H-2493.1          _______________________________________________

 

                            SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1855

                  _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1991 Regular Session

 

By House Committee on Revenue (originally sponsored by Representatives Wang and Holland; by request of Office of Financial Management, Department of Fisheries and Department of Wildlife).

 

Read first time March 11, 1991.  Imposing fees for permits for hydraulic projects.


     AN ACT Relating to imposing fees for hydraulic permits issued for construction projects in state waters; adding a new section to chapter 75.20 RCW; creating a new section; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.

 

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

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.      The legislature finds that the departments of fisheries and wildlife process approximately six thousand applications a year for permits relating to construction projects in state waters.  Costs associated with a typical permit application include coordination of the permit application with other agencies, the evaluation of an activity's impacts, the preparation and issuance of documents authorizing or denying a proposed activity, investigations, and monitoring.

     It is the intent of the legislature to adopt a fee for applications for construction projects in state waters.

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 75.20 RCW to read as follows:

     (1) A fee is required for the review and evaluation of permit applications under this chapter.  The fee is nonrefundable, irrespective of whether the final decision is to issue or deny the requested permit.  Each application for a permit shall be accompanied by a twenty dollar fee.  No application for a permit will be accepted for evaluation without the fee being remitted.

     (2) On January 1 of each odd-numbered year, the director shall adjust the fee under this chapter in accordance with the implicit price deflator published by the United States department of commerce.  The fee adjusted under this section shall be rounded to the nearest dollar.

     (3) The department of fisheries and the department of wildlife shall each adopt rules to administer the hydraulic permit fees contained in this section.

     (4) The department shall submit a report to the appropriate committees of the legislature by November of each even-numbered year showing detailed information on fees collected, actual expenses incurred, anticipated expenses, and the actual costs of processing representative applications under this chapter for the current and next two fiscal years.

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.      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 July 1, 1991.