Rep. Travis Couture’s bill to make it easier to start a business in Washington scheduled for Wednesday hearing

It is incredibly difficult to start a small business in Washington state and even more challenging to be successful if you do.

According to the National Federation of Independent Business, Washington state ranked dead last for startup survivability based on 2022 data. At the same time, Forbes.com ranked Washington 48th in the nation in a list of best states to start a business, behind only New York and Vermont.

While several state agencies help those who want to start a business in Washington, our rankings make it clear that the current system is not enough.

Rep. Travis Couture, R-Allyn, a small business owner who knows first-hand how challenging it is to start a business in our state, has proposed the creation of the Office of Entrepreneurship in House Bill 1245.

“The goal here is not to grow government,” said Couture. The goal is to boost our business startup success rates, grow jobs, and cut the red tape currently serving as a barrier to entrepreneurs. We need effective and visible state leadership to head this new office and promote the idea that everyone has the right to start a business. An entrepreneurial economy is a win for all Washingtonians.”

Under the bipartisan bill, the Office of Entrepreneurship would be created to promote policies and programs for startups, collaborate with other organizations to support education and technical support, and expand access to other resources for entrepreneurs across the state. The office would also serve as the point of contact to help businesses navigate their interactions with state agencies and identify government regulations and fees that stymie new business growth in Washington.

The bill would also require the state to start tracking whether it is using its power as a purchaser of private sector goods and services to benefit new and early-stage businesses.

Centralizing responsibility for making it easier to start a business in the Office of Entrepreneurship will allow the public to hold government accountable for improvement in regulations affecting small business.

“We must support entrepreneurship in Washington,” said Couture. “There are so many barriers to starting a new business here, from the high taxes, cumbersome regulations, and more. The creation of this office will streamline all of the government bureaucracy and help expand small business across the state.”

House Bill 1245 has been scheduled for a public hearing on Wednesday, Jan. 22, at 8 AM in the House Technology, Economic Development, and Veterans Committee.

Sign up to testify here.

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Washington State House Republican Communications
houserepublicans.wa.gov