HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 2343

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                       Transportation

Title:  An act relating to transportation funding and appropriations.

Brief Description:  Funding transportation.

Sponsors:  Representatives K. Schmidt, R. Fisher, D. Schmidt and Thompson; by request of Office of Financial Management.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Transportation:  1/15/96, 2/7/96 [DPS].

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; Hatfield, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Backlund; Blanton; Buck; Cairnes; Chandler; Chopp; Elliot; Hankins; Horn; Johnson; McMahan; Ogden; Patterson; Robertson; Scott and Sterk.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.  Signed by 5 members:  Representatives R. Fisher, Ranking Minority Member; Brown; Quall; Romero and Tokuda.

Staff:  Brad Lovaas (786-7307).

Background:  Appropriation authority is required for the expenditure of state funds.  State government operates on the basis of a fiscal biennium that begins on July 1 of each odd-numbered year.  A biennial transportation budget was enacted in the 1995 session to fund transportation agencies and programs from July 1, 1995 to June 30, 1997.

The Governor signed into law the 1995-97 transportation budget totaling just under $3.117 billion of appropriations from over 30 different funds and accounts.

Two-thirds of the moneys appropriated in the transportation budget are for capital programs, and one-third is for operating programs of the transportation agencies.

The motor vehicle fund is the primary funding source of transportation programs, providing for 45 percent, or $1.4 billion, of transportation appropriations in the 1995-97 transportation budget.

The Legislature provided fiscal year 1996 (FY 96)-only funding for several transportation agencies' programs.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  Appropriation authority of the transportation agencies is increased by $152.1 million for the remainder of the 1995-97 biennium.  This proposed substitute bill would appropriate $152.1 million to nine state agencies:  the Department of Transportation ($79.0 million), the Transportation Improvement Board ($34.8 million), the County Road Administration Board ($15.0 million), the Department of Licensing ($14.4 million), the State Patrol ($8.3 million), the Legislative Transportation Committee ($300,000), the Legislative Evaluation and Accountability Program ($205,000), the Transportation Commission ($87,000), and the Department of Ecology ($25,000).

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The Governor's recommended budget (the original bill) appropriated $167.5 million.  The substitute bill proposes spending $152.1 million.

Appropriation:  $152.1 million.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  Additional money will be provided for Washington State Patrol salaries, HOV lane work, and other highway construction projects.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  John Fricke, Office of Financial Management; Larry Dzieza, Office of Financial Management; Chris Freed, Office of Financial Management; Gina Terry, Office of Financial Management; Kathy Friedt, Department of Licensing; Chief Annette Sandberg, Washington State Patrol; Sid Morrison, Department of Transportation; Royce Pollard, city of Vancouver; Thaur Rorabaugh, city of Vancouver; Doris Johnson, Vancouver Bolt Company; Patsy Vanhourekerk, Clark County Credit Union; Arch Miller, Port of Vancouver; Bob Mack, city of Bellevue; Jerry Fay, Transportation Improvement Board; Eric Berger, County Road Administration Board; and Larry Farleigh, State Parks.