SENATE BILL REPORT

                  SSB 5179

                As Passed Senate, March 4, 1999

Title:  An act relating to the authority of the parks and recreation commission.

Brief Description:  Creating Title 79A RCW, Public Recreational Lands.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Parks & Recreation (originally sponsored by Senators Oke and Jacobsen).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Natural Resources, Parks & Recreation:  1/28/99, 2/3/99 [DPS].

Passed Senate, 3/4/99, 44-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES, PARKS & RECREATION

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5179 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

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

Staff:  David Johnson (786-7754)

Background:  The state parks are governed by a number of statutes located in diverse places throughout the code.  Many of the statutes are antiquated and have not been addressed since they were enacted.  The scattered locations, lack of cross referencing, and lack of clarity make the laws unapproachable, hard to understand, and difficult to follow.

Summary of Bill:  All parks and recreation statutes are placed together into a new title, 79A RCW.  The provisions are grouped into subject areas.  Cross referencing is added.  Language is made gender neutral.  Obsolete language and sections are removed.  Provisions that have caused confusion and uncertainty are clarified.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

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

Testimony For:  Parks and Recreation worked on this bill and likes its content.  The bill keeps very well to the mission of simply moving statutes.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Rex Derr, State Parks (pro).

House Amendment(s):  The House amendment made additional technical modernizations and revisions to the code.  It changed sealed bid solicitation publication requirements to be uniform with other statutes.