HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 ESHB 1921

                      As Passed House:

                      January 26, 1996

Title:  An act relating to existing general aviation airport land use encroachment planning.

Brief Description:  Providing for existing general aviation airport land use encroachment planning.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Representatives Benton, Elliot, Chopp, Thompson, Carlson, D. Schmidt, Ogden and Mason).

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Transportation:  3/1/95, 3/3/95 [DPS].

Floor Activity:

Passed House:  3/14/95, 60-37

Passed House:  1/26/96, 78-17.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 21 members:  Representatives K. Schmidt, Chairman; Benton, Vice Chairman; Mitchell, Vice Chairman; Skinner, Vice Chairman; R. Fisher, Ranking Minority Member; Hatfield, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Backlund; Blanton; Buck; Cairnes; Chopp; Elliot; Hankins; Johnson; Koster; Ogden; Patterson; Romero; D. Schmidt; Scott and Tokuda.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.  Signed by 4 members:  Representatives Horn; McMahan; Quall and Robertson.

Staff:  Gary Lebow (786-7304).

Background:  Counties and cities planning under the Growth Management Act (GMA) must develop comprehensive plans that include a transportation element and a land use element. GMA requires that the transportation and land use elements be consistent with each other, but it does not require planners to protect general aviation airports from incompatible land uses.

Summary of Bill:  The Transportation Commission is directed to include in the state transportation policy plan and the state-wide multimodal transportation plan policies to ensure the preservation of the general aviation airport system, including all public-use airports.  The commission is also directed to protect the airports against encroachment by incompatible land uses.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on February 27, 1995.

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

Testimony For:  Many of the state's publicly and privately-owned general aviation airports are being threatened from encroachment by incompatible land uses.

Testimony Against:  This is an unfunded mandate, and local governments can already perform these tasks under GMA.

Testified:  Bill Brubaker, Department of Transportation Aviation Division (pro); Ted Wirch, Washington Pilots Association (pro); Dale DeTour, Clark County Airport owner and Airport Management Association (pro); Larry Gillett, Northwest Antique Airplane Club (pro); Gary Getch, North South Airport Association (pro); Stan Finkelstein, Association of Washington Cities (con); Curt Eschels, Washington State Association of Counties (con); Tim Brooks, Kenmore Air Harbor (pro); Susie Tracy, Washington Airport Management Association (pro, with amendment); and Mark Triplett, self (pro, with amendment).