SENATE BILL REPORT

                  SSB 6210

              As Passed Senate, February 8, 2000

Title:  An act relating to technical and clarifying amendments relating to the oil spill prevention and response statutes.

Brief Description:  Making technical and clarifying amendments to oil spill prevention and response statutes.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Environmental Quality & Water Resources (originally sponsored by Senators Fraser, Morton, Eide, Jacobsen, Fairley, Prentice, McAuliffe, Winsley, Franklin, Kline, Spanel and Kohl‑Welles).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Environmental Quality & Water Resources:  1/21/2000, 1/25/2000 [DPS].

Passed Senate, 2/8/2000, 47-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & WATER RESOURCES

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6210 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

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

Staff:  Richard Rodger (786-7461)

Background:  The oil spill prevention and response statutes have not been updated since the early 1990s.  Many references contained in these statutes are inaccurate or outdated.  For example, the Office of Marine Safety was transferred to the Department of Ecology in 1996 and the Department of Fisheries and the Department of Wildlife were combined into the Department of Fish and Wildlife in 1994.

Summary of Bill:  Internal statutory references are corrected and updated.  Old dates are removed from the statutes.  References to the Office of Marine Safety are replaced with the Department of Ecology.  The oil spill administration account name is changed to the oil spill prevention account.

The reference to the Department of Fisheries and Department of Wildlife is updated to the Department of Fish and Wildlife.  The Emergency Management Division reference reflects the relocation of that office from the Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development to the State Military Department.  The reference to the director of the Washington Conservation Corps is eliminated, as that position no longer exists.

A subsection of a 1990 amendment declaring it to be prospective and a study provision on tug boat standards are decodified.  Several outdated statutes are repealed.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  The concern with substantive change contained in Section 12 of the original bill was resolved with discussion of its removal.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Harry Hutchins, Puget Sound Steamship Operator=s Association (concern with Section 12).

House Amendment(s):  Additional outdated references to the Office of Marine Safety are corrected.  Several sections concerning the Office of Marine Safety are decodified, rather than repealed.