FINAL BILL REPORT

                 SHB 2256

                         C 119 L 96

                     Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Authorizing certain public works projects.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Capital Budget (originally sponsored by Representatives Honeyford, Chopp, Keiser, Regala, Dickerson, Mason and Patterson; by request of Public Works Board and Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development).

House Committee on Capital Budget

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

Background:  The public works assistance account, commonly known as the public works trust fund, was created by the Legislature in 1985 as a revolving loan program to assist local governments and special purpose districts with infrastructure projects.  The account receives dedicated revenue from a portion of the real estate excise tax, from loan repayments, and from utility and sales taxes on water, sewer service, and garbage collection.  The Public Works Board, within the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED), is authorized to make low-interest or interest-free loans from the account to finance the repair, replacement, or improvement of the following public works systems:  bridges, roads, water systems, and sanitary and storm sewer projects.  Neither port districts nor school districts are eligible to receive loans from the account.

Each year, the Public Works Board is required to submit a list of public works projects to the Legislature for approval.  The public works assistance account appropriation is made in the capital budget, but the project list is submitted annually in separate legislation.  The Legislature may delete projects from the list, but it can neither add projects nor change the order of project priorities.

CTED received an appropriation of $148.9 million from the public works assistance account in the 1995-97 capital budget.  Twenty million dollars of this amount was provided specifically for pre-construction activity loans under Chapter 363, Laws of 1995.  The remaining $128.9 million is available for public works project loans.

Summary:  As recommended by the Public Works Board for fiscal year 1996, loans for 67 public works projects, totalling $96,785,915, are authorized to be issued from the public works assistance account using funds previously appropriated in the capital budget.  These projects fall into the following categories:

(1)Thirty-eight water projects, totalling $43,203,009;

(2)Eighteen sewer projects, totalling $36,150,717;

(3)Seven road projects totalling, $9,629,289;

(4)Three storm sewer projects, totalling $3,802,900; and

(5)One bridge project, totalling $4,000,000.

Votes on Final Passage:

House     97 0

Senate    47 0

Effective:  March 21, 1996