HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SSB 6063

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                       Capital Budget

Title:  An act relating to the capital budget.

Brief Description:  Adopting the capital budget.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Strannigan and Fraser; by request of Governor Locke).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Capital Budget:  3/28/97, 4/1/97, 4/3/97 [DPA].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON CAPITAL BUDGET

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.  Signed by 8 members:  Representatives Sehlin, Chairman; Honeyford, Vice Chairman; Sullivan, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Costa; Hankins; Koster; Mitchell and D. Sommers.

Minority Report:  Without recommendation.  Signed by 3 members:  Representatives Ogden, Ranking Minority Member; Lantz and H. Sommers.

Staff:  Bill Robinson (786-7140).

Background: The capital budget is one of three budgets used in Washington State to govern state agency expenditures during the state's two-year fiscal biennium.  The capital budget generally includes appropriations for acquisition, construction, and repair of state office buildings, public schools, colleges and universities, prisons, parks, local government infrastructure, and other long-term facility and land investments.  In recent years, the primary funding source used to fund projects authorized in the capital budget has been the sale of state bonds, with the balance coming from dedicated taxes and fees, revenues from state trust lands, and federal grants.

Summary of Amended Bill:  The state capital budget for the 1997-99 fiscal biennium is adopted.  The budget authorizes $1,864,090,791 in new capital projects, including $855,900,429 in projects funded from state bonds.  In addition to the new appropriations for projects, the budget authorizes 15 projects totaling $53,492,592 to be acquired or constructed with alternative financing contracts.

Amended Bill Compared to Substitute Bill:  The amended bill changes the appropriations and funding sources for various capital projects.

Appropriation: $1,849,382,196 is appropriated from the various accounts in the capital budget.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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