AN
ACT Relating to community athletic facilities; adding new sections to chapter
43.99 RCW; and providing a contingent expiration date.
BE IT
ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 1. (1)
The legislature recognizes that coordinated funding efforts are needed to
maintain, develop, and improve the state's community outdoor athletic fields.
Rapid population growth and increased urbanization have caused a decline in
suitable outdoor fields for community athletic activities and has resulted in
overcrowding and deterioration of existing surfaces. Lack of adequate
community outdoor athletic fields directly affects the health and well-being of
all citizens of the state, reduces the state's economic viability, and prevents
Washington from maintaining and achieving the quality of life that it
deserves. Therefore, it is the policy of the state and its agencies to
maintain, develop, fund, and improve youth or community athletic facilities,
including but not limited to community outdoor athletic fields.
(2)
In carrying out this policy, the legislature intends to promote the building of
new community outdoor athletic fields, the upgrading of existing community
outdoor athletic fields, and the maintenance of existing community outdoor
athletic fields across the state of Washington. The purpose of sections 1
through 4 of this act is to create an advisory council to provide information
and advice to the interagency committee for outdoor recreation in the
distribution of the funds in the youth athletic facility grant account
established in RCW 43.99N.060(4).
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) A
community outdoor athletic fields advisory council is established within the
interagency committee for outdoor recreation. The advisory council shall
consist of nine members, from the public at large, appointed as follows: (a)
Four members appointed by the chairperson of the interagency committee for
outdoor recreation; (b) two members appointed by the house of representatives,
one each appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and the
minority leader of the house of representatives; (c) two members appointed by
the senate, one each appointed by the majority leader of the senate and the
minority leader of the senate; and (d) one member appointed by the governor,
who shall serve as chairperson of the advisory council. The appointments must
reflect an effort to achieve a balance among the appointed members based upon
factors of geographic, racial, ethnic, and gender diversity, and with a sense
and awareness of community outdoor athletic fields needs.
(2)
The advisory council shall provide information to and make recommendations to
the interagency committee for outdoor recreation on the award of funds from the
youth athletic facility grant account created in RCW 43.99N.060(4), to cities,
counties, and qualified nonprofit organizations for acquiring, developing,
equipping, maintaining, and improving youth or community athletic facilities,
including but not limited to community outdoor athletic fields.
(3)
The members shall serve three-year terms. Of the initial members, two shall be
appointed for a one-year term, three shall be appointed for a two-year term,
and the remainder shall be appointed for three-year terms. Thereafter, members
shall be appointed for three-year terms. The member appointed by the governor
shall serve as chairperson of the advisory council for the duration of the
member's term.
(4)
Members of the advisory council shall serve without compensation, but shall be
reimbursed for travel expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 3.
Subject to available resources, the interagency committee for outdoor recreation,
in consultation with the community outdoor athletic fields advisory council
may:
(1)
Prepare and update a strategic plan for the development, maintenance, and
improvement of community outdoor athletic fields in the state. In the
preparation of such plan, the interagency committee for outdoor recreation may
use available data from federal, state, and local agencies having community
outdoor athletic responsibilities, user groups, private sector interests, and
the general public. The plan may include, but is not limited to:
(a)
An inventory of current community outdoor athletic fields;
(b)
A forecast of demand for these fields;
(c)
An identification and analysis of actual and potential funding sources; and
(d)
Other information the interagency committee for outdoor recreation deems
appropriate to carry out the purposes of sections 1 through 4 of this act;
(2)
Determine the eligibility requirements for cities, counties, and qualified
nonprofit organizations to access funding from the youth athletic facility
grant account created in RCW 43.99N.060(4);
(3)
Encourage and provide opportunities for interagency and regional coordination
and cooperative efforts between public agencies and between public entities and
nonprofit organizations involved in the maintenance, development, and
improvement of community outdoor athletic fields; and
(4)
Create and maintain data, studies, research, and other information relating to
community outdoor athletic fields in the state, and to encourage the exchange
of this information.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 4. The
interagency committee for outdoor recreation may receive gifts, grants, or
endowments from public and private sources that are made from time to time, in
trust or otherwise, for the use and benefit of the purposes of sections 1
through 4 of this act and spend gifts, grants, or endowments or income from the
public or private sources according to their terms, unless the receipt of the
gifts, grants, or endowments violates RCW 42.17.710.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 5. If
any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is
held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to
other persons or circumstances is not affected.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 6.
Sections 1 through 4 of this act expire one year after RCW 82.14.0494 expires.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 7.
Sections 1 through 6 of this act are each added to chapter 43.99 RCW under the
subchapter heading "youth or community athletic facilities."
