House Bill 2523 ensures the Community Reinvestment Plan remains a pillar in the foundation to reduce poverty, increase equity and expand economic security for all.
OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Washington Workforce Association (WWA), comprised of the state’s 12 Local Workforce Development Boards, this week joined stakeholders, lawmakers and others in appreciation of Gov. Bob Ferguson for his support of funding for the Community Reinvestment Plan (CRP). House Bill 2523, sponsored by Rep. Kristine Reeves (D-Federal Way) Chair of the Washington Legislative Black Caucus, strengthens and codifies the CRP, ensuring that communities harmed by decades of inequitable policy finally have a pathway toward investment, restoration, and opportunity.
“Across Washington, Local Workforce Development Boards have helped turn the vision of the Community Reinvestment Program into real outcomes—working alongside trusted community partners to support small businesses, expand access to matched savings and financial coaching, and provide the wraparound supports people need to move from poverty into stable, family-sustaining careers,” said John Traugott, Executive Director of WWA. “We’re deeply grateful to Representative Kristine Reeves for her continued leadership and commitment to equity and economic opportunity, and for helping secure the investments that are making a lasting difference for working families across the state.”Traugott also acknowledged the long-time leadership of Paula Fillmore-Sardinas, founder of the Washington Build Back Black Alliance and CEO of FMS Global Strategies, who served as the chief advocate for the community coalition that advanced the policy framework for reinvestment.
The coalition supporting the legislation highlighted a host of successes in CRP to-date, including:
- More than 400 organizations served
- Local Workforce Boards engaged more than 9,600 businesses statewide
- More than 3,300 individuals engaged in training and entered stable employment
- Over 190,000 individuals served through funding programs
- Workforce participants saw their annual median wages rise from just under $10,000 to $48,000
- Hundreds of small businesses were supported through loans to grow their business and hire employees
- For every dollar spent in CRP, the return to taxpayers is $2.64 through reduced alliance on public benefits
“Together, we have had – and will continue to have – measurable outcomes that strengthen Washington’s economy while helping families achieve lasting financial stability,” said Traugott. “None of us built this service and program delivery model alone. All of us, including our past champions Senator T’wina Nobles, Representative Melanie Morgan and Senator Rebecca Saldaña, worked together to spotlight the needs and create a plan to deliver the services that lift individuals out of poverty to economic security.”
House Bill 2523 was signed into law on March 23, 2026.
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About the Washington Workforce Association
The Washington Workforce Association (WWA) is a nonprofit nonpartisan membership organization of the Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDB) of Washington State. The LWDBs are business-led boards that coordinate and leverage workforce investments and strategies with stakeholders from education, economic development, labor and community-based organizations to advance the economic health of their respective communities through a skilled and competitive workforce.
Media Contact: Bobbi Cussins, 360.280.1679, [email protected]
