HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 2665

                      As Passed House:

                      February 12, 1996

Title:  An act relating to the general policy statement included in the requirement for designating urban growth areas.

Brief Description:  Clarifying the general policy behind regional planning requirements.

Sponsors:  Representative Hargrove.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Government Operations:  1/31/96, 2/2/96 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed House:  2/12/96, 68-29.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 9 members:  Representatives Reams, Chairman; Cairnes, Vice Chairman; Goldsmith, Vice Chairman; Hargrove; Honeyford; Hymes; Mulliken; D. Schmidt and Van Luven.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.  Signed by 6 members:  Representatives Rust, Ranking Minority Member; Scott, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Conway; R. Fisher; Scheuerman and Wolfe.

Staff:  Scott White (786-7153).

Background:  Enactment of the Growth Management Act (GMA) in 1990 and 1991 established a partnership between the state and local governments to manage growth in a comprehensive manner.  Every county and city planning under all GMA requirements must adopt a comprehensive plan, which is to serve as the primary planning document in each respective region.  As a part of each comprehensive plan, each county must designate urban growth areas within which urban growth shall be encouraged, and outside of which growth may occur only if it is non-urban in nature.  Furthermore, a general policy statement on the nature of county and city government is included in the section requiring the designation of urban growth areas.

Summary of Bill:  General policy statements on the nature of county and city government that are included in the county-wide planning policy provisions and the GMA are altered.

It is recognized that counties are the units of local government most appropriate to provide regional governmental services, and that cities are the units of local government most appropriate to provide urban governmental services.

Nothing in the county-wide planning policy shall be construed to alter the land use powers of cities, the authority of cities to provide regional services, or the authority of counties or special purpose districts to provide urban governmental services. 

It further clarifies the Legislature's intent that regional and urban governmental service decisions be made through the flexible process established in the service agreement legislation enacted in 1994 by which local governments enter into service agreements.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  This is a good bill.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Representative Hargrove, prime sponsor.