HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SHB 2888

                      As Passed House:

                      February 10, 1998

Title:  An act relating to obsolete transportation accounts and funds.

Brief Description:  Deleting reference to obsolete transportation accounts.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Transportation Policy & Budget (originally sponsored by Representatives Mitchell, Fisher, K. Schmidt, Radcliff, Cairnes, Zellinsky, Backlund, Skinner, Chandler, DeBolt, Sterk, Gardner, Hankins, Mielke, Wood, O'Brien, Ogden, McCune, Sherstad, B. Thomas and Lambert).

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Transportation Policy & Budget:  2/3/98, 2/4/98 [DPS].

Floor Activity:

Passed House:  2/10/98, 96-0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION POLICY & BUDGET

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 27 members:  Representatives K. Schmidt, Chairman; Hankins, Vice Chairman; Mielke, Vice Chairman; Mitchell, Vice Chairman; Fisher, Ranking Minority Member; Cooper, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Backlund; Buck; Cairnes; Chandler; Constantine; DeBolt; Gardner; Hatfield; Johnson; McCune; Murray; O'Brien; Ogden; Radcliff; Robertson; Romero; Scott; Skinner; Sterk; Wood and Zellinsky.

Staff:  Gary Lebow (786-7304).

Background:  The Budget Development Working Group of the Legislative Transportation Committee conducted, during the 1997 interim, an analysis of the 43 different accounts that are appropriated within the transportation budget.  The working group recommended eliminating six accounts that are no longer needed, and consolidating two accounts used for similar activities into one account.

Summary of Bill:  The transfer relief account, the gasohol exemption holding account, and the highway construction stabilization account are each repealed or eliminated.  The marine operating account is repealed, and the activities within the account are moved to the Puget Sound ferry operations account.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  The bill takes effect on July 1, 1999.

Testimony For:  This is a good bill.  The department will work with staff to review other accounts for consolidation and removal when they become obsolete.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Helga Morgenstern, Department of Transportation.