SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 5493

As Passed Senate, March 13, 2001

Title:  An act relating to the youth athletic facility account.

Brief Description:  Modifying distributions from the youth athletic facility account.

Sponsors:  Senator Jacobsen.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Natural Resources, Parks & Shorelines:  2/15/01, 2/19/01 [DP].

Passed Senate:  3/13/01, 48-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES, PARKS & SHORELINES

Majority Report:  Do pass.

Signed by Senators Jacobsen, Chair; Spanel, Vice Chair; Constantine, Hargrove, Morton, Oke, Snyder and Stevens.

Staff:  David Johnson (786‑7754)

Background:  The youth athletic facility account provides grants or loans for community outdoor athletic facilities.  Funds are distributed, in equal portions, for the purposes of development, improvement, and maintenance of community outdoor athletic facilities.  The Community Outdoor Athletic Fields Advisory Council advises the Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation about awarding grants and loans from the youth athletic facility account.

Although funds must be allocated equally between these three purposes, the demand for funds for a particular purpose has not always been equal.  It is felt that greater flexibility is needed in distributing funds according to the demand.

Summary of Bill:  Funds are granted or loaned from the youth athletic facility account for the purposes of development, improvement, and maintenance of community outdoor athletic facilities.  Funds need not be divided between purposes equally.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  The requirement of an equal split between categories of use for the funds made it hard to address the demand, which was not equally split between uses.  Allowing the award process more flexibility would allow the program to address the greatest need, rather than having to stick to a rigid distribution pattern.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Peter Lukevich, COAFAC; Laura Johnson, IAC.