FINAL BILL REPORT

                  SSB 6357

                          C 227 L 00

                      Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Funding the municipal research council.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on State & Local Government (originally sponsored by Senators Patterson, Horn, Haugen, Honeyford, Loveland, Winsley, Kline, McCaslin, Gardner and Spanel).

Senate Committee on State & Local Government

House Committee on Appropriations

Background:  The Municipal Research Council is a state agency composed of 23 members who hold two-year terms of office.  The council contracts to provide municipal research and services to cities, towns and counties.

The funding for services provided to cities is derived from the motor vehicle excise tax.  The funding for services provided to counties is derived from the liquor excise tax fund.

Loss of funding from the motor vehicle excise tax, caused by the voters= approval of Initiative 695, results in approximately an 84 percent decrease in the budget of the agency as a whole.

Summary:  An account in the state treasury is created to receive monies, transfers and appropriations for city and town research services.  The funding for these services is derived from excess disbursements from the liquor revolving fund.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate 431

House980

Effective:July 1, 2000