H-4603.1          _______________________________________________

 

                            SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2884

                  _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1992 Regular Session

 

By House Committee on Trade & Economic Development (originally sponsored by Representatives Cantwell, Forner, Paris, Basich, Sheldon and Ferguson)

 

Read first time 02/07/92.  Appointing a capital investment strategy council.


     AN ACT Relating to developing a state capital investment strategy; adding a new section to chapter 43.06 RCW; creating a new section; and declaring an emergency.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.      The legislature finds that a capital infrastructure deficit of over thirty billion dollars exists in Washington state and that new infrastructure is needed to accommodate growth occurring now and in the future.  There currently is no state capital investment strategy which, combined with an unmanageable number of state capital accounts, makes state capital spending haphazard, uncoordinated, and ineffective in dealing with the existing deficit and growing needs.  The legislature intends to develop a process to coordinate the capital investment planning of state agencies, and coordinate state capital investment planning with local and regional planning, in order to more effectively meet existing and future infrastructure needs.

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 43.06 RCW to read as follows:

     The governor shall appoint a capital investment strategy council comprised of selected state agency directors.  The capital investment strategy council, after consulting with appropriate organizations such as counties and cities, the private sector, and the legislature's capital fiscal committees, shall:

     (1) Develop a comprehensive and consistent state capital investment strategy that coordinates the infrastructure planning and financing of all state agencies under RCW 43.88.030(3) (b) and (c).  This comprehensive strategy should coordinate state infrastructure planning with regional planning organizations, multicounty and county-wide planning policies, and counties and cities.  Where possible, the state capital investment strategy shall be based on an assessment of infrastructure needs by area that result from expected growth patterns, and include a discussion regarding how state infrastructure planning and spending promote economic development in all regions of the state consistent with the growth management goals in chapter 36.70A RCW; and

     (2) Recommend to the legislature and the governor methods to:

     (a) Adopt a state policy of catching up and maintaining infrastructure needs to sustain a healthy economy and a high quality of life.  Given limited resources, the state should ensure that public infrastructure spending is efficient, protects the health and safety of the public, and serves desired growth management goals; 

     (b) Change state agency programs and existing funds to reprioritize these programs and funds consistent with development of a long-term state capital investment strategy;

     (c) Consolidate, where appropriate, existing state capital accounts to achieve a manageable number consistent with a state capital investment strategy and to create a new growth management financing account that would finance infrastructure needs based on county-wide or regional economic planning; and

     (d) Provide assistance and incentives to counties and cities to comply with growth management requirements, especially meeting infrastructure demands.

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.      This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.