BILL REQ. #:  H-4739.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/06/04.   

     AN ACT Relating to creating a maritime office in the department of community, trade, and economic development; adding a new section to chapter 43.63A RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   An industry cluster is a geographical grouping of companies, their suppliers, and the institutions that support them. Industry clusters form around specific features of the natural or built environment. Industry cluster development allows Washington's diverse regions to leverage their assets to create greater prosperity.
     Washington's maritime industry cluster is a complex network that includes ocean carriers, shippers, port facilities and operations, regional and continental road and rail networks, barge operators, trucking operators, boat and ship building and repair, cargo trafficking and traffic management, internal and third-party freight forwarding services, emerging inland distribution centers and the final customers. Washington has a number of ports of all sizes and degrees of utilization, including some of the busiest cargo ports in the United States. Washington ports handle well in excess of one hundred billion dollars in trade.
     However, there is a great deal of competition from other ports for much of the off-loading. The pressures on our maritime industry are growing every day due to stiff market competition, new and emerging ports, highway and rail infrastructure improvements in other areas, and waterway and port security.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 43.63A RCW to read as follows:
     (1) If appropriated by the legislature, the department of community, trade, and economic development shall use funding available for qualified maritime industry consulting services, in consultation with maritime industry representatives, to study and make recommendations to establish and implement a Washington maritime industry function at the department.
     (2) Following the receipt of the report in subsection (1) of this section, the department of community, trade, and economic development shall develop the Washington maritime industry function, with a focus on strengthening the maritime cluster in Washington.
     (3) Following the development of the Washington maritime industry function, the department of community, trade, and economic development shall provide the maritime industry with enhanced knowledge, resources, and advocacy, by working with federal and state agencies, local governments, maritime businesses, and maritime organizations to:
     (a) Bring potential trading and business partners together;
     (b) Identify strategic infrastructure priorities and needs;
     (c) Attract key freight services;
     (d) Measure performance;
     (e) Attract, develop, and retain maritime industry businesses;
     (f) Identify and address state and local barriers to maritime competitiveness utilizing risk-based, cost-beneficial, level playing field principles; and
     (g) Identify work force needs.
     (4) The Washington maritime office shall collect and distribute data regarding the maritime trade and industry. A report summarizing the data shall be made available annually.