FINAL BILL REPORT

SHB 373

                                  C 293 L 87

BYHouse Committee on Agriculture & Rural Development (originally sponsored by Representatives Grant, Jacobsen, Nealey, Rayburn, Brooks, Kremen, Holm, Sutherland and Rasmussen)

Directing the department of community development to conduct rural development studies.

House Committe on Agriculture & Rural Development

Rereferred House Committee on Ways & Means/Appropriations

Senate Committee on Agriculture

SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

BACKGROUND:

The Department of Community Development was created to aid in providing financial and technical assistance to communities and to assist in improving the delivery of governmental programs. Among the utilities regulated by the Utilities and Transportation Commission under state laws are certain telecommunications companies.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Community Development and the Utilities and Transportation Commission are directed to investigate the feasibility of introducing office intensive industry into agriculturally based rural communities.

The department will examine trends in the office intensive industry and the extent to which it decentralizes its facilities; compare the cost of conducting work for these industries in rural versus nearby urban areas; determine whether the rural community has a sufficient telecommunications infrastructure to accommodate potential facilities; and examine certain related issues.

The commission will conduct a study to determine the number of party and private lines in a rural community selected by the department. The commission will determine the cost, feasibility, and desirability of converting to private lines.

The department and the commission will jointly develop recommendations for a program to update rural communities about telecommunications and computer applications to certain enterprises.  The department and commission will submit the results of their studies to the governor and to the House and Senate committees on Energy and Utilities by January 1, 1988.  The commission is also directed to conduct a study and provide the legislature with an annual report of the quality and extent of the state's telecommunication infrastructure.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

      House 95   2

      Senate    49     0 (Senate amended)

      House 91   2 (House concurred)

EFFECTIVE:July 26, 1987