HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  SB 5251

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                       Transportation

Title:  An act relating to the transportation authority of first class cities.

Brief Description:  Affecting the transportation authority of first class cities.

Sponsors:  Senators Rasmussen, Fraser, Oke, Wojahn, Franklin, Winsley, Schow, Swecker and Gaspard.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Transportation:  3/27/95, 3/29/95 [DP].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 25 members:  Representatives K. Schmidt, Chairman; Benton, Vice Chairman; Mitchell, Vice Chairman; R. Fisher, Ranking Minority Member; Hatfield, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Backlund; Blanton; Brown; Buck; Cairnes; Chandler; Elliot; Hankins; Horn; Johnson; Koster; McMahan; Ogden; Patterson; Quall; Robertson; Romero; D. Schmidt; Scott and Tokuda.

Staff:  Jeff Doyle (786-7322).

Background:  Under current law, first class cities are authorized to exercise their powers relative to railways (such as owning, constructing, operating, etc.) throughout the county in which they are located, and into adjoining counties, so long as the adjoining county has a population between 40,000 and 125,000 and is intersected by an interstate highway.

Summary of Bill:  For cities owning railway extending beyond their own county, the requirement that the adjoining county have a certain population and be intersected by an interstate highway is removed.  The result is that first class cities may maintain railways beyond the boundaries of their county and into any other adjoining county.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  This change to current law is necessary to allow the city of Tacoma to operate rail lines that were given to them by the Chehalis Western Railroad.  A portion of the rail line crosses the county boundary into Lewis and Thurston counties.  This line is an essential part of helping the local mill at Morton and the Boeing plant at Fredrickson.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Senator Marilyn Rasmussen, Prime Sponsor; and Nancy Forster, city of Tacoma.