HB 2119-S2.E - DIGEST

(AS OF HOUSE 2ND READING 3/18/03)

Declares that the purpose of the Washington climate action registry is to assist entities that voluntarily choose to record their greenhouse gas emission inventories in order to gain recognition for emission reductions under any future federal regulatory regime and to trade emission credits. To that end, the Washington climate and rural energy development center may: (1) Provide technical and educational resources to registrants;

(2) Publish basic definitions and protocols and identify organizations qualified to provide technical assistance to registrants;

(3) Assist registrants, if requested by the registrant, to devise protocols, reporting formats, and verification procedures as may be sought by the registrant to ensure the credibility of the information recorded in the registry; and

(4) Develop protocols for a specific economic sector that apply to all registrants in that sector if sectorwide protocols are requested by a registrant of that economic sector.

Provides that, if a mandatory federal greenhouse gas emissions registry is enacted, the director of the center must report to the legislature as soon as practical on any conflicts with this act. The center shall certify the date on which a mandatory federal greenhouse gas registry becomes operational. As of the date certified by the center, the center may no longer accept emissions inventories for registration with the state greenhouse gas emissions registry.