FINAL BILL REPORT

                   SB 6089

                           C 96 L 96

                      Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Changing criteria for eligibility for firearms range account funding.

Sponsors:  Senator Rasmussen, Drew, Sheldon, Roach, Oke, A. Anderson and Goings.

Senate Committee on Natural Resources

House Committee on Law & Justice

Background:  In 1994, the Legislature created a firearms range account to establish funding for firearms ranges in Washington which would be open to the public.  The provisions of the funding are administered by the Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation.  Applicants other than school districts or local or state governments must be registered as nonprofit or not-for-profit organizations, both with the Washington Secretary of State under state law and the United States Internal Revenue Service under federal law.  The double requirement for registration of nonprofits with both the state and the federal government has caused problems, since the state and the federal government provisions are contradictory.  The firearms range account is part of the state general fund.  The account receives $3 from each new or renewed concealed pistol license.  The account may also be funded by gifts or donations.

The money in the range account is administered by the Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation.  Money from the account may be used for grants to public or private firearms ranges.  The grants are provided on a matching basis of one-to-one.  The match provided by a range may be cash or in-kind.  Grants may be awarded for any of a number of purposes, including purchase and development of land, construction or improvement of range facilities, equipment purchase, safety or environmental improvements, noise abatement, and liability protection.

Summary:  The requirement for applicants to be registered as a nonprofit or not-for-profit organization with the United States federal Internal Revenue Service is eliminated.  The Interagency Committee is directed to give priority to grants for noise abatement and for safety improvements, and these kinds of grants are matched on a two-for-one basis.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate    43 2

House     95 0 (House amended)

Senate    47 1 (Senate concurred)

Effective:  June 6, 1996