H-3789.1 _______________________________________________
HOUSE BILL 2466
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State of Washington 55th Legislature 1998 Regular Session
By Representatives Honeyford, Schoesler and D. Sommers
Read first time 01/14/98. Referred to Committee on Capital Budget.
AN ACT Relating to capital projects for local nonprofit art and cultural organizations; and adding a new section to chapter 43.63A RCW.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 43.63A RCW to read as follows:
A competitive grant program to assist nonprofit organizations in acquiring, constructing, or rehabilitating performing arts, museum, and cultural facilities is created. If the legislature provides an appropriation for the program, the department of community, trade, and economic development shall establish a competitive process to prioritize applications for the assistance as follows:
(1) The department shall conduct a state-wide solicitation of project applications from nonprofit organizations and other entities, as determined by the department. The department shall evaluate and rank applications in consultation with a citizen advisory committee, including a representative from the state arts commission, using objective criteria. The evaluation and ranking process shall also consider local community support for projects and an examination of existing assets that applicants may apply to projects. The department may establish the amount of state grant assistance for individual project applications but the amount shall not exceed fifteen percent of the total cost of the project. The nonstate portion of the total project cost may include land value and cash contributions;
(2) The department shall submit a prioritized list of recommended projects to the legislature by November 1st following the effective date of the appropriation for the program. The list shall include a description of each project, the amount of recommended state funding, and documentation of nonstate funds to be used for the project. The department shall not sign contracts or otherwise financially obligate funds under this section until the legislature has approved a specific list of projects; and
(3) The department shall include provisions in the contracts for grants authorized under this section that require that the grantee hold capital improvements for a specified period of time appropriate to the amount of the grant and that facilities be used for the express purpose of the grant. If the grantee is found to be out of compliance with the contract, the grantee shall repay to the state general fund the principal amount of the grant plus interest calculated at the rate of interest on state of Washington general obligation bonds issued most closely to the date of authorization of the grant.
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