HOUSE BILL REPORT
SB 5058
As Reported by House Committee On:
Appropriations
Title: An act relating to making technical changes to certain natural resources-related accounts.
Brief Description: Making technical changes to certain natural resources-related accounts.
Sponsors: Senators Rolfes and Van De Wege; by request of Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Brief History:
Committee Activity:
Appropriations: 3/11/21, 3/15/21 [DP].
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Requires payments for livestock losses caused by wolves to be made from the Limited Fish and Wildlife Account, rather than the Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Account.
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Majority Report: Do pass.Signed by 33 members:Representatives Ormsby, Chair; Bergquist, Vice Chair; Gregerson, Vice Chair; Macri, Vice Chair; Stokesbary, Ranking Minority Member; Chambers, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Corry, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; MacEwen, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Boehnke, Caldier, Chandler, Chopp, Cody, Dolan, Dye, Fitzgibbon, Frame, Hansen, Harris, Hoff, Jacobsen, Johnson, J., Lekanoff, Pollet, Rude, Ryu, Schmick, Senn, Springer, Steele, Stonier, Sullivan and Tharinger.
Staff: Dan Jones (786-7118).
Background:

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Accounts.

The State Wildlife Account (SWA) is an account in the State Treasury that is appropriated to the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) for a variety of purposes, such as regulating recreation fishing and hunting, land management, wildlife conservation, and enforcement.  Many of the revenue sources for the SWA may only be used for a specific purpose.  For this reason, the WDFW manages the SWA as having a restricted portion, including each of the dedicated revenue streams, and a non-restricted portion, which may be used for WDFW operations generally.


The 2020 Legislature passed Chapter 148, Laws of 2020 (SSB 6072), which replaces the SWA with two new accounts as of July 1, 2021.  The Limited Fish and Wildlife Account is equivalent to the restricted portion of the SWA, and the Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Account is equivalent to the non-restricted portion of the SWA.


Payments for Livestock Loss Caused by Wolves.
One of the uses of the State Wildlife Account is for payments to livestock owners for injury or loss of livestock caused by wolves.  Claims for livestock damage must be approved by the WDFW, and the WDFW is limited to total payments of $50,000 for this purpose each fiscal year. 
Summary of Bill:

Beginning July 1, 2021, payments for injury or loss of livestock caused by wolves are made from the Limited Fish and Wildlife Account, rather than the Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Account.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect on July 1, 2021.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) This bill makes a correction to Chapter 148, Laws of 2020 (SSB 6072), which split the State Wildlife Account into two new accounts.  There is no net increase or decrease to revenue or spending.

 

(Opposed) None.
Persons Testifying: Tom McBride, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.