H-5449.1          _______________________________________________

                         HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 4424

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State of Washington              54th Legislature             1996 Regular Session

By Representatives Delvin, Chandler, Robertson, Clements, Foreman, Grant, Schoesler, Hankins, Mulliken, Linville, B. Thomas and Honeyford

Read first time .  Referred to Committee on .

Establishing a legislative joint committee on water resources.

     WHEREAS, A legislative joint select committee on water resources should be established; and

     WHEREAS, From among its members, the committee shall elect cochairs, one who is a member of the house of representatives and one who is a member of the senate; and

     WHEREAS, The committee shall examine the following subjects relating to water transfers:  Methods to encourage voluntary water rights transfers, including incentives and streamlining of administrative procedures for the approval of transfers; standards and procedures that should apply to different types of transfers, including temporary, permanent, and seasonal transfers, changes in the nature and location of use, and consideration of impacts to existing rights, communities in the origin of the water use, and upon streamflows; standards and procedures for the protection of existing rights and streamflows in considering water use changes or transfers; and

     WHEREAS, In conducting such review, the committee shall provide for public comment and shall conduct its meetings in various locations around the state to facilitate public participation and the committee shall solicit the views and technical assistance of water resource experts in water resource disciplines; and

     WHEREAS, The committee's final report and recommendations for legislation shall be submitted to the appropriate committees of the house of representatives and the senate by December 31, 1996; and

     WHEREAS, Staff support for the committee shall be provided by the office of program research in the house of representatives and by senate committee services; and

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, By the House of Representatives of the state of Washington, the Senate concurring, That a joint select committee on water resources is created to review the subjects related to water transfers; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the committee consist of eight members; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That four members of the committee shall be from the house of representatives and shall be appointed by the speaker of the house, and two shall be from each political party caucus in the house of representatives; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That four members of the committee shall be from the senate and shall be appointed by the president of the senate, and two shall be from each political party caucus; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the committee report its findings and recommendations to the legislature by December 31, 1996.

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