Senate hearing reviews updated rural county definition; staff and sponsor note OFM data discrepancies

Committee staff briefed members on SB 6149, which would add an additional qualification to the statutory definition of a rural county tied to population density and the absence of a city with more than 75,000 residents. Staff referenced a chart prepared by the Office of Financial Management (OFM) in July 2025 and said the fiscal note received yesterday identified two additional counties (Kitsap and Thurston) that may qualify under some data sets, creating a discrepancy staff is working to reconcile.

Senator Jeff Wilson (19th Legislative District), the prime sponsor and a Cowlitz County resident, said the bill is intended to preserve rural designation for counties like Cowlitz — which have wide open spaces and population centers — so they retain access to programs and funding aimed at rural communities. He said staff will look further into the conflicting OFM data and that no one had signed in to testify against the bill that day.