FINAL BILL REPORT

                  HB 2008

                         C 464 L 93

                     Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Affecting withdrawal of territory by special districts.

By Representative Dunshee.

House Committee on Local Government

Senate Committee on Government Operations

Background:  A wide variety of special districts have been authorized to provide diking and drainage improvements.  The franchise in these special districts is limited to property owners.

A 1933 law permits a diking district or drainage district to reorganize as either a drainage and irrigation improvement district or a diking, drainage, and irrigation district with the authority to provide the types of improvements contained in its name.

Summary:  In addition to a diking district or a drainage district, the following special districts may reorganize into a drainage and irrigation district or a diking, drainage, and irrigation district: (1) irrigation districts; (2) intercounty diking and drainage districts; (3) diking, drainage, and/or sewerage improvement districts; (4) consolidated diking districts, drainage districts, diking improvement districts, and/or drainage improvement districts; and (5) flood control districts.

A procedure is provided for any one of the special districts that provide diking or drainage improvements to have territory withdrawn from its boundaries, if the territory is located in a city or town or is adjacently located to a city or town.  Property that is so withdrawn shall remain liable to the special district for special assessments associated with bonds used to finance facilities serving the property.

A section of law relating to diking and drainage district bonds that was both amended and repealed in 1983 is repealed.

Diking and drainage districts may impose rates and charges in lieu of special assessments for lake or river restoration, aquatic plant control, and water quality enhancement purposes and consider the degree to which activities contribute to such problems when imposing the rates and charges.

Votes on Final Passage:

House  96 1

Senate 46 1 (Senate amended)

House  97 0 (House concurred)

Effective:  July 25, 1993