SENATE BILL REPORT

                                   SHB 1852

           AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS, MARCH 28, 1991

Brief Description:  Providing funding for the fire services fund.

SPONSORS:House Committee on Revenue (originally sponsored by Representatives Wang and Holland; by request of Department of Community Development and Office of Financial Management).

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON REVENUE

SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.

      Signed by Senators McDonald, Chairman; Craswell, Vice Chairman; Bailey, Bauer, Bluechel, Gaspard, Johnson, L. Kreidler, Murray, Newhouse, Niemi, Saling, Talmadge, West, Williams, and Wojahn. 

Staff:  Mary Poole (786‑7613)

Hearing Dates:March 28, 1991

BACKGROUND:

The Washington State Fire Service Training Center, located in North Bend, provides training to all interested municipal and county firefighters.  The fire service training center receives federal State Board for Vocation Education funds to partially fund that center's operations.  The state has recently been informed that these federal funds will no longer be available.

The Department of Community Development issues licenses to individuals and businesses involved with the manufacture, importing, sale and display of fireworks in Washington.  A fee is charged to all license applicants.  The amounts of the current fees have not been changed since 1961.  Revenue generated from the fees is deposited into the general fund.

SUMMARY:

License fees for the sale, manufacture, importation and display of fireworks are increased.  Manufacturer license fees are increased from $500 to $2,000.  Importer license fees are increased from $100 to $1,000.  Wholesaler license fees are increased from $1,000 to $2,000.  Retailer license fees are increased from $10 to $40.  The fee for public display of special fireworks is increased from $10 to $50.  The pyrotechnic operator license fee is increased from $5 to $10.

The fire service trust fund is created as a non-appropriated fund in the State Treasury.  License fees resulting from the additional fees established under this act are deposited into the fire service trust fund.  General fund revenue remains unaffected.

Money in the trust fund may be expended on:  (a) training of fire service personnel, both in the classroom and through the fire service training center; (b) maintenance and operation of the fire service training center near North Bend; (c) lease or purchase of equipment for the provision of training; (d) grants to local governments; (e) licensing and enforcement of state laws regarding fireworks sales; and (f) development of public education of fireworks safety.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  yes

Fiscal Note:  requested March 3, 1991

Effective Date:  July 1, 1991

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED SENATE AMENDMENT:

The fire service trust fund is created as an account subject to appropriation.

TESTIMONY FOR:

This bill will provide a dependable source of funding for fire service training, which will otherwise be negatively impacted by the loss of federal funding for the state's Fire Service Training Center.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:  None

TESTIFIED:  PRO:  Michael Sturgeon, Dept. of Community Development; Jerry Farley, WA Independence Day Assn.; Gordon Walgren, WA Fire Chiefs Assoc.