SENATE BILL REPORT

                           ESHB 2067

   AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, APRIL 2, 1993

Brief Description:  Encouraging commute trip reduction programs.

SPONSORS: House Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Representatives R. Fisher, Wolfe, Anderson, Schmidt, Locke, Pruitt, Kremen, Springer and Eide; by request of Department of General Administration)

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended. 

     Signed by Senators Vognild, Chairman; Loveland, Vice Chairman; Skratek, Vice Chairman; Drew, Haugen, Nelson, Oke, Prentice, Prince, M. Rasmussen, Sheldon, von Reichbauer, and Winsley.

Staff:  Brian McMorrow (786‑7304)

Hearing Dates: March 31, 1993; April 2, 1993

BACKGROUND:

The commute trip reduction law requires state agencies to reduce the number of their employees traveling by single-occupancy vehicle to their work sites.  The Legislature has required an interagency task force to recommend policies that would encourage state employees to walk, bike or use any one of several ride-sharing alternatives for their daily commute.

SUMMARY:

State employees may use state-owned or leased vehicles for ride sharing as part of the commute trip reduction program required by the state Clean Air Act.

All money collected from rental or parking spaces at state-owned or leased property must be deposited in the State Capitol Vehicle Parking Account.  Money deposited in the account must first be used for pledged purposes.  The unpledged portion of the money may be used to operate state-owned and leased parking facilities, support commute trip reduction programs related to the state Clean Air Act, and pay for the lease of and capital investment in state parking facilities.  The Office of Financial Management will distribute funds from the account after considering the recommendations of the director of General Administration and the Interagency Task Force for Commute Trip Reduction.

State agencies may use public funds for programs that encourage employees who use carpools, vanpools and public transit.

The director of the Department of General Administration must ensure parking fees are equivalent to the market rate of comparable privately owned rental parking no later than December 31, 1994.  The director is permitted to charge fees less than the market rate for vehicles other than single-occupant vehicles.

All state higher education institutions are exempt from Section 5 of this act, which pertains to placing parking fees into the Capitol Vehicle Parking Account.

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED SENATE AMENDMENT:

The striking amendment requires that parking rental fees must not exceed the local market rate of comparable privately owned parking rates.  Funds deposited into the State Capitol Vehicle Parking Account must be appropriated by the Legislature before they are distributed by the Office of Financial Management.  It also broadens the use of state funds by state agencies for transportation demand management incentives.

The striking amendment also creates a regional committee representing state agencies, employees and state employee bargaining units to advise the Director of General Administration on parking rental fee rates.  In the event that the parking rental fees for state-owned or leased property become part of a collective bargaining agreement and there is a conflict between the agency and the collective bargaining unit, the collective bargaining agreement prevails.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  available

TESTIMONY FOR:

The bill provides the authority for state agencies to use their funds to promote alternatives to single-occupant vehicle driving.  The Commute Trip Reduction Law requires public and private employers within the state's eight largest counties to reduce the number of their employees traveling alone to work by 35 percent by 1999.  This bill makes it possible for state agencies to meet that objective.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:

The bill would require state employees to pay more for parking at a time when they are being asked to give up their cost of living increases; a net cut in pay.  This bill is also unfair because public employees have not been permitted to collectively bargain on this issue or any other.

TESTIFIED:  John Doyle, WSDOT (pro); Dan Snow, WSTA (pro); John Franklin, GA (pro); Eugene St. John, Washington Public Employees Association (con); Bev Hermanson, WFSE (con)