H-0357.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 1488

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By Representatives Chandler, Linville, L. Thomas, Sheldon, Schoesler, Veloria, McMorris and Honeyford

Read first time 01/28/97.  Referred to Committee on Agriculture & Ecology.

Requiring the commissioner of public lands to be on the Puget Sound action team.

    AN ACT Relating to the Puget Sound action team; and amending RCW 90.71.020.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 90.71.020 and 1996 c 138 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) The Puget Sound action team is created.  The action team shall consist of:  The directors of the departments of ecology; agriculture; ((natural resources;)) fish and wildlife; and community, trade, and economic development; the secretaries of the departments of health and transportation; the director of the parks and recreation commission; the director of the interagency committee for outdoor recreation; the commissioner of public lands; the administrative officer of the conservation commission designated in RCW 89.08.050; one person representing cities, appointed by the governor; one person representing counties, appointed by the governor; and the chair of the action team.  The members representing cities and counties shall each be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.

    (2) The action team shall:

    (a) Prepare a Puget Sound work plan and budget for inclusion in the governor's biennial budget;

    (b) Coordinate monitoring and research programs as provided in RCW 90.71.060;

    (c) Work under the direction of the action team chair as provided in RCW 90.71.040;

    (d) Coordinate permitting requirements as necessary to expedite permit issuance for any local watershed plan developed pursuant to rules adopted under this chapter;

    (e) Identify and resolve any policy or rule conflicts that may exist between one or more agencies represented on the action team;

    (f) Periodically amend the Puget Sound management plan;

    (g) Enter into, amend, and terminate contracts with individuals, corporations, or research institutions for the purposes of this chapter;

    (h) Receive such gifts, grants, and endowments, in trust or otherwise, for the use and benefit of the purposes of the action team.  The action team may expend the same or any income therefrom according to the terms of the gifts, grants, or endowments;

    (i) Promote extensive public participation, and otherwise seek to broadly disseminate information concerning Puget Sound;

    (j) Receive and expend funding from other public agencies;

    (k) To reduce costs and improve efficiency, review by December 1, 1996, all requirements for reports and documentation from state agencies and local governments specified in the plan for the purpose of eliminating and consolidating reporting requirements; and

    (l) Beginning in December 1998, and every two years thereafter, submit a report to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the legislature that describes and evaluates the successes and shortcomings of the current work plan relative to the priority problems identified for each geographic area of Puget Sound.

    (3) By July 1, 1996, the action team shall begin developing its initial work plan, which shall include the coordination of necessary support staff.

    (4) The action team shall incorporate, to the maximum extent possible, the recommendations of the council regarding amendments to the Puget Sound (([management])) management plan and the work plan.

    (5) All proceedings of the action team are subject to the open public meetings act under chapter 42.30 RCW.

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