Z-0846.3  _______________________________________________

 

                          HOUSE BILL 2206

          _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

 

By Representatives Murray, Hankins, Delvin, Ogden, Fromhold, Lovick and Edmonds; by request of Governor Locke, Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development and Public Works Board

 

Read first time 02/27/2001.  Referred to Committee on Capital Budget.

Financing critical local public works projects.


    AN ACT Relating to state general obligation bonds and related accounts; amending RCW 39.42.060, 43.84.092, and 43.84.092; adding a new chapter to Title 43 RCW; providing an effective date; and providing an expiration date.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that there are several billion dollars worth of critical local government projects for the planning, acquisition, construction, repair, replacement, rehabilitation, or improvement of bridges, streets and roads, domestic water systems, sanitary sewer systems, storm water systems, solid waste/recycling systems, and adult and juvenile correction and detention facilities that are not funded.  It is the policy of the state of Washington to assist in financing critical public works at the local level by making loans, financing guarantees, and providing technical assistance to local government for these projects.

    There are approximately seven hundred fifty million dollars of outstanding infrastructure loans to local governments executed under chapter 43.155 RCW that will be repaid over the next several decades with interest.  Those repayments will be used to originate new loans.  It is the intent of the legislature to facilitate and accelerate the recycling and reloaning of these loan repayments by authorizing the issuance of bonds to be repaid from these funds.  It is also the intent of the legislature that these bonds not be subject to the debt limit under RCW 39.42.060.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  The state finance committee is authorized to issue general obligation bonds of the state of Washington in an amount sufficient to provide net proceeds of six hundred million dollars to be used as loans under chapter 43.155 RCW and to pay all costs necessary to issue such bonds.  Bonds authorized in this section may be sold in one or more series and at such prices and with such terms and conditions as the state finance committee determines.  No bonds authorized in this section may be offered for sale without prior legislative appropriation of the net proceeds of the sale of the bonds.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.  The public works bond proceeds account is created in the state treasury.  All receipts from the sale of bonds sold under section 2 of this act must be deposited into the account.  Moneys in the account may be spent only after appropriation.  Expenditures from the account may be used only for making loans under chapter 43.155 RCW and paying expenses incurred in the issuance and sale of the bonds authorized in section 2 of this act.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4.  (1) The nondebt-limit reimbursable bond retirement account is created in the state treasury.  The nondebt-limit reimbursable bond retirement account shall be used for the payment of the principal of and interest on the bonds authorized in section 2 of this act.

    (2) The state finance committee shall, on or before June 30th of each year, notify the department of community, trade, and economic development of the amount needed in the ensuing twelve months to meet the bond retirement and interest requirements on the bonds issued under section 2 of this act.  The department of community, trade, and economic development shall ensure that the amount determined by the state finance committee as required for debt service in the ensuing twelve months is retained in the public works assistance account until the state treasurer transfers the funds into the nondebt-limit reimbursable bond retirement account pursuant to subsection (4) of this section.

    (3) The state finance committee shall, on or before June 30th of each year, certify to the state treasurer the amount needed in the ensuing twelve months to meet the bond retirement and interest requirements on the bonds issued under section 2 of this act.

    (4) On each date on which any interest or principal and interest payment is due on bonds issued under section 2 of this act, the state treasurer shall transfer from the public works assistance account for deposit into the nondebt-limit reimbursable bond retirement account, the amount computed pursuant to subsection (3) of this section.

    (5) Each year, the department of community, trade, and economic development shall report to the treasurer:  (a) The identity of the recipients of the loans generated from the proceeds of bonds issued under section 2 of this act; and (b) if there are any delinquencies in the repayment of such loans.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5.  (1) Bonds issued under section 2 of this act shall state that they are a general obligation of the state of Washington, shall pledge the full faith and credit of the state to the

payment of the principal thereof and the interest thereon, and shall contain an unconditional promise to pay the principal and interest as the same shall become due.

    (2) The owner and holder of each of the bonds or the trustee for the owner and holder of any of the bonds may by mandamus or other appropriate proceeding require the transfer and payment of funds as directed in this section.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6.  The bonds authorized in section 2 of this act are a legal investment for all state funds or funds under state control and for all funds of any other public body.

 

    Sec. 7.  RCW 39.42.060 and 1999 c 273 s 9 are each amended to read as follows:

    No bonds, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness for borrowed money shall be issued by the state which will cause the aggregate debt contracted by the state to exceed that amount for which payments of principal and interest in any fiscal year would require the state to expend more than seven percent of the arithmetic mean of its general state revenues, as defined in section 1(c) of Article VIII of the Washington state Constitution for the three immediately preceding fiscal years as certified by the treasurer in accordance with RCW 39.42.070.  It shall be the duty of the state finance committee to compute annually the amount required to pay principal of and interest on outstanding debt.  In making such computation, the state finance committee shall include all borrowed money represented by bonds, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness which are secured by the full faith and credit of the state or are required to be paid, directly or indirectly, from general state revenues and which are incurred by the state, any department, authority, public corporation or quasi public corporation of the state, any state university or college, or any other public agency created by the state but not by counties, cities, towns, school districts, or other municipal corporations, and shall include debt incurred pursuant to section 3 of Article VIII of the Washington state Constitution, but shall exclude the following:

    (1) Obligations for the payment of current expenses of state government;

    (2) Indebtedness incurred pursuant to RCW 39.42.080 or 39.42.090;

    (3) Principal of and interest on bond anticipation notes;

    (4) Any indebtedness which has been refunded;

    (5) Financing contracts entered into under chapter 39.94 RCW;

    (6) Indebtedness authorized or incurred before July 1, 1993, pursuant to statute which requires that the state treasury be reimbursed, in the amount of the principal of and the interest on such indebtedness, from money other than general state revenues or from the special excise tax imposed pursuant to chapter 67.40 RCW;

    (7) Indebtedness authorized and incurred after July 1, 1993, pursuant to statute that requires that the state treasury be reimbursed, in the amount of the principal of and the interest on such indebtedness, from (a) moneys outside the state treasury, except higher education operating fees, (b) higher education building fees, (c) indirect costs recovered from federal grants and contracts, and (d) fees and charges associated with hospitals operated or managed by institutions of higher education;

    (8) Any agreement, promissory note, or other instrument entered into by the state finance committee under RCW 39.42.030 in connection with its acquisition of bond insurance, letters of credit, or other credit support instruments for the purpose of guaranteeing the payment or enhancing the marketability, or both, of any state bonds, notes, or other evidence of indebtedness;

    (9) Indebtedness incurred for the purposes identified in RCW 43.99N.020; ((and))

    (10) Indebtedness incurred for the purposes of the school district bond guaranty established by chapter 39.98 RCW; and

    (11) Indebtedness incurred for the purposes of providing financial assistance to local governments to undertake critical public works projects pursuant to section 2 of this act.

    To the extent necessary because of the constitutional or statutory debt limitation, priorities with respect to the issuance or guaranteeing of bonds, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness by the state shall be determined by the state finance committee.

 

    Sec. 8.  RCW 43.84.092 and 2000 2nd sp.s. c 4 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) All earnings of investments of surplus balances in the state treasury shall be deposited to the treasury income account, which account is hereby established in the state treasury.

    (2) The treasury income account shall be utilized to pay or receive funds associated with federal programs as required by the federal cash management improvement act of 1990.  The treasury income account is subject in all respects to chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for refunds or allocations of interest earnings required by the cash management improvement act.  Refunds of interest to the federal treasury required under the cash management improvement act fall under RCW 43.88.180 and shall not require appropriation.  The office of financial management shall determine the amounts due to or from the federal government pursuant to the cash management improvement act.  The office of financial management may direct transfers of funds between accounts as deemed necessary to implement the provisions of the cash management improvement act, and this subsection.  Refunds or allocations shall occur prior to the distributions of earnings set forth in subsection (4) of this section.

    (3) Except for the provisions of RCW 43.84.160, the treasury income account may be utilized for the payment of purchased banking services on behalf of treasury funds including, but not limited to, depository, safekeeping, and disbursement functions for the state treasury and affected state agencies.  The treasury income account is subject in all respects to chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for payments to financial institutions.  Payments shall occur prior to distribution of earnings set forth in subsection (4) of this section.

    (4) Monthly, the state treasurer shall distribute the earnings credited to the treasury income account.  The state treasurer shall credit the general fund with all the earnings credited to the treasury income account except:

    (a) The following accounts and funds shall receive their proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's and fund's average daily balance for the period:  The capitol building construction account, the Cedar River channel construction and operation account, the Central Washington University capital projects account, the charitable, educational, penal and reformatory institutions account, the common school construction fund, the county criminal justice assistance account, the county sales and use tax equalization account, the data processing building construction account, the deferred compensation administrative account, the deferred compensation principal account, the department of retirement systems expense account, the drinking water assistance account, the Eastern Washington University capital projects account, the education construction fund, the emergency reserve fund, the federal forest revolving account, the health services account, the public health services account, the health system capacity account, the personal health services account, the state higher education construction account, the higher education construction account, the highway infrastructure account, the industrial insurance premium refund account, the judges' retirement account, the judicial retirement administrative account, the judicial retirement principal account, the local leasehold excise tax account, the local real estate excise tax account, the local sales and use tax account, the medical aid account, the mobile home park relocation fund, the multimodal transportation account, the municipal criminal justice assistance account, the municipal sales and use tax equalization account, the natural resources deposit account, the perpetual surveillance and maintenance account, the public employees' retirement system plan 1 account, the public employees' retirement system plan 2 account, the public works bond proceeds account, the Puyallup tribal settlement account, the resource management cost account, the site closure account, the special wildlife account, the state employees' insurance account, the state employees' insurance reserve account, the state investment board expense account, the state investment board commingled trust fund accounts, the supplemental pension account, the teachers' retirement system plan 1 account, the teachers' retirement system combined plan 2 and plan 3 account, the tobacco prevention and control account, the tobacco settlement account, the transportation infrastructure account, the tuition recovery trust fund, the University of Washington bond retirement fund, the University of Washington building account, the volunteer fire fighters' and reserve officers' relief and pension principal fund, the volunteer fire fighters' and reserve officers' administrative fund, the Washington judicial retirement system account, the Washington law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' system plan 1 retirement account, the Washington law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' system plan 2 retirement account, the Washington school employees' retirement system combined plan 2 and 3 account, the Washington state health insurance pool account, the Washington state patrol retirement account, the Washington State University building account, the Washington State University bond retirement fund, the water pollution control revolving fund, and the Western Washington University capital projects account.  Earnings derived from investing balances of the agricultural permanent fund, the normal school permanent fund, the permanent common school fund, the scientific permanent fund, and the state university permanent fund shall be allocated to their respective beneficiary accounts.  All earnings to be distributed under this subsection (4)(a) shall first be reduced by the allocation to the state treasurer's service fund pursuant to RCW 43.08.190.

    (b) The following accounts and funds shall receive eighty percent of their proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's or fund's average daily balance for the period:  The aeronautics account, the aircraft search and rescue account, the county arterial preservation account, the department of licensing services account, the essential rail assistance account, the ferry bond retirement fund, the grade crossing protective fund, the high capacity transportation account, the highway bond retirement fund, the highway safety account, the motor vehicle fund, the motorcycle safety education account, the pilotage account, the public transportation systems account, the Puget Sound capital construction account, the Puget Sound ferry operations account, the recreational vehicle account, the rural arterial trust account, the safety and education account, the special category C account, the state patrol highway account, the transportation equipment fund, the transportation fund, the transportation improvement account, the transportation improvement board bond retirement account, and the urban arterial trust account.

    (5) In conformance with Article II, section 37 of the state Constitution, no treasury accounts or funds shall be allocated earnings without the specific affirmative directive of this section.

 

    Sec. 9.  RCW 43.84.092 and 2000 2nd sp.s. c 4 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) All earnings of investments of surplus balances in the state treasury shall be deposited to the treasury income account, which account is hereby established in the state treasury.

    (2) The treasury income account shall be utilized to pay or receive funds associated with federal programs as required by the federal cash management improvement act of 1990.  The treasury income account is subject in all respects to chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for refunds or allocations of interest earnings required by the cash management improvement act.  Refunds of interest to the federal treasury required under the cash management improvement act fall under RCW 43.88.180 and shall not require appropriation.  The office of financial management shall determine the amounts due to or from the federal government pursuant to the cash management improvement act.  The office of financial management may direct transfers of funds between accounts as deemed necessary to implement the provisions of the cash management improvement act, and this subsection.  Refunds or allocations shall occur prior to the distributions of earnings set forth in subsection (4) of this section.

    (3) Except for the provisions of RCW 43.84.160, the treasury income account may be utilized for the payment of purchased banking services on behalf of treasury funds including, but not limited to, depository, safekeeping, and disbursement functions for the state treasury and affected state agencies.  The treasury income account is subject in all respects to chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for payments to financial institutions.  Payments shall occur prior to distribution of earnings set forth in subsection (4) of this section.

    (4) Monthly, the state treasurer shall distribute the earnings credited to the treasury income account.  The state treasurer shall credit the general fund with all the earnings credited to the treasury income account except:

    (a) The following accounts and funds shall receive their proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's and fund's average daily balance for the period:  The capitol building construction account, the Cedar River channel construction and operation account, the Central Washington University capital projects account, the charitable, educational, penal and reformatory institutions account, the common school construction fund, the county criminal justice assistance account, the county sales and use tax equalization account, the data processing building construction account, the deferred compensation administrative account, the deferred compensation principal account, the department of retirement systems expense account, the drinking water assistance account, the Eastern Washington University capital projects account, the education construction fund, the emergency reserve fund, the federal forest revolving account, the health services account, the public health services account, the health system capacity account, the personal health services account, the state higher education construction account, the higher education construction account, the highway infrastructure account, the industrial insurance premium refund account, the judges' retirement account, the judicial retirement administrative account, the judicial retirement principal account, the local leasehold excise tax account, the local real estate excise tax account, the local sales and use tax account, the medical aid account, the mobile home park relocation fund, the multimodal transportation account, the municipal criminal justice assistance account, the municipal sales and use tax equalization account, the natural resources deposit account, the perpetual surveillance and maintenance account, the public employees' retirement system plan 1 account, the public employees' retirement system combined plan 2 and plan 3 account, the public works bond proceeds account, the Puyallup tribal settlement account, the resource management cost account, the site closure account, the special wildlife account, the state employees' insurance account, the state employees' insurance reserve account, the state investment board expense account, the state investment board commingled trust fund accounts, the supplemental pension account, the teachers' retirement system plan 1 account, the teachers' retirement system combined plan 2 and plan 3 account, the tobacco prevention and control account, the tobacco settlement account, the transportation infrastructure account, the tuition recovery trust fund, the University of Washington bond retirement fund, the University of Washington building account, the volunteer fire fighters' and reserve officers' relief and pension principal fund, the volunteer fire fighters' and reserve officers' administrative fund, the Washington judicial retirement system account, the Washington law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' system plan 1 retirement account, the Washington law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' system plan 2 retirement account, the Washington school employees' retirement system combined plan 2 and 3 account, the Washington state health insurance pool account, the Washington state patrol retirement account, the Washington State University building account, the Washington State University bond retirement fund, the water pollution control revolving fund, and the Western Washington University capital projects account.  Earnings derived from investing balances of the agricultural permanent fund, the normal school permanent fund, the permanent common school fund, the scientific permanent fund, and the state university permanent fund shall be allocated to their respective beneficiary accounts.  All earnings to be distributed under this subsection (4)(a) shall first be reduced by the allocation to the state treasurer's service fund pursuant to RCW 43.08.190.

    (b) The following accounts and funds shall receive eighty percent of their proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's or fund's average daily balance for the period:  The aeronautics account, the aircraft search and rescue account, the county arterial preservation account, the department of licensing services account, the essential rail assistance account, the ferry bond retirement fund, the grade crossing protective fund, the high capacity transportation account, the highway bond retirement fund, the highway safety account, the motor vehicle fund, the motorcycle safety education account, the pilotage account, the public transportation systems account, the Puget Sound capital construction account, the Puget Sound ferry operations account, the recreational vehicle account, the rural arterial trust account, the safety and education account, the special category C account, the state patrol highway account, the transportation equipment fund, the transportation fund, the transportation improvement account, the transportation improvement board bond retirement account, and the urban arterial trust account.

    (5) In conformance with Article II, section 37 of the state Constitution, no treasury accounts or funds shall be allocated earnings without the specific affirmative directive of this section.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 10.  Sections 1 through 6 of this act constitute a new chapter in Title 43 RCW.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 11.  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. 12.  Section 8 of this act expires March 1, 2002.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 13.  Section 9 of this act takes effect March 1, 2002.

 


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