City staff recaps 2025 state session: public works trust fund sweep and new producer‑responsibility recycling law among highlights

City staff provided a summary of the 2025 Washington legislative session at the May 6 workshop, highlighting bills and budget actions that could affect College Place capital programs and grant availability.

Staff said the Legislature reduced the Public Works Trust Fund by a large transfer (reported in the meeting as roughly $288 million), a move staff said could limit funding available to local capital projects through that program for several years. Staff also reported that a producer responsibility recycling bill (often described as an extended producer responsibility approach) passed the Legislature; the law will place collection responsibility on producers of packaging and staff said implementation details remain to be seen.

Other items staff discussed included a policing/grants measure (House Bill 2015) with a complicated structure that combines a local sales tax credit and grant elements, gas tax increases indexed to inflation and a road usage charge proposal that staff said died this session. Staff noted transportation funding and Public Works Trust Fund changes could affect local projects; they also said the city received another $1 million toward the Alliance Park community center replacement from the Legislature.

Staff recommended monitoring proposed changes to the Growth Management Act and other state policy work in the coming year, and suggested the city may want to coordinate with Association of Washington Cities (AWC) and regional partners on changes that affect smaller and rural jurisdictions.