BP BHEAD INT S [atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to capital projects for local nonprofit heritage, art, and cultural organizations; amending RCW 27.34.330; 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.

Sec. 2. RCW 27.34.330 and 1995 c 182 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

The Washington state historical society shall establish a competitive process to solicit proposals for and prioritize heritage capital projects for potential funding in the state capital budget. The society shall adopt rules governing project eligibility and evaluation criteria. Application for funding of specific projects may be made to the society by local governments, public development authorities, nonprofit corporations, tribal governments, and other entities, as determined by the society. If the legislature provides an appropriation for heritage capital projects, the society, with the advice of leaders in the heritage field, including but not limited to representatives from the office of the secretary of state, the eastern Washington state historical society, and the state office of archaeology and historic preservation, shall establish and submit a prioritized list of heritage capital projects to ((be recommended to the governor and the legislature by September 1st of each even-numbered year, beginning in 1996. The prioritized list shall be developed through open and public meetings. The governor and the legislature shall consider the prioritized list of heritage projects as a guide for appropriating funds to heritage capital projects beginning with the 1997-99 biennium and thereafter)) the legislature by November 1st following the effective date of the appropriation for heritage capital projects. 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 prioritized list shall be developed through open and public meetings and the amount of state funding shall not exceed twenty-five percent of the total cost of the project. The society shall not sign contracts or otherwise financially obligate funds under this section until the legislature has approved a specific list of projects.