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Panel hears bill to raise WSDOT in‑house repair and procurement thresholds

Legislative Sessions · March 5, 2026

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Summary

A committee heard testimony on Substitute Senate Bill 6170, which would raise WSDOT in‑house repair thresholds from $60,000 to $100,000, raise emergency thresholds to $160,000, and index those limits to the National Highway Construction Cost Index; proponents said the change updates 2005 limits and improves efficiency.

David Monicki, staff to the committee, briefed members on Substitute Senate Bill 6170, saying the measure raises limits that govern when Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) work must be contracted out. Monicki said the regular in‑house maximum would increase from $60,000 to $100,000, the emergency in‑house threshold from $100,000 to $160,000, and the procurement threshold for targeted small, veteran, minority and women contractors from $100,000 to $160,000. He added the bill would require annual adjustments for inflation tied to the National Highway Construction Cost Index and publication of the adjusted amount on the WSDOT website.

Senator Curtis King, the bill's sponsor, said DOT asked him to carry the proposal and that he lowered the agency's original numbers to what he judged reasonable. “These numbers haven't been increased since 2005, and I thought it was time that we did something to … support our DOT employees,” King said, adding he hopes the committee will move the bill to the floor.

Allison Kretzinger of the Department of Transportation testified the change would bring highway operations in line with ferry maintenance thresholds updated last year and provide "efficiency to government" by allowing more in‑house work. "This would bring all parts of WSDOT in line, and we are very supportive of this measure moving forward," Kretzinger said.

Union testimony supported the change as a way to allow state maintenance crews to perform routine repairs. Katie Durkin of the Washington Federation of State Employees said the limits, unchanged since 2005, can prevent crews from doing basic highway repairs and that raising them would let in‑house workers address community needs more quickly.

Committee members asked staff for clarifications about the ferry threshold adjustments and whether all pieces of WSDOT would be aligned; staff and WSDOT witnesses explained the ferry change occurred in the budget and the bill aligns statutory language for the highway side so the same approach can be applied across the agency.

No formal action or vote occurred in the hearing; committee members asked staff follow‑up questions about the fiscal note and technical implementation. The committee temporarily closed the public hearing on SB 6170 and later reopened it to hear additional testimony before closing the matter for the day.