HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  SB 6004

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                    Government Operations

Title:  An act relating to joint agreements between cities and counties for criminal justice purposes.

Brief Description:  Authorizing joint agreements between cities and counties for criminal justice purposes.

Sponsors:  Senators Sellar and Oke.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Government Operations:  3/31/95 [DPA].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.  Signed by 15 members:  Representatives Reams, Chairman; Goldsmith, Vice Chairman; L. Thomas, Vice Chairman; Rust, Ranking Minority Member; Scott, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Chopp; R. Fisher; Hargrove; Honeyford; Hymes; Mulliken; D. Schmidt; Sommers; Van Luven and Wolfe.

  Staff:  Steve Lundin (786-7127).

Background:  Any county legislative authority may impose a sales and use tax of .1 percent to be used exclusively for criminal justice purposes.  This sales and use tax is in addition to other local option sales and use taxes and the ordinance imposing this additional tax is subject to potential referendum action by county voters.

Criminal justice purpose is defined as activities that substantially assist the criminal justice system, which may include circumstances where ancillary benefit to the civil justice system occurs, and which includes domestic violence services.

Receipts from this additional tax are distributed to the county, and the cities located in that county, as follows: (1) The county receives 10 percent of the receipts; and (2) the remaining 90 percent is distributed between the county and cities in that county ratably based upon the population of the county and cities in the county, where the population the county is considered to be the population residing in the unincorporated area of the county and the population of the city is the population of a city residing in that county.

The interlocal cooperation act allows any unit of local government, including counties and cities, to enter into interlocal agreements to jointly exercise any power or authority that each party to the agreement is authorized to perform.

Summary of Amended Bill:  Cities and counties, or any combination thereof, are expressly authorized to participate in interlocal agreements to jointly expend funds for criminal justice purposes of mutual benefit, including, but not limited to, the construction, improvement, and expansion of jails, court facilities, and juvenile justice facilities.

It is clarified that counties and cities are responsible for the disposition of misdemeanor offenders using their own courts or entering into contracts to provide these services.

Amended Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The amended bill added the provision on misdemeanor offenders.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  This will help the cities in Chelan County.  Counties and cities agree on this.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Kurt Sharar, Washington State Association of Counties; and Kathy Gerky, Association of Washington Cities.