HOUSE BILL REPORT

                      SB 5863

                     As Reported By House Committee on:

                               Transportation

Title:  An act relating to technical changes in rail freight property acquisition statutes.

Brief Description:  Correcting internal references in rail freight property acquisition statutes.

Sponsor(s):  Senator Sellar.

Brief History:

   Reported by House Committee on:

Transportation, March 27, 1991, DP.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report: Do pass.  Signed by 23 members:  Representatives R. Fisher, Chair; Betrozoff, Ranking Minority Member; Chandler, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Basich; Brough; Cantwell; Cooper; G. Fisher; Forner; Horn; P. Johnson; R. Johnson; Jones; Kremen; Mitchell; Nelson; Orr; Prentice; Prince; Schmidt; Wilson; Wood; and Zellinsky.

Staff:  Gene Baxstrom (786-7303).

Background:  In 1985, the Department of Transportation (DOT) was authorized to acquire rail line corridors which either were abandoned or were going to be abandoned.  The purpose of the acquisition was to preserve these rail corridors for future rail freight service and to provide direction for property management and disposal.

Legislation governing DOT activities over rail freight programs was changed in 1990, and the statutory authority for the department to acquire abandoned rail lines was recodified.  References within existing DOT rail powers did not reflect this recodification.

Summary of Bill:  References within the code relating to Department of Transportation management of abandoned rail lines are updated to reflect the 1990 legislative changes.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

Testimony For:  Internal references within rail freight statutes are corrected.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Jim Shanafelt, Department of Transportation.