H-4789.1          _______________________________________________

                            SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2449

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              54th Legislature             1996 Regular Session

By House Committee on Agriculture & Ecology (originally sponsored by Representatives Delvin, Foreman, Chandler, Mastin, Honeyford, Clements, Koster, Boldt, Schoesler, Robertson, Silver, Mulliken and Johnson)

Read first time 02/02/96. 

Providing for water resource management.

     AN ACT Relating to water resource management; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that:

     (1) Voluntary water transfers between water users, including water transfers derived from conservation and efficiency improvements, may reallocate water use in a manner that will result in more efficient use of water resources; and

     (2) Voluntary water transfers may help alleviate water shortages, save capital outlays, reduce development costs, and provide an incentive for investment in water conservation efforts by water right holders.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  (1) A legislative joint select committee on water transfers is created.  The committee shall be composed of eight members appointed as follows:

     (a) Four members of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house, two from each political party caucus in the house of representatives; and

     (b) Four members of the senate appointed by the president of the senate, two from each political party caucus in the senate.

     (2) From among its members, the committee shall elect cochairs, one who is a member of the house of representatives and one who is a member of the senate.

     (3) The committee shall examine the subject of voluntary transfers of water and water rights between willing parties and make recommendations regarding:

     (a) Incentives that this state should provide to encourage such voluntary transfers of water rights from one person to another;

     (b) Policies or mechanisms that would streamline such transfers of water;

     (c) The principles that should apply to such voluntary transfers that involve the permanent sale of rights to the use of water and, if different policies are appropriate, those that should apply to temporary transfers, such as short water year leases;

     (d) The protection of water rights other than those directly involved in a water transfer transaction;

     (e) Types of water transfers that may be presumed not to affect adversely other rights to water and whether state law should treat such transfers differently than it treats other transfers;

     (f) Transfers of rights to water used seasonally to rights to water used all year; and

     (g) The circumstances under which the effects of proposed transfers on the vitality of the communities from which the water uses originate should be considered.

     (4) The committee shall report its recommendations in the form of proposed legislation to the appropriate committees of the house of representatives and the senate by December 31, 1996.

     (5) Staff support for the committee shall be provided by the house of representatives and the senate.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  This act shall expire December 31, 1996.

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