FINAL BILL REPORT

                           SSB 5612

                          C 172 L 93

                      SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

Brief Description:  Reorganizing the transportation improvement board.

SPONSORS: Senate Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators Erwin, Skratek, Prentice, von Reichbauer, M. Rasmussen, Nelson, Sellar, Vognild, Winsley, Hochstatter, Barr and Oke)

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

BACKGROUND:

The Transportation Improvement Board provides state grants to local jurisdictions for transportation projects in large and small cities and urbanized areas outside of cities.

The board is comprised of 17 members including three city elected officials, three city engineers, three county elected officials, two county engineers, the County Road Administration Board director, three DOT Assistant Secretaries, one public transit member, and one private sector member.  The county, city, transit, and private sector members are appointed by the Secretary of Transportation.

The private sector and public transit members were added to the board in 1991.

SUMMARY:

The Transportation Improvement Board is increased from 17 to 18 members and is modified as follows:  (1) a public member appointed by the Secretary of Transportation is added; (2) the DOT Assistant Secretary for Highways is removed; (3) a Governor appointee who must be a state employee with transportation responsibilities is added; (4) one county elected official and one city elected official must serve on a transit board; (5) the elected officials fulfilling the transit board requirement may be from any size city or county (formerly large county or city); (6) one county and one city engineer/public works director each are replaced with a planning director or planning manager; (7) at least one of the three county elected officials and at least one of the three city elected officials must be from each side of the state; and (8) no appointed member may serve more than two consecutive four-year terms.

Requirements for the public member position include experience in transportation or land use planning, a demonstrated interest in transportation issues, and involvement in community or grassroots organizations.  Applicants for the public member position, and the existing private member position, will be sought through advertisements in newspapers reaching all urban areas of the state.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

Senate    46   0

House     98   0    (House amended)

Senate    39   0    (Senate concurred)

EFFECTIVE:July 1, 1993