SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 5753

As of February 13, 2001

Title:  An act relating to transportation funding.

Brief Description:  Requiring additional reporting in order to receive transportation funding.

Sponsors:  Senators Horn, Winsley and Haugen; by request of The Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Transportation:  2/13/01.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Staff:  Jennifer Strus (786‑7484)

Background: The Legislature and the Governor formed the Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation (BRCT) in 1998 to assess the local, regional and state transportation system; ensure that current and future money is spent wisely; make the system more accountable and predictable; and prepare a 20-year plan for funding and investing in the transportation system.

The BRCT made 18 final recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature. Recommendation 12 recommends that transportation funding be linked to efficiencies.  More specifically, the BRCT recommended that the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), counties, cities and transit be able to demonstrate progress towards achieving benchmark efficiencies as a condition of receiving some portion of new baseline funding.  The BRCT also recommended that cities, counties, and transit be required to demonstrate that they are not supplanting existing transportation funds as a condition of receiving new funding.

Summary of Bill:   Beginning July 1, 2002, WSDOT, counties, cities and transit systems must demonstrate progress towards achieving transportation benchmarks adopted by the new Transportation Accountability Commission. These entities are deemed to have made sufficient progress if they have achieved at least four of the benchmarks during the reporting period.

Beginning July 1, 2002, WSDOT, counties, cities and transit systems must demonstrate that they are not supplanting existing transportation funding with new funding.  The WSDOT, Washington Association of Counties, Association of Washington Cities, and each public transit system is to report to the transportation committees of the Legislature how they are using new and existing funding.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

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