SENATE BILL REPORT

                  SHB 1701

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

     Natural Resources, Parks & Recreation, March 25, 1999

Title:  An act relating to the recreation resource account.

Brief Description:  Allowing for the use of funds to dredge marine recreation land.

Sponsors:  House Committee on Natural Resources (originally sponsored by Representatives Buck, Doumit, Radcliff, Kessler, Sump, Miloscia, Barlean, Regala, Schoesler, DeBolt, Hatfield, Tokuda, Eickmeyer, Mielke, Pennington, B. Chandler, Alexander, Clements and Mastin).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Natural Resources, Parks & Recreation:  3/22/99, 3/25/99 [DPA].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES, PARKS & RECREATION

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.

  Signed by Senators Jacobsen, Chair; T. Sheldon, Vice Chair; Hargrove, Morton, Oke, Rossi, Spanel and Stevens.

Staff:  Ross Antipa (786-7413).

Background:  The motor vehicle fuel tax is paid on all motor vehicle fuel sold in the state.  The director of licensing is required to determine, at least once every four years, the proportion of the moneys collected from the tax which is on marine fuels.  The rate is currently set at 1.139 percent.  The marine fuel tax refund account is funded on a monthly basis, according to this rate.

The recreation resource account is funded from the marine fuel tax refund account.  This account pays for the administrative and coordinative costs of the Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation.  Additional funds are split into two shares for the benefit of watercraft recreation in the state.  The first share is used to provide grants to state agencies for the acquisition or capital improvement to marine recreation land.  Such grants may be used to secure matching funds from federal programs which are dedicated to similar projects.  The second share is used to provide grants to public bodies for the acquisition or capital improvements to marine recreation land.

Periodic dredging may not be an approved use of capital improvement funds.

Summary of Amended Bill:  Monies from the recreation resource account granted to state agencies or public bodies for the capital improvement of marine recreation land may be used additionally for renovation.  Such renovation may include necessary periodic dredging to maintain or make a facility more useful.

Amended Bill Compared to Substitute Bill:  Reference to extending the life of the facility for at least five years is removed.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on February 19, 1999.

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

Testimony For:  Certain boat launching ramps are rendered unusable by sand deposition.  Periodic dredging is needed to allow the ramps to remain usable.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Representative Buck (pro).