This bill creates a new state competitive capital facility grant program by adding a section to chapter 79A.25 RCW to expand access to outdoor education experiences for public school students through acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of outdoor learning facilities. The office named in the new section (not identified in the provided text) must establish the competitive solicitation and prioritization process, with awards subject to the availability of specific appropriations. Eligible projects are described by example (e.g., increasing bed capacity, weatherization and energy-efficiency improvements to extend operating seasons, and bathroom and kitchen upgrades), and eligible applicants include federally recognized tribes, local governments, state and federal agencies, and nonprofit organizations. The bill requires applicants to show their projects will likely increase the number of public school students served or remove participation barriers for underserved students. Grant contracts must require maintenance of funded capital improvements for a period appropriate to the grant amount, continued use of the facilities for the grant’s stated purpose, and repayment of the grant award plus interest if the grantee is out of compliance; interest is calculated at the rate on state general obligation bonds issued most closely to the award date and repayments are deposited to the state general fund. Beginning with the 2027–2029 fiscal biennium, the office must submit a prioritized list of recommended projects (with descriptions, recommended state funding amounts, and documentation of nonstate funds) as part of its biennial capital budget request. This is a new statutory program (a new section in chapter 79A.25 RCW) and creates procedural requirements for a competitive grant process and contract enforcement through repayment with interest. The text references definitions in RCW 28A.300.795 (outdoor education/learning) and RCW 28A.150.010 (public schools). Important details are not included in the provided text: the identity of "the office," the amounts to be appropriated, the specific required duration of maintenance covenants, and the detailed procedures and criteria for the competitive solicitation and evaluation. The bill was read for the first time January 30, 2025, and referred to the Committee on Capital Budget.

If enacted, the state would create a competitive capital grant program that can pay to buy, build, or renovate facilities used for outdoor education so more public school students — especially those from underserved communities — can attend. Tribes, local governments, state and federal agencies, and nonprofits would be eligible to apply for projects like adding bed capacity, weatherizing buildings to extend the season, or upgrading bathrooms and kitchens; an unnamed state office would run the competition and, starting in the 2027–29 biennium, include a prioritized list of recommended projects with recommended state funding and documentation of nonstate funds in the biennial capital budget request. In practice this means outdoor education providers get a new source of potential capital funding but must secure whatever legislative appropriation is made, show they will increase student access or remove barriers, commit to maintaining the funded improvements, and face repayment of the grant plus interest if they fail to comply; those repayments go to the state general fund. The bill leaves some important details unclear — including which office administers the program, how much money will be available, the required maintenance period, and the detailed application and selection rules — so the timing, scale, and specific costs or matching requirements for applicants are still uncertain.