SENATE BILL REPORT

                                    SB 5989

                              AS OF JUNE 17, 1991

Brief Description:  Defining criminal justice purposes for the municipal criminal justice assistance account.

SPONSORS:Senators Newhouse, Niemi and McMullen; by request of Task Force on City/County Finances.

Staff:  Jack Brummel (786‑7428)

BACKGROUND:

In 1990 the Legislature appropriated $99.4 million to counties and cities to support the expansion of their criminal justice systems.  The enabling legislation specified that the moneys were to be expended exclusively for criminal justice purposes and were not to replace or supplant existing funding.  Some local governments do not have accounting systems which separate criminal and civil costs, and are uncertain of their ability to comply with the law.  Local governments are also uncertain about the basis for determining existing levels of funding.

HB 1137, which passed the Legislature during the 1991 Regular Session, addressed these concerns.  However, the section of the bill dealing with the municipal criminal justice assistance account was vetoed because of a new restriction on the use of funds in the account.

SUMMARY:

Criminal justice purposes are activities that substantially assist the criminal justice system or provide ancillary benefit to the civil justice system.  Existing funding means actual operating expenditures for criminal justice purposes for calendar year 1989.  Extraordinary expenditures and major nonrecurring capital expenditures are not included in the determination of 1989 actual operating expenditures.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  none requested