SENATE BILL REPORT

SSB 6547

BYSenate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Newhouse, Benitz, McDonald, Anderson, Sellar, Barr, Patterson, Hayner, Smith, Johnson, Talmadge, Hansen, Niemi, Stratton, Gaspard, Patrick, Amondson and Bailey)

Providing funding for local criminal justice programs.

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

Senate Hearing Date(s):January 29, 1990

Majority Report:     That Substitute Senate Bill 6547 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

     Signed by Senators McDonald, Chairman; Craswell, Vice Chairman; Amondson, Bailey, Bauer, Cantu, Hayner, Johnson, Matson, Newhouse, Niemi, Owen, Saling, Smith, Talmadge, Warnke, Williams.

Senate Staff:Randy Hodgins (786-7715)

                February 28, 1990

AS PASSED SENATE, FEBRUARY 6, 1990

BACKGROUND:

Current law prescribes that 17 percent of all motor vehicle excise tax (MVET) receipts deposited in the general fund from the basic 2 percent rate be distributed to incorporated cities and towns.  Of this amount, 65 percent is distributed for the support of public safety and health programs.  According to a Senate Committee on Ways and Means staff report, it is estimated that approximately $43.0 million of the $68.7 million 1989-91 MVET distribution to cities and towns will be spent for public safety programs.

Counties do not currently receive a share of state motor vehicle excise tax revenues for public safety programs.  County officials have argued that county criminal justice expenditures have risen rapidly in recent years, and that additional revenues are necessary to insure the continued provision of criminal justice services.

SUMMARY:

A sum equal to 7.53 percent of all MVET receipts deposited in the general fund from the basic 2 percent rate is allocated to the local criminal justice assistance account which is created in the state treasury.

Two percent of the funds allocated to the account are appropriated annually to the prosecution assistance revolving account.  These funds (estimated to be approximately $500,000 in fiscal year 1991) are available for distribution by the Department of Community Development for grants to local governments for costs incurred in a criminal case, provided that such costs exceed 5 percent of the local government's annual operating budget.

The remaining funds in the local criminal justice assistance account (estimated to be $24,500,000 in fiscal year 1991) will be distributed to county governments for criminal justice purposes, on the basis of an individual county's population, crime rate, and superior court criminal filings per 1,000 residents.

Local governments are required to file an annual criminal justice plan with the Department of Community Development to document current criminal justice activities, allocation of resources, and efforts to coordinate criminal justice programs with other local jurisdictions.

Funds are distributed to local governments for reimbursement of the state's criminal justice obligations under Initiative 62.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:   none

Fiscal Note:    available

Senate Committee - Testified:   FOR:  Patrick Sutherland, Thurston County Prosecutor; Van Youngquist, Cowlitz County, President Washington State Association of Counties; John Horsely, Kitsap County; Dwain Colby, Island County Commissioner; Bill Vogler, Co-Chairman Washington Association of Counties, Grays Harbor County; Graham Tollefson, Yakima County; Kent Swisher, Association of Washington Cities; Cathy Pearsall-Stipak, Pierce County Council; Greg Nickels, King County Council; Val Loveland, Franklin County Treasurer, President Washington Association of County Officials