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Committee advances bill creating BOLI expense fund after legal debate over revenue test
Summary
Lawmakers advanced House Bill 4027 to create a Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) Expense Fund and raise the prevailing-wage fee cap from $7,500 to $12,500, after a sustained debate over whether the measure is constitutionally a "bill for raising revenue" and how the new funds will be used.
The Joint Committee on Ways and Means voted Feb. 25 to advance House Bill 4027, which establishes a continuously appropriated BOLI Expense Fund and authorizes a new worker-benefit assessment mechanism to finance it. The bill also raises the statutory cap on the prevailing-wage fee from $7,500 to $12,500.
Why it matters: Sponsors and bureau officials said the measure will sustain recent staffing increases at the Bureau of Labor and Industries and support wage-claims and civil-rights work that the agency has struggled to process. Opponents raised constitutional and policy questions about creating a dedicated revenue stream and whether fees are an appropriate long-term funding method rather than general-fund appropriations.
The measure’s fiscal mechanics drew the most scrutiny. Legislative Fiscal Office staff told the committee the measure is expected to generate roughly $4.25 million a year in new revenue in the early…
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