimony; committee staff said FMSIB is reviewing its eligibility and selection processes but no committee vote was taken at this hearing.
