FINAL BILL REPORT

SHB 2159

C 418 L 19

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Making expenditures from the budget stabilization account for declared catastrophic events.

Sponsors: House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representative Ormsby).

House Committee on Appropriations

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

Background:

In 2007 the voters ratified a constitutional amendment that created the Budget Stabilization Account (BSA) as Article VII, section 12 of the Washington Constitution (state Constitution).  Each year, the State Treasurer must deposit 1 percent of general state revenues (GSR) into the constitutionally created BSA.  The term GSR is defined in the state Constitution and is generally synonymous with the statutory State General Fund.

In general, appropriations from the BSA require a three-fifths majority in each house of the Legislature, but in the case of low employment growth or a state of emergency resulting from a catastrophic event, the Legislature may appropriate from the BSA with a constitutional majority vote of each house.  On July 31, 2018, Governor Inslee declared a state of emergency in all counties due to wildfires.

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency generally responsible for suppressing wildfires, especially on state and private forested lands. When the DNR's wildfire suppression costs exceed the amounts provided for this purpose in the DNR's base budget, the Legislature typically provides additional funding in a supplemental budget or in separate legislation.

Summary:

The gubernatorial declaration of emergency on July 31, 2018, due to wildfires is cited.

An appropriation of $42,342,000 is authorized from the Budget Stabilization Account for fiscal year 2019 for the Department of Natural Resources' fire suppression costs during the 2018 fire season.

Votes on Final Passage: