residents. When the program takes effect in 2021, it will be offered under a hybrid public-private model that lawmakers selected to control healthcare costs while reducing premiums and co-pays for patients. Economy Chopp was an early proponent of the Community Jobs program, which helps welfare recipients gain skills and employment through various community-based nonprofit organizations in Washington State. Chopp served as a founding board member of the Office of PortJOBS at the Port of Seattle. In this role, he initiated the Committee for Economic Opportunity, which developed partnerships with the Port of Seattle, businesses, labor unions, and educational institutions. Chopp also co-initiated and developed the Seattle Worker Center, which addresses the needs of dislocated and unemployed workers, through a Re-employment Support Center, the Trades Mentor Network, and Community Voice Mail (which won a national award for Innovations in State and Local Governments) sponsored by Harvard University and the Ford Foundation. Chopp was one of the founding members of the successful minimum wage increase initiative in SeaTac in 2013. He also led a coalition to increase Washington State's minimum wage to the highest level in the nation, which was the first time annual increases were tied to the cost of living. Chopp has also passed legislation requiring paid sick leave, expanding collective bargaining rights, and banning wage theft. Education In 2005, Chopp created the Education Legacy Trust Fund, which supports "expanding access to higher education through funding for new enrollments and financial aid, and other educational improvement efforts." Chopp led efforts to expand the Opportunity Grant program and Opportunity Scholarship Fund to make college more affordable for students. In the 2015-17 budget, Chopp supported a tuition freeze, as well as lowering tuition costs. In 2014, Chopp helped enact the DREAM Act, which provided access to college for students from immigrant families. In 2015, Chopp led efforts to invest over $1.3 billion in basic K-3 education as part of the first phase of addressing the McCleary decision. In 2019, Chopp led the passage of free college and university tuition through the Workforce Education Investment Act. The legislation expands the Washington College Grant and provides free tuition at public colleges and universities to 120,000 low-income students per year. The grant is funded by a progressive payroll tax on companies with highly skilled workers, including major tech corporations such as Microsoft and Amazon. Environment Chopp is a proponent of taking action to address climate