WASHINGTON STATE LEGISLATURE
Legislative Digest No. 39

SIXTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE
Thursday, April 5, 201225th Day - 2012 1st Special Session

SENATE
SB 6633SB 6634SB 6635SB 6636
HOUSE
HB 2822HB 2823HB 2824HB 2825HB 2826HB 2827HB 2828
HB 2829HB 2830

This publication includes digest and history for bills, joint memorials, joint resolutions, concurrent resolutions, initiatives, and substitutes. Engrossed measures may be republished if the amendment makes a substantive change.

Electronic versions of Legislative Digests are available at http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/digests.aspx?year=2012.


House Bills

HB 2822

by Representative Hunter; by request of Governor Gregoire and State Treasurer


Concerning local sales and use tax account deposits and distributions.


Requires the department of revenue to make deposits in the local sales and use tax account on a monthly basis on the last business day of the month in which certain distributions are due.

Requires the state treasurer to determine the amount of earnings on investments that would have been credited to the local sales and use tax account if the collections had been deposited in the account over the prior month.
-- 2012 1ST SPECIAL SESSION --
Apr 3First reading, referred to Ways & Means.
Apr 4Public hearing in the House Committee on Ways & Means at 1:00 PM.

HB 2823

by Representative Hunter


Redirecting existing state revenues into the state general fund.


Redirects existing state revenues into the state general fund.
-- 2012 1ST SPECIAL SESSION --
Apr 3First reading, referred to Ways & Means.
Apr 4Public hearing in the House Committee on Ways & Means at 1:00 PM.

HB 2824

by Representatives Eddy and Hunter


Addressing comprehensive funding for education by developing a plan for full funding and by freeing certain existing revenues for support of the basic education program.


Establishes the joint task force on education funding to develop a proposal for a reliable and dependable funding mechanism to support basic education programs.

Makes certain dedicated revenues available for implementation of basic education reform and to facilitate the funding reform recommendations of the task force.
-- 2012 1ST SPECIAL SESSION --
Apr 3First reading, referred to Ways & Means.
Apr 4Public hearing in the House Committee on Ways & Means at 1:00 PM.

HB 2825

by Representative Hunter


Addressing the benefits and contributions for new members of the public employees' retirement system, the teachers' retirement system, and the school employees' retirement system.


Provides that new members of the public employees' retirement system, the teachers' retirement system, and the school employees' retirement system are not eligible for certain alternate early retirement provisions.

Requires the select committee on pension policy to study the issue of job classifications in the state retirement systems that entail either high degrees of physical risk to the members' own personal safety or unusually high physical requirements that result in elevated risks of injury or disablement for older employees.
-- 2012 1ST SPECIAL SESSION --
Apr 3First reading, referred to Ways & Means.
Apr 4Public hearing in the House Committee on Ways & Means at 1:00 PM.

HB 2826

by Representative Hunter


Revising community supervision provisions.


Modifies provisions relating to community supervision.
-- 2012 1ST SPECIAL SESSION --
Apr 3First reading, referred to Ways & Means.
Apr 4Public hearing in the House Committee on Ways & Means at 1:00 PM.

HB 2827

by Representative Hunter


Improving state budgeting and planning by requiring a balanced state operating budget for the current biennium and developing a process for balancing the budget over a two-biennium period.


Requires the legislature to prepare and publish: (1) For enacted bills that make appropriations from the state general fund or related funds, a balance sheet that demonstrates that total proposed appropriations from the state general fund and related funds for that biennium will leave, in total, a positive ending fund balance; and

(2) When either house of the legislature approves or reports from committee any bills that make appropriations from the general fund or related funds, an updated legislative budget outlook for the ensuing fiscal biennium.

Requires the economic and revenue forecast council to: (1) Prepare and publish on its web site a multibiennium budget outlook for state operating budget revenues and expenditures;

(2) Update the outlook to reflect the enacted budget and other relevant enacted legislation;

(3) Develop and report on a proposed methodology for preparing the operating budget outlook; and

(4) Prepare and present to the legislature for its consideration a proposed methodology for determining whether state operating and related funds appropriations and revenues are balanced for the ensuing as well as the current fiscal biennium.

Requires state agencies to provide the council with immediate access to all information relating to revenues, caseload forecasts, and expenditures.

Requires the governor, when submitting operating budget documents to the legislature, to also submit an operating budget outlook based on the governor's operating budget proposal.

Creates the budget outlook work group to provide technical support to the economic and revenue forecast council in preparing the budget outlook.

Requires the joint legislative audit and review committee to review and report on the implementation and effectiveness of the budget outlook process.

Adds the state treasurer as a member of the economic and revenue forecast council.

Expires July 1, 2023.
-- 2012 1ST SPECIAL SESSION --
Apr 3First reading, referred to Ways & Means.
Apr 4Public hearing in the House Committee on Ways & Means at 1:00 PM.

HB 2828

by Representative Hunter


Removing the requirement that the department of social and health services or the department of early learning take appropriate action to establish or enforce support obligations whenever it receives an application for subsidized child care services or working connections child care services.


Removes the requirement that the department of social and health services or the department of early learning take appropriate action to establish or enforce support obligations whenever it receives an application for subsidized child care services or working connections child care services.
-- 2012 1ST SPECIAL SESSION --
Apr 3First reading, referred to Ways & Means.
Apr 4Public hearing in the House Committee on Ways & Means at 1:00 PM.

HB 2829

by Representative Sullivan


Addressing public school employees' insurance benefits.


Addresses public school employees' insurance benefits.
-- 2012 1ST SPECIAL SESSION --
Apr 3First reading, referred to Ways & Means.
Apr 4Public hearing in the House Committee on Ways & Means at 1:00 PM.

HB 2830

by Representative Hunter; by request of Governor Gregoire


Addressing language access providers.


Provides state collective bargaining rights to language access providers who provide spoken interpreter services for department of labor and industries medical appointments.
-- 2012 1ST SPECIAL SESSION --
Apr 3First reading, referred to Ways & Means.
Apr 4Public hearing in the House Committee on Ways & Means at 1:00 PM.


Senate Bills

SB 6633

by Senators Fraser and Murray; by request of Governor Gregoire and State Treasurer


Concerning local sales and use tax account deposits and distributions.


Requires the department of revenue to make deposits in the local sales and use tax account on a monthly basis on the last business day of the month in which certain distributions are due.

Requires the state treasurer to determine the amount of earnings on investments that would have been credited to the local sales and use tax account if the collections had been deposited in the account over the prior month.
-- 2012 1ST SPECIAL SESSION --
Apr 4First reading, referred to Ways & Means.

SB 6634

by Senator Murray; by request of Governor Gregoire


Addressing language access providers.


Provides state collective bargaining rights to language access providers who provide spoken interpreter services for department of labor and industries medical appointments.
-- 2012 1ST SPECIAL SESSION --
Apr 4First reading, referred to Ways & Means.

SB 6635

by Senator Murray


Improving revenue and budget sustainability by repealing, modifying, or revising tax preferences.


Declares an intent to improve the long-term sustainability of the state budget by: (1) Limiting the first interest mortgage business and occupation tax deduction to community banks;

(2) Extending the business and occupation tax exemption for fruit, vegetable, dairy, and seafood businesses;

(3) Changing the sales and use tax exemption for certain equipment used in computer data centers;

(4) Revising the definition of "newspaper" for purposes of business and occupation taxes; and

(5) Repealing the sales tax exemption for certain phone services.
-- 2012 1ST SPECIAL SESSION --
Apr 4First reading, referred to Ways & Means.

SB 6636

by Senators Kastama and Zarelli


Requiring a balanced state budget for the current and ensuing fiscal biennium.


Requires the legislature, for the 2013-2015 fiscal biennium and subsequent fiscal biennia, to enact an appropriations bill that: (1) Appropriates from the general fund and related funds for that fiscal biennium a total amount that does not exceed the beginning general fund and related funds balances and any enacted general fund and related funds resources for that fiscal biennium; and

(2) Requires for the next ensuing fiscal biennium general fund and related funds appropriations necessary to maintain the continuing costs of program and service levels either funded in that appropriations bill or mandated by other state law that does not exceed the beginning general fund and related funds balance and any enacted general fund and related funds resources for that fiscal biennium.

Requires the economic and revenue forecast supervisor to: (1) Prepare, four times each year, an official state budget outlook for state revenues and expenditures for the general fund and related funds;

(2) Submit state budget outlooks to the governor and the members of the committees on ways and means of the senate and house of representatives;

(3) Prepare a state budget outlook for state revenues and expenditures that reflects the governor's proposed budget document submitted to the legislature; and

(4) Prepare a state budget outlook for state revenues and expenditures that reflects the enacted budget.

Requires state government agencies to provide to the supervisor immediate access to all information relating to state budget outlooks.

Requires the economic and revenue forecast council to oversee the preparation of and approve the state budget outlook.

Creates the state budget outlook work group to provide technical support to the economic and revenue forecast council.
-- 2012 1ST SPECIAL SESSION --
Apr 4First reading, referred to Ways & Means.