Senate committee advances bill to create Washington Institute for Scientific Advancement and authorize $6 billion in bonds

The Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee on its final meeting of the 2026 legislative session advanced Senate Bill 6321, a proposal to create the Washington Institute for Scientific Advancement and allow the state to issue up to $6 billion in general‑obligation bonds to support scientific research and build research facilities.

Sponsor and structure: The prime sponsor framed the bill as a response to recent federal funding instability and described the institute as an entity housed in the Department of Commerce, run by an administrator appointed by the director of commerce and overseen by an 11‑member council "the majority of whom must be scientists," with representation from public research institutions and a public member. The bill would permit the State Finance Committee to issue up to $6,000,000,000 in GO bonds at a pace of up to $1,000,000,000 per year for six years beginning in 2027. The sponsor said the act’s sections creating the institute and authorizing debt would be subject to a…