H-2150

AN ACT Relating to flood control improvements; and creating new sections.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The department of community development shall convene a state flood damage reduction commission composed of twenty-two members as follows: (1) Four members of the senate, two from each of the major caucuses, who are appointed by the president of the senate; (2) four members of the house of representatives, two from each of the major caucuses, who are appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; (3) the director of the department of community development, or the director's designee, who shall act as chair of the commission; (4) the director of the department of fisheries, or the director's designee; (5) the director of the department of wildlife, or the director's designee; (6) the director of the department of agriculture, or the director's designee; (7) the director of the department of ecology, or the director's designee; (8) the director of the department of transportation, or the director's designee, (9) the commissioner of public lands, or the commissioner's designee; (10) the director of the parks and recreation commission, or the director's designee; (11) four persons appointed by the governor representing counties within which significant flood control improvements have been constructed; and (12) two persons appointed by the governor representing conservation districts and special districts that provide flood control improvements.

The commission may seek assistance from appropriate federal agencies, including the United States army corp of engineers. The department of community development shall provide staff for the commission and pay the expenses of commission members who are appointed by the governor. The expenses of the legislative members shall be paid by the legislature. The expenses of the state agency officials, or their designees, shall be paid by their state agencies.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The state flood damage reduction commission shall consider the development of comprehensive state flood policies and a comprehensive and coordinated flood damage reduction plan, including the following elements:

(1) Structural and nonstructural flood damage reduction projects;

(2) Forest practice effects on watershed hydraulics, including: (a) Percentage of watershed clearcut; (b) logging in very steep areas; and (c) logging in slide-prone areas;

(3) Growth management and land uses, including: (a) Flood plain development patterns; (b) loss of potential natural flood water storage areas; (c) future development restrictions in flood-prone areas; and (d) coordination with the state's growth management act and county flood comprehensive planning;

(4) Comprehensive watershed and flood damage management;

(5) Storm water runoff pattern alterations and accompanying liabilities;

(6) Analysis of the federal, state, and local permitting requirements necessary for projects designed to reduce future flood damage or to restore areas damaged by floods, including any conflicting requirements that may exist;

(7) Emergency work and coordination, and emergency preparedness planning;

(8) Determination of the need for requirements to disclose the flood hazard to purchasers or renters of flood-prone property;

(9) The role of dredging in flood damage reduction, including environmental effects, funding sources, and upstream uses that alter its effectiveness;

(10) The role of dikes and levees in flood damage reduction, including environmental effects, construction and maintenance standards, sources of funding for construction and maintenance, and resultant upstream and downstream hydrologic effects;

(11) Review criteria for evaluating and approving local plans and projects funded by grants from the flood control account; and

(12) Public acquisition of properties to reduce flood damage.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The state flood reduction commission shall report its findings to the legislature on or before December 31, 1991. The report shall include the following: (1) Findings relating to a state flood damage reduction plan; (2) commitments to implement the plan; (3) recommended state agency regulation and policy changes; (4) proposed legislation and associated costs to implement the state flood damage reduction plan; and (5) recommended local flood reduction and mitigation measures.