SENATE BILL REPORT

                  SSB 6513

              As Passed Senate, February 9, 1996

Title:  An act relating to securing a permanent homeport for the U.S.S. Missouri.

Brief Description:  Securing a permanent homeport for the U.S.S. Missouri.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Sheldon, Oke, Owen, Loveland, Heavey, Drew, Fairley, Prentice, Thibaudeau, Sutherland, Snyder, Bauer, Wojahn, Rinehart, Goings, McAuliffe, Cantu, Roach, Rasmussen and Kohl).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Ways & Means:  1/30/96, 2/6/96 [DPS].

Passed Senate, 2/9/96, 48-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6513 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

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

Staff:  Cathy Baker (786-7708)

Background:  The USS Missouri has been moored at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton intermittently for approximately 30 years.  The 877-foot long decommissioned battleship was the site of the Japanese surrender to the Allies at the end of World War II.

The Navy has placed the USS Missouri in its ship donation program.  Through this program, the ship can be donated to a nonprofit group or governmental entity that will maintain it as an historic landmark.  The City of Bremerton and Kitsap County have applied to the Navy to have Bremerton be the permanent homeport for the ship.  The cities of San Francisco and Honolulu have also applied to the Navy for permanent moorage of the ship.

A public development authority has been formed to develop a plan for retaining the ship on the Bremerton waterfront.  The public development authority plans to own and operate the ship as the USS Missouri Maritime Heritage Museum.

The initial one-time costs to provide permanent anchorage, prepare environmental assessments, secure permits, establish exhibits, and remediate some hazardous materials are estimated at approximately $4.5 million.  Annual operating expenses are estimated to be $1.5 million.

Summary of Bill:   Findings are made regarding the cultural and economic importance of the USS Missouri to Kitsap County and the state as a whole.  The findings also describe the local financial support that has been committed to the project to date.

It is the intent of the Legislature to act as a partner with the City of Bremerton, Kitsap County, and the Port of Bremerton to secure a permanent homeport for the USS Missouri in Washington State.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  Securing a permanent homeport for the "Mighty Mo" in Kitsap County will provide economic and educational benefits for the entire state.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  PRO:  Jay Holman, Port of Bremerton; Beau Bergeron, WA State Dept. of Veterans Affairs.

House Amendment(s):  The House amendments provide a $3 million appropriation from the Puget Sound ferry operations account to reimburse Kitsap County and the Port of Bremerton for construction of facilities supporting the permanent placement of the battleship USS Missouri.  A sales and use tax exemption for marine fuel is provided to fund the $3 million appropriation and ongoing costs attributable to increased passenger-only ferry services to the City of Bremerton expected from increased ridership due to the USS Missouri.