Washington State Expenditure Limit Committee: Home page

Members

David Schumacher
OFM Director (Chair)

Noah Purcell
Attorney General Designee

Sen. Andy Hill
Senate Ways & Means

Rep. Bruce Chandler
House Appropriations

Sen. James Hargove
Senate Ways & Means

Rep. Timm Ormsby
House Appropriations

The Committee

The state General Fund budget and five related funds subject to a spending limit defined in RCW 43.135: State Expenditures Limitations.

The Expenditure Limit Committee was established in 2000 for the purpose of determining and adjusting the state expenditure limit. The members of the Expenditure Limit Committee are

Each November, the Expenditure Limit Committee adjusts the limit for the previous and current fiscal year, and projects a limit for the following two years. Generally speaking, the expenditure limit is the actual spending level from the prior year multiplied by the fiscal growth factor, plus or minus any adjustments required by statute. The fiscal growth factor is the average growth in state personal income for the prior ten fiscal years.

November 2015 Meeting Materials

Spending Limits
November 21, 2015
Fiscal YearSpending Limit
 
FY 2014* $16,089.6 million
FY 2015 $16,634.1 million
  Total 2013-15 Biennium $32,723.7 million

Note: Totals may not tie due to rounding.
       * Actual GFS spending for FY2014 ($16,079.2 million)
          is used to calculate the limit for FY 2015.

  • Re-established a limit on state expenditures once the state has fully implemented its Article IX funding obligations.
  • Specifies that state general fund expenditures must not exceed the expenditure limit beginning in Fiscal Year 2022.
  • Sets the expenditure limits in Fiscal Year 2022 to be the actual Fiscal Year 2021 expenditures plus the fiscal growth factor.

About Fiscal Growth Factors

Fiscal YearFiscal
Growth Factor
Status
FY 2012 4.34%  
FY 2013 4.40%  
FY 2014 4.65%  
FY 2015 4.48%  
FY 2016 4.33% Final
FY 2017 4.37% Subject to revision
FY 2018 4.08% Unofficial
FY 2019 3.82% Unofficial
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