Z-0824.1          _______________________________________________

                                  HOUSE BILL 1852

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1991 Regular Session

By Representatives Wang and Holland; by request of Department of Community Development and Office of Financial Management.

Read first time February 12, 1991.  Referred to Committee on Revenue.

Providing funding for the fire services fund.

     AN ACT Relating to establishing and providing partial funding for the fire services trust fund; amending RCW 70.77.340; adding new sections to chapter 43.63A RCW; creating new sections; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.      It is necessary for the health, safety, and welfare of the people of the state of Washington that fire investigations, fire code enforcement, public education on fire prevention, fire training for fire and emergency response personnel, and administration of these activities be funded in a dependable manner.  It is therefore the intent of the legislature to establish a fund for these purposes.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.      The fire services trust fund is created in the custody of the state treasurer.  All receipts from sources designated by the legislature shall be deposited in the fund.  Expenditures from the fund may be used only for the purposes of section 3 of this act.  Only the director or the director's designee may authorize expenditures from the fund.  The fund is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for expenditures.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.      Money from the fire services trust fund may be expended for the following purposes:

     (1) Training of fire service personnel, including both classroom and hands-on training at the state fire training center or other locations approved by the director through the director of fire protection services;

     (2) Maintenance and operation at the state's fire training center near North Bend.  If in the future the state builds other fire training centers a portion of these moneys may be used for the maintenance and operation at these centers;

     (3) Lease or purchase of equipment for use in the provisions of training to fire service personnel;

     (4) Grants to local entities to allow them to perform their functions under this section;

     (5) Costs of administering these programs under this section; and

     (6) Licensing and enforcement of state laws governing the sales of fireworks.

     Sec. 4.  RCW 70.77.340 and 1982 c 230 s 24 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The ((original and)) annual license fee shall be as follows:

     Manufacturer.................................$  ((500.00)) 1,500.00

     Importer.....................................   ((100.00)) 2,000.00

     Wholesaler................................... ((1,000.00)) 2,000.00

     Retailer (for each separate ((retail)) outlet)..........    ((10.00))    50.00

     Public display for special fireworks.........    ((10.00))    50.00

     Pyrotechnic operator for special fireworks...     ((5.00))    25.00

(2) All receipts from the license fees shall be placed in the fire services trust fund.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.      This act shall be liberally construed to effect its purposes.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6.      Sections 2 and 3 of this act are each added to chapter 43.63A RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7.      This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8.      If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.