HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 ESSB 6084

                  As Passed House - Amended

                      February 26, 1994

Title:  An act relating to transportation appropriations.

Brief Description:  Making transportation appropriations.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Senator Vognild; by request of Office of Financial Management).

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Transportation, February 23, 1994, DPA;

  Passed House - Amended, February 26, 1994, 88-0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.  Signed by 26 members:  Representatives R. Fisher, Chair; Brown, Vice Chair; Jones, Vice Chair; Schmidt, Ranking Minority Member; Mielke, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Backlund; Brough; Brumsickle; Cothern; Eide; Finkbeiner; Forner; Fuhrman; Hansen; Heavey; Horn; Johanson; J. Kohl; Orr; Patterson; Quall; Romero; Sheldon; Shin; Wood and Zellinsky.

Staff:  Eugene Schlatter (786-7316).

Background:  Appropriation authority is required for the expenditure of state funds.  State government operates on the basis of a fiscal biennium that begins on July 1 of each odd-numbered year.  A biennial budget was enacted during the 1993 legislative session.

Summary of Bill:  The state transportation agencies' supplemental capital and operating appropriations bill for the remainder of the 1993-95 fiscal biennium is proposed.  The increase over the Governor's proposal represents approximately $122 million, mostly for the regular category C construction program, of which $93.9 million is from general fund-state.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

Testimony For:  The budget will promote economic vitality and eliminate a number of dangerous transportation problems which beset the state.

Testimony Against:  Elimination of the Traffic Safety Commission is unnecessary.

Witnesses:  Kathy Friedt, Department of Licensing (pro); Sid Morrison, Department of Transportation (pro); Steve Lind, Washington Traffic Safety Commission (con); and Roger Bruett, Washington State Patrol (pro).