HB 2076 - 2025-26 Creating the Washington Department of Government Efficiency

Educate. Advocate. Mitigate. Activate!

A big thank you to Washington State Representative and WAGOP Chair Jim Walsh for sponsoring and introducing HB 2076, potential legislation to be heard in the 2026 legislative session that would create a WA State Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). If implemented, this would be an excellent tool for rooting out bureaucratic bloat and waste in state government.

In part, the bill reads: BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1. The legislature finds that most of the state's government enforcement decisions and discretionary expenditures are not made by elected representatives but rather by unelected bureaucrats within government agencies who view themselves as immune from accountability. Likewise, most legal edicts are not laws enacted by the legislature but are rules and regulations promulgated by bureaucrats. This imposes massive direct and indirect costs on Washington's working taxpayers. The legislature finds that United States Supreme Court decisions in West Virginia v. EPA and Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo serve as relevant reminders that agencies only have the authority granted to them as specified statute.

In West Virginia v. EPA, the court declared that an agency that seeks to decide an issue of vast economic and political significance must have clear congressional authorization to do so; a principle referred to as the major questions doctrine. In the case of Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, the court held that the federal Administrative Procedure Act requires courts to exercise their independent judgment in deciding whether an agency has acted within it's statutory authority rather than deferring to an agency' interpretation of the law simply because a statute is ambiguous. Consistent with these principles, the legislature recognizes the need for a comprehensive review of state statutes and agency regulations for the purpose of improving the efficiency of state government operations and expenditures and ensuring that statutes that delegate authority to agencies provide clear and specific legislative authorization.

The legislature intends to establish the Washington department of government efficiency, hereinafter referred to as "WADOGE," to develop and launch a process to identify state government policies, processes, and expenditures that are inefficient or unnecessary and should be considered for removal. The legislature intends for WADOGE to work with agencies to identify and halt enforcement of regulations that are beyond an agency's statutory authority and that should therefore be repealed. The legislature also intends for WADOGE to work with agencies to find opportunities to consolidate duplicative and miscellaneous agency functions. Furthermore, the legislature intends for all agencies, departments, offices, boards, commissions, and other state entities to assist in identifying policies, processes, and expenditures that should be considered for removal and to help improve the state's budget decisions.

To achieve these goals, the legislature intends WADOGE to pursue the following four major methods of reform to improve state government efficiency and budget decisions: Regulatory rescission; administrative streamlining; encouraging cost savings for Washington consumers; and preventing the political weaponization of agencies. The legislature intends for WADOGE to report its findings and suggestions on a regular basis to the legislature through reports to the joint legislative audit and review committee, the office of the governor, and other state executive branch offices as is relevant. The legislature finds that WADOGE's establishment and efforts are necessary to implement the budget.

The WADOGE expense account is created in the state treasury. Beginning July 1st of the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium, and July 1st of every fiscal biennium thereafter, the treasurer shall deposit into the account six percent of all general operating fund amounts allocated to all state agencies for the upcoming biennial cycle. When each agency has completed its WADOGE review and WADOGE has submitted its final report in accordance with section 2 of this act, the respective amounts deposited into the WADOGE suspense account for an agency must be released to the agency.

Bill Bruch

Bill Bruch is the WA State GOP Election Integrity Committee Chairman (5th year), WAGOP Executive Board Member (5th Year), Skagit County GOP Chairman (9th year), Citizen Journalist, Blogger, Business Owner, 2020 WA State House Representative Candidate, Former Council Member, and WA State 2016 and 2024 RNC National Convention Delegate.