SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 6018

                      As of March 1, 1995

Title:  An act relating to regional transit authorities.

Brief Description:  Allowing local opting‑out of an RTA.

Sponsors:  Senators Strannigan, McCaslin, Quigley, Moyer, Hochstatter, Hargrove, Morton, Deccio, Palmer, Johnson, Oke, Smith, Swecker, Prentice, Finkbeiner, West and A. Anderson.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Transportation:  3/1/95.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Staff:  Gene Baxstrom (786-7303)

Background:  State law authorizes two contiguous counties having a population of 400,000 or more persons to create a Regional Transit Authority (RTA).   An RTA has authority to  develop and operate a high capacity transit system.  The formation process calls for the councils of each county to approve initial participation in the Authority.  The county executive of each county appoints local, elected city and county officials from each county to serve on the board. 

After the authority has developed a regional transit plan, the county councils ratify continued participation in the authority.  In December, 1994, the Pierce, King, and Snohomish county councils ratified participating in the Regional Transit System master plan for developing a High Capacity Transit system in Pierce, King and Snohomish counties.  Local funding for that plan will be voted on by the voters living within those portions of the three counties at a March 14 election.

If the vote on a proposition fails, the authority board may resubmit the same proposition, redefine the board, make changes to the authority boundaries, make corresponding changes to the composition of the board and submit the revised proposition to the voters.  No single proposition may be submitted more than twice.

If the authority is unable to achieve a positive vote within two years from the date of the first election, the board may be reconstituted into a single-county body.  With a two-thirds vote, the board may dissolve the authority.

Summary of Bill:  If a vote on the proposition for an regional transit authority fails and the board redefines the proposition and makes changes to the proposal, the board must transmit the revised proposition to the legislative authority of participating counties and to all cities over 30,000 in population within the authority boundaries.  The county and city legislative authorities have 45 days to confirm or rescind their continued participation in the authority and the system plan.

If the vote for a proposition succeeds, but a majority of the voters in any city with a population of 30,000 or more have voted against the proposition, the legislative authority of that city has 45 days after certification of the election to confirm or rescind its continued participation in the authority.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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