S-1684.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 5939

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By Senators Strannigan, Rossi, Finkbeiner, Bauer, Hochstatter, Benton, Wood, Snyder, Hargrove, Heavey and McDonald

Read first time 02/20/97.  Referred to Committee on Transportation.

Directing a study of wing-in-ground effect vehicles.

    AN ACT Relating to a study of wing-in-ground effect vehicles; creating a new section; making an appropriation; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  (1) The legislative transportation committee shall commission a study, to be conducted by the appropriate engineering departments of any Washington state university and in conjunction with the state department of transportation, which shall produce a state-of-the-art review and assessment of the application of wing-in-ground effect vehicles to passenger transportation across Puget Sound.  The study must explore all relevant aspects of these vehicles, including fuel consumption, noise, and operating characteristics applied to the unique Puget Sound operational environment.

    (2) The report must be delivered to the legislative transportation committee no later than June 30, 1998.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  The sum of fifty thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1998, from the motor vehicle fund to the legislative transportation committee for the purposes of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect July 1, 1997.

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