HOUSE BILL REPORT

                     SSB 6146

                              As Passed House

                               March 4, 1992

Title:  An act relating to appropriations for projects recommended by the public works board.

Brief Description:  Allocating moneys for public works projects recommended by the public works board.

Sponsor(s):  By Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators McDonald, Gaspard, Craswell and Niemi; by request of Department of Community Development).

Brief History:

   Reported by House Committee on:

Capital Facilities & Financing, February 25, 1992, DP;

Passed House, March 4, 1992, 96-0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

CAPITAL FACILITIES & FINANCING

Majority Report: Do pass.  Signed by 13 members:  Representatives H. Sommers, Chair; Rasmussen, Vice Chair; Schmidt, Ranking Minority Member; Neher, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Brough; Casada; Fraser; Heavey; Jacobsen; Ogden; Peery; Silver; and Wang.

Staff:  Kenny Pittman (786-7392).

Background:  The public works trust fund was created by the Legislature in 1985 as a revolving loan fund program to assist local governments and special districts with infrastructure development.  The Public Works Board, within the Department of Community Development, is authorized to make low-interest or interest-free loans to finance the repair, replacement or improvement of essential public works systems; bridges, roads, water systems, and sanitary and storm sewer projects.  Growth-related public works projects, port districts and school districts are not eligible to receive funding through the public works trust fund.

Each year, the Public Works Board submits a list of projects to the Legislature for approval.  The Legislature may delete a project from the list but may not add any projects or change the order of projects priorities.  The public works trust fund receives its revenue from dedicated revenue from utility and sales taxes on water, sewer, and garbage collection and from a portion of the real estate excise tax.

Summary of Bill:  The bill authorizes loans for 46 public works projects totaling $42,678,008 and a $1 million loan pool for future emergency public works projects, all recommended by the Public Works Board for fiscal year 1992.  The appropriation for these projects was included in the 1991-93 capital budget.

The public works projects authorized for funding are broken into the following categories: (1) 16 water projects for a total of $13,467,114; (2) 14 sanitary sewer projects for a total of $16,030,744; 93) eight planning projects for a total of $183,750; (4) seven road projects for a total of $12,288,400; and (5) one bridge project for a total of $708,000.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  None.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  None.