BILL REQ. #:  H-3466.2 

Read first time 01/21/14.   Referred to Committee on Technology & Economic Development.

     AN ACT Relating to fostering economic resilience and development in Washington by supporting the maritime industry and other manufacturing sectors; creating new sections; and providing expiration dates.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature recognizes the important role of the maritime industry and other manufacturing sectors in creating and sustaining economic opportunities in Washington. In particular, the state's vibrant maritime cluster directly employs more than fifty-seven thousand people, with a total of four billion dollars in direct wages in 2012, in the areas of ship and boat building, maintenance and repair, maritime logistics and shipping, passenger water transportation, fishing, seafood processing, maritime support services, military operations, marine fuels, and marine safety and research. In 2012, the maritime cluster was directly responsible for over fifteen billion dollars in gross business income and indirectly responsible for more than fourteen billion dollars in gross business income. In looking to the state's future, the legislature finds that supporting the maritime industry and other manufacturing sectors is critical to building and sustaining a diverse and resilient economy in Washington.
     The maritime industry and other manufacturing sectors are interconnected with the public infrastructure, including ports, roads, railways, energy facilities, and water-sewer facilities. The protection and expansion of public infrastructure, including through urban planning and disaster recovery planning, is crucial to the success of the maritime industry and other manufacturing sectors.
     To that end, the legislature intends to engage in a collaborative process with state agencies, local governments, and private sector leaders to evaluate whether changes in state and local policies are necessary to foster resilience and growth in the maritime industry and other manufacturing sectors. Through the establishment of the joint select legislative task force, the legislature intends to take action to support and sustain the maritime industry and other manufacturing sectors as the region continues to recover from the national financial crisis and progresses toward a future of increased economic opportunity for all citizens of the state.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1)(a) A joint select legislative task force on the economic resilience of manufacturing in Washington is established, with members as provided in this subsection.
     (i) The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint three members from each of the two largest caucuses of the house of representatives.
     (ii) The president of the senate shall appoint three members from each of the two largest caucuses of the senate.
     (iii) The president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives jointly shall appoint two members representing local government interests and four members representing private manufacturing sector interests, who are nonvoting members of the task force.
     (iv) The governor shall appoint one member to represent the department of commerce, one member to represent the department of transportation, and one member to represent the office of regulatory assistance, who are nonvoting members of the task force.
     (b) The task force shall choose its chair from among its legislative membership. The chair shall convene the initial meeting of the task force.
     (2)(a) The task force shall develop recommendations that achieve the following objectives:
     (i) Identify the manufacturing sectors of economic significance to the state;
     (ii) Identify and assess the critical public infrastructure that supports and sustains manufacturing sectors;
     (iii) Identify the barriers to maintaining and expanding manufacturing sectors;
     (iv) Identify and assess the educational resources and support services available to local governments with respect to supporting and sustaining the development of manufacturing sectors;
     (v) Promote regulatory consistency and certainty in the areas of urban planning, land use permitting, and business development in a manner that encourages manufacturing in urban areas;
     (vi) Encourage cooperation between the public and private sectors to foster economic growth;
     (vii) Identify changes to state policy necessary for fostering resilience and growth in manufacturing sectors; and
     (viii) Maximize the opportunities for employment in the maritime industry and other manufacturing sectors in Washington.
     (b) The recommendations of the task force must include a short and long-term action plan 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, such as changes to state law, and nonlegislative approaches, such as action plans for state agencies and local governments.
     (3) The task force shall consult with local governments, state agencies, and private sector interests as appropriate, which may include, but are not limited to: The department of commerce, the department of transportation, the office of regulatory assistance, associate development organizations, and local industrial councils and chambers of commerce.
     (4) The task force shall submit to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature a work plan by December 1, 2014, and a report with the task force's final findings and recommendations by November 1, 2015.
     (5) Staff support for the task force must be provided by the senate committee services and the house of representatives office of program research.
     (6) Legislative members of the task force must be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 44.04.120. Nonlegislative members, except those representing an employer or organization, are entitled to be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
     (7) The expenses of the task force must be paid jointly by the senate and the house of representatives. Task force expenditures are subject to approval by the senate facilities and operations committee and the house of representatives executive rules committee, or their successor committees.
     (8) This section expires June 1, 2016.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   (1) The state geologist created in chapter 43.92 RCW shall update and improve the seismic scenario catalog maintained by the department of natural resources with respect to: The geographic areas designated as manufacturing industrial centers by the Puget Sound regional council 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 manufacturing industrial centers; and the adjacent geographic areas and infrastructure critical to the operations of industry in those designated manufacturing industrial centers. In completing the updates and improvements, the state geologist shall consult with the department of commerce and the department of transportation.
     (2) The state geologist shall report a summary of his or her findings to the governor, the joint select legislative task force on the economic resilience of manufacturing in Washington established in section 2 of this act, and the appropriate committees of the legislature by November 1, 2014.
     (3) This section expires June 1, 2016.