SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 5107

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

  Environmental Quality & Water Resources, February 25, 1999

Title:  An act relating to the Puget Sound action team.

Brief Description:  Changing Puget Sound action team provisions.

Sponsors:  Senators Fairley and Fraser.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Environmental Quality & Water Resources:  1/21/99, 2/25/99 [DPS, DNPS].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & WATER RESOURCES

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5107 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

  Signed by Senators Fraser, Chair; Eide, Vice Chair; McAuliffe and Swecker.

Minority Report:  Do not pass substitute.

  Signed by Senator Honeyford.

Staff:  Richard Rodger (786-7461)

Background:  The Puget Sound Water Quality Action Team (Action Team) was created in 1996 to coordinate and lead federal, state, and local efforts to protect Puget Sound.  The team develops a biennial work plan and budget, coordinates research and monitoring efforts, amends the Puget Sound management plan, and coordinates the efforts of member agencies.

The Action Team is comprised of 14 members, including a chair appointed by the Governor, representatives of ten state agencies, and one representative each for cities, counties, and tribes.  Three federal agencies are represented as ex officio nonvoting members.

The Puget Sound Council (Council) was created as an advisory group to the Action Team.  The Council makes recommendations regarding: projects and activities for inclusion in the biennial work plan; activities which the Action Team could coordinate; and proposed amendments to the Puget Sound management plan.  The Council is composed of nine members.  Seven of the members are citizens representing agriculture, business, the environmental community, the shellfish industry, cities, counties, and tribal governments.  A representative for each the Senate and the House of Representatives serve as nonvoting members.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  The membership of the Action Team is reduced to 13 members and the composition of the membership is modified.  The ten state agency representatives are replaced by:  five people appointed by the Governor to represent business, the environmental community, agriculture and the shellfish industry; two members of the Senate; and two members of the House of Representatives.  The chair and the representatives of the cities, counties, and tribes remain unchanged.  The ex officio members representing the federal agencies are removed.

The Council is renamed the Puget Sound Interagency Advisory Council and the membership is restructured.  The  council is composed of the representatives of ten state agencies, plus the presidents of the University of Washington and Washington State University or the presidents' designees, and a representative of cities, counties and tribes.  The chair must invite representatives of three federal agencies to participate as members.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The Puget Sound basin representatives on the Action Team are replaced with representatives of business, the environmental community, agriculture and the shellfish industry.

Representatives of cities, counties and tribes are added to the advisory council.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  The action team should be composed of citizen representatives as they have greater independence, can be more proactive, and can develop their own budget priorities instead of simply using the agencies' priorities.

Testimony Against:  The action team should be a partnership of the governmental agencies.  Further reorganization would set back the entire process.

Testified:  Nancy McKay, PSWQAT; Steve Robinson, NW Indian Fisheries Commission; PRO:  Bruce Wishart, People for Puget Sound; Jon Stier, WashPIRG; Ron Shultz, National Audubon Society; CON: Paul Parker, WA State Assn. of Counties; Bill Dewey, Pacific Coast Oyster Growers Assn.; Scott Hazlegrove, AWB.