Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

Technology & Economic Development Committee

HB 2580

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Description: Fostering economic resilience and development in Washington by supporting the maritime industry and other manufacturing sectors.

Sponsors: Representatives Tarleton, Haler, Fey, Wylie, Seaquist, Pollet, Ryu and Carlyle.

Brief Summary of Bill

  • Creates the Joint Legislative Task Force on the Economic Resilience of Manufacturing in Washington.

  • Requires the State Geologist to update and improve the seismic scenario catalog with respect to the geographic areas designated as manufacturing/industrial centers by the Puget Sound Regional Council.

Hearing Date: 1/30/14, 1/31/14

Staff: Kelly Leonard (786-7147).

Background:

Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) and Manufacturing/Industrial Centers.

The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) is a federally designated metropolitan planning organization and a state designated regional transportation planning organization with a membership comprised of King, Pierce, Kitsap, and Snohomish counties as well as several cities, ports, state entities, tribes, and transit agencies. The PSRC develops policies and makes decisions about transportation planning, economic development, and growth management throughout the four-county metropolitan area surrounding Puget Sound.

In 2009 the PSRC adopted VISION 2040, a long-range growth management, transportation and economic development strategy aimed at accommodating population and job growth expected to be in the Puget Sound region by the year 2040. Part of the VISION 2040 regional growth strategy is to concentrate housing and job growth into defined areas, called centers. This includes identifying regional manufacturing/industrial centers (MICs) as locations for industrial land and employment.

Manufacturing/industrial centers are existing employment areas with intensive, concentrated manufacturing and industrial land uses that cannot be easily mixed with other activities. Manufacturing/industrial centers can be characterized as areas of large contiguous blocks served by the region’s major transportation infrastructure, including roads, rail, and port facilities. The PSRC has currently designated eight MICs, including Ballard/Interbay, Duwamish, Frederickson, Kent, North Tukwila, Port of Tacoma, Paine Field/Boeing Everett, and South Kitsap Industrial Area.

State Geologist and Washington State Earthquake Hazards Scenario Catalog.

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR), through the appointed State Geologist, is responsible for maintaining the state geological survey. The survey is required to meet a number of objectives, including an assessment of seismic, landslide, and tsunami hazards. This assessment must include the identification and mapping of volcanic, seismic, landslide, and tsunami hazards, an estimation of potential consequences, and the likelihood of occurrence.

The DNR hosts a geologic information portal online that contains the Washington State Earthquake Hazards Scenario Catalog (Catalog). The Catalog contains loss estimates for varying earthquake scenarios. These scenarios represent estimates of the most serious earthquake hazards. Loss estimates for the scenarios and other data calculations are produced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hazards United States loss estimation software using scenario earthquakes developed by the United States Geological Survey. The purpose of the Catalog is to assist managers and emergency planners in visualizing potential impacts of various seismic events.

Summary of Bill:

The bill contains an intent section recognizing the importance of the maritime industry and other manufacturing sectors in Washington.

State Geologist and Washington State Earthquake Hazards Scenario Catalog.

The State Geologist must update and improve the Catalog with respect to the geographic areas designated as MICs by the PSRC as of January 1, 2014, including the Ballard/Interbay, Duwamish, Frederickson, Kent, North Tukwila, Port of Tacoma, Paine Field/Boeing Everett, and South Kitsap Industrial Area MICs. The update must also include the adjacent geographic areas and infrastructure critical to the operations of industry in those designated MICs.

The State Geologist must submit a report with a summary of his or her findings to the Joint Legislative Task Force on the Economic Resilience of Manufacturing in Washington, the Governor, and the appropriate committees of the Legislature by November 1, 2014.

Joint Legislative Task Force.

The Joint Legislative Task Force on the Economic Resilience of Manufacturing in Washington (Task Force) is created. The Task Force is composed of twenty-one members as follows:

The Task Force is required to develop recommendations that achieve certain objectives as follows:

The recommendations must include short-term and long-term action plans for the Legislature to support and sustain the maritime industry and other manufacturing sectors in Washington. The recommendations of the Task Force may also include specific legislative approaches. In developing recommendations, the Task Force must consult with local governments, state agencies, and private sector interests.

The Task Force must submit a work plan by December 1, 2014, and final findings and recommendations by November 1, 2015, to the Governor and the appropriate committees of the Legislature.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.