SENATE BILL REPORT

                   HB 1685

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

            State & Local Government, April 1, 1999

Title:  An act relating to public facilities grants and loans preferences.

Brief Description:  Clarifying how loan and grant preferences are accorded among local governments planning under the growth management act.

Sponsors:  Representatives McMorris, Romero, Mulliken, Murray, Doumit, DeBolt, Sump, Linville, Crouse, Haigh, Boldt, Delvin, Mielke, Kessler, Clements, Schindler, Cox, Ericksen, Schoesler, Fortunato, B. Chandler, G. Chandler, Wolfe, Cooper, Radcliff, Lisk, Hankins, Skinner, Morris, Hatfield, Koster, Mastin and Parlette.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  State & Local Government:  3/31/99, 4/1/99 [DPA].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.

  Signed by Senators Patterson, Chair; Gardner, Vice Chair; Hale, Haugen, Horn, Kline and McCaslin.

Staff:  Sharon Swanson (786-7445)

Background:  The Growth Management Act (GMA) establishes certain requirements for all counties in the state and imposes additional requirements for counties, and the cities in those counties, planning under RCW 36.70A.040 (GMA jurisdictions).  The basic GMA planning requirements for GMA jurisdictions are:

$adoption of a countywide planning policy, a framework from which comprehensive plans are developed which must address, among other items, the siting of public capital facilities of a countywide or statewide nature;

$designation of urban growth areas;

$adoption of a comprehensive plan; and

$adoption of development regulations implementing the comprehensive plan.

Generally, a GMA jurisdiction is required to adopt a comprehensive plan and implementing development regulations consistent with GMA requirements within four years of the date the GMA jurisdiction became required or chose to plan under the GMA.

To qualify for loan or pledges from the Public Works Board, Community Economic Revitalization Board, or the Department of Ecology for water pollution control, there must first be a determination that a local government meets specific conditions.

Summary of Amended Bill:  A county, city or town planning under the Growth Management Act (GMA) must adopt a comprehensive plan and development regulations before it can qualify for a loan or grant from the Public Works Board or the Department of Ecology (DOE) for water pollution control.  A county, city or town planning under GMA is not required to adopt a comprehensive plan and development regulations before requesting or receiving a grant or loan from the Public Works Board or DOE, if such a request is made before the expiration of the time period specified in GMA.  A county, city or town is not prohibited from receiving a grant or loan from Public Works Board or DOE if the jurisdiction adopts a comprehensive plan and development regulations before submitting a request for a grant or loan.

A county, city or town must have the capital facilities plan element of the comprehensive plan in place before they can qualify for a grant, loan or loan guarantee from the Public Works Board or DOE for water pollution control.

The Community Economic Revitalization Board must not fund actual construction of a project to any local government applicant that is not, at the time of application for financial assistance, in compliance with the GMA.

Requests for public facilities grants and loans from special districts are treated in the same manner as requests from the jurisdiction in which they are located.

Amended Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The public facilities grants and loan preferences program that is addressed in the original House Bill 1685 is repealed.  HB 1685 would have changed the preference standards for public facilities, grants, and loans from county-wide planning policy participation to comprehensive plan and development regulations adoption.  HB 1685 would also applied the preferences only to competing requests from GMA jurisdictions.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  None.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  No one.