SENATE BILL REPORT

                  SHB 1437

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

                  Ways & Means, April 3, 1995

Title:  An act relating to lease rates for amateur radio repeater sites.

Brief Description:  Revising lease rates for amateur radio electronic repeater sites.

Sponsors:  House Committee on Natural Resources (originally sponsored by Representatives Foreman, Chandler, Mastin and B. Thomas).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Ways & Means:  4/3/95 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators Rinehart, Chair; Loveland, Vice Chair; Bauer, Cantu, Finkbeiner, Fraser, Gaspard, Hargrove, Hochstatter, Johnson, Long, McDonald, Pelz, Quigley, Roach, Sheldon, Snyder, Spanel, Strannigan, West and Winsley.

Staff:  Tracy Cox (786-7437)

Background:  The Department of Natural Resources may lease state lands for a variety of purposes, including commercial, industrial, residential, agricultural, and recreational purposes.  In determining the lease rate, the department must ensure a fair market rental return to the state or the appropriate trust. 

In 1988, the Legislature enacted legislation acknowledging the essential role performed by amateur radio operators in emergency communications and establishing a policy of providing a discount in the rental fee paid by amateur radio operators.  For the first repeater unit placed at a department site by an eligible amateur radio lessee, the lease rate is 50 percent of the rental rate the person would normally pay.  For any subsequent repeater units placed at the same site, the lessee pays 25 percent of the normal rental rate.

The 1988 legislation requires that the state receive the full market rental value for these sites.  The department was directed to develop guidelines to determine which amateur radios lessees receive the reduced rental rate based on the funding provided by the Legislature for this purpose.

Currently the department leases space to 22 amateur radio operators for 45 radio units on 14 different sites. 

Summary of Bill:   An amateur radio operator qualifies for a reduced rent of $100 per year per site if the operator does one of two things:  (1) Registers and remains in good standing with the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services and Amateur Radio Emergency Services organizations; or (2) if an amateur group is involved, the group signs a statement of public service developed by the Department of Natural Resources.

The Legislature's appropriations for this program shall account for the estimated difference between the reduced rental rate the amateur radio operators pay and the fair market rent of the sites, as established by the department.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

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

Testimony For:  None.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  No one.