SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 5084

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

               Transportation, February 8, 1995

Title:  An act relating to state agency commute trip reduction programs.

Brief Description:  Reducing commute trips.

Sponsors:  Senators Drew, Prince, Haugen, Wood, Fairley, Franklin, Deccio and Sheldon; by request of Department of General Administration.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Transportation:  1/17/95, 2/8/95 [DPS].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5084 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

  Signed by Senators Owen, Chair; Heavey, Vice Chair; Fairley, Haugen, Kohl, Morton, Oke, Prentice, Prince, Rasmussen, Schow and Wood.

Staff:  Brian McMorrow (786-7304)

Background:  In 1991 the Legislature passed the Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) law which was initially introduced as part of the Governor's Clean Air Act.  The CTR law attempts to reduce single-occupant vehicle (SOV) driving by requiring major employers (100 or more employees) in the state's eight largest counties to reduce the number of SOV trips to their work sites.  The goals are a 15 percent reduction by 1995, 25 percent by 1997, and 35 percent by 1999.

Since the CTR law affects private and public employers, state government must also implement a commute trip reduction program for its employees.  The Department of General Administration is the lead agency and has been working on a plan to help the state reduce single-occupant driving by state employees.

Currently, the Director of General Administration must establish equitable and consistent parking fees after consulting with representatives of state agencies and state employees.  The fees are deposited into the capitol vehicle parking account. 

Summary of Substitute Bill:  The Director of the Department of General Administration may unilaterally establish equitable and consistent parking fees, which must be deposited into the state vehicle parking account, previously named the capitol vehicle parking account.  The funds in this account will continue to be appropriated by the Legislature. 

State agencies may impose parking fees where none exist, or increase parking fees where they are already imposed by the Department of General Administration.  The money collected from the parking fees, whether a new fee or a surcharge, must be deposited into a new account called the state agency parking account.  State agencies may spend money on their commute trip reduction programs, parking programs, or lease costs for parking facilities without legislative appropriation. 

The Office of Financial Management may authorize expenditures from the state agency parking account.  No agency may receive an allotment greater than the amount of revenue it deposited into the account.

In order to reduce the state's subsidization of parking, state agencies may not enter into leases after July 1997 that provide parking in excess of building code requirements.  The Director of General Administration may make exceptions

Washington State's colleges and universities collect their own parking fees and are not included in this legislation.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The substitute bill clarifies the authority of state agencies and the Director of General Administration.

Appropriation:  None. 

Fiscal Note:  Requested on January 13, 1995.

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

Testimony For:  The bill provides agencies with the financial resources to provide commute trip reduction programs for their employees.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Senator Drew, prime sponsor; John Franklin, Director, GA; Joan Cullen, Manager, Commute Trip Reduction Division, GA; Kristie Growdon, Asst. Director, Washington State Energy Office (pro); Tim Welch, Washington Federation of State Employees (pro); Eugene St. John, Washington Public Employees Association; Fred DeBoldt, WSDOT (pro).