SHB 2678 -
By Committee on Water, Energy & Environment
Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:
"Sec. 1 RCW 70.148.020 and 2005 c 518 s 942 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) The pollution liability insurance program trust account is
established in the custody of the state treasurer. All funds
appropriated for this chapter and all premiums collected for
reinsurance shall be deposited in the account. Expenditures from the
account shall be used exclusively for the purposes of this chapter
including payment of costs of administering the pollution liability
insurance and underground storage tank community assistance programs.
Expenditures for payment of administrative and operating costs of the
agency are subject to the allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW
and may be made only after appropriation by statute. No appropriation
is required for other expenditures from the account.
(2) Each calendar quarter, the director shall report to the
insurance commissioner the loss and surplus reserves required for the
calendar quarter. The director shall notify the department of revenue
of this amount by the fifteenth day of each calendar quarter.
(3) Each calendar quarter the director shall determine the amount
of reserves necessary to fund commitments made to provide financial
assistance under RCW 70.148.130 to the extent that the financial
assistance reserves do not jeopardize the operations and liabilities of
the pollution liability insurance program. The director shall notify
the department of revenue of this amount by the fifteenth day of each
calendar quarter. The director may immediately establish an initial
financial assistance reserve of five million dollars from available
revenues. The director may not expend more than fifteen million
dollars for the financial assistance program.
(4) During the 2005-2007 fiscal biennium, the legislature may
transfer from the pollution liability insurance program trust account
to the state general fund such amounts as reflect the excess fund
balance of the account.
(5) This section expires June 1, ((2007)) 2013.
Sec. 2 RCW 70.148.050 and 1998 c 245 s 115 are each amended to
read as follows:
The director has the following powers and duties:
(1) To design and from time to time revise a reinsurance contract
providing coverage to an insurer meeting the requirements of this
chapter. Before initially entering into a reinsurance contract, the
director shall prepare an actuarial report describing the various
reinsurance methods considered by the director and describing each
method's costs. In designing the reinsurance contract the director
shall consider common insurance industry reinsurance contract
provisions and shall design the contract in accordance with the
following guidelines:
(a) The contract shall provide coverage to the insurer for the
liability risks of owners and operators of underground storage tanks
for third party bodily injury and property damage and corrective action
that are underwritten by the insurer.
(b) In the event of an insolvency of the insurer, the reinsurance
contract shall provide reinsurance payable directly to the insurer or
to its liquidator, receiver, or successor on the basis of the liability
of the insurer in accordance with the reinsurance contract. In no
event may the program be liable for or provide coverage for that
portion of any covered loss that is the responsibility of the insurer
whether or not the insurer is able to fulfill the responsibility.
(c) The total limit of liability for reinsurance coverage shall not
exceed one million dollars per occurrence and two million dollars
annual aggregate for each policy underwritten by the insurer less the
ultimate net loss retained by the insurer as defined and provided for
in the reinsurance contract.
(d) Disputes between the insurer and the insurance program shall be
settled through arbitration.
(2) To design and implement a structure of periodic premiums due
the director from the insurer that takes full advantage of revenue
collections and projected revenue collections to ensure affordable
premiums to the insured consistent with sound actuarial principles.
(3) To periodically review premium rates for reinsurance to
determine whether revenue appropriations supporting the program can be
reduced without substantially increasing the insured's premium costs.
(4) To solicit bids from insurers and select an insurer to provide
pollution liability insurance to owners and operators of underground
storage tanks for third party bodily injury and property damage and
corrective action.
(5) To monitor the activities of the insurer to ensure compliance
with this chapter and protect the program from excessive loss exposure
resulting from claims mismanagement by the insurer.
(6) To monitor the success of the program and periodically make
such reports and recommendations to the legislature as the director
deems appropriate, and to annually publish a financial report on the
pollution liability insurance program trust account showing, among
other things, administrative and other expenses paid from the fund.
(7) To annually report the financial and loss experience of the
insurer as to policies issued under the program and the financial and
loss experience of the program to the legislature.
(8) ((To evaluate the effects of the program upon the private
market for liability insurance for owners and operators of underground
storage tanks and make recommendations to the legislature on the
necessity for continuing the program to ensure availability of such
coverage.)) To enter into contracts with public and private agencies to
assist the director in his or her duties to design, revise, monitor,
and evaluate the program and to provide technical or professional
assistance to the director.
(9)
(((10))) (9) To examine the affairs, transactions, accounts,
records, documents, and assets of insurers as the director deems
advisable.
Sec. 3 RCW 43.79A.040 and 2005 c 424 s 18, 2005 c 402 s 8, 2005
c 215 s 10, and 2005 c 16 s 2 are each reenacted and amended to read as
follows:
(1) Money in the treasurer's trust fund may be deposited, invested,
and reinvested by the state treasurer in accordance with RCW 43.84.080
in the same manner and to the same extent as if the money were in the
state treasury.
(2) All income received from investment of the treasurer's trust
fund shall be set aside in an account in the treasury trust fund to be
known as the investment income account.
(3) The investment income account may be utilized for the payment
of purchased banking services on behalf of treasurer's trust funds
including, but not limited to, depository, safekeeping, and
disbursement functions for the state treasurer or affected state
agencies. The investment 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)(a) Monthly, the state treasurer shall distribute the earnings
credited to the investment income account to the state general fund
except under (b) and (c) of this subsection.
(b) The following accounts and funds shall receive their
proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's or fund's
average daily balance for the period: The Washington promise
scholarship account, the college savings program account, the
Washington advanced college tuition payment program account, the
agricultural local fund, the American Indian scholarship endowment
fund, the foster care scholarship endowment fund, the foster care
endowed scholarship trust fund, the students with dependents grant
account, the basic health plan self-insurance reserve account, the
contract harvesting revolving account, the Washington state combined
fund drive account, the commemorative works account, the Washington
international exchange scholarship endowment fund, the developmental
disabilities endowment trust fund, the energy account, the fair fund,
the fruit and vegetable inspection account, the future teachers
conditional scholarship account, the game farm alternative account, the
grain inspection revolving fund, the juvenile accountability incentive
account, the law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' plan 2
expense fund, the local tourism promotion account, the produce railcar
pool account, the rural rehabilitation account, the stadium and
exhibition center account, the youth athletic facility account, the
self-insurance revolving fund, the sulfur dioxide abatement account,
the children's trust fund, the Washington horse racing commission
Washington bred owners' bonus fund account, the Washington horse racing
commission class C purse fund account, the individual development
account program account, the Washington horse racing commission
operating account (earnings from the Washington horse racing commission
operating account must be credited to the Washington horse racing
commission class C purse fund account), the pollution liability
insurance program trust account, and the life sciences discovery fund.
However, the earnings to be distributed shall first be reduced by the
allocation to the state treasurer's service fund pursuant to RCW
43.08.190.
(c) 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 advanced right of way
revolving fund, the advanced environmental mitigation revolving
account, the city and county advance right-of-way revolving fund, the
federal narcotics asset forfeitures account, the high occupancy vehicle
account, the local rail service assistance account, and the
miscellaneous transportation programs account.
(5) In conformance with Article II, section 37 of the state
Constitution, no trust accounts or funds shall be allocated earnings
without the specific affirmative directive of this section.
Sec. 4 RCW 70.148.900 and 2000 c 16 s 1 are each amended to read
as follows:
This chapter shall expire June 1, ((2007)) 2013.
Sec. 5 RCW 70.149.900 and 2000 c 16 s 2 are each amended to read
as follows:
Sections 1 through 11 of this act shall expire June 1, ((2007))
2013.
Sec. 6 RCW 82.23A.902 and 2000 c 16 s 3 are each amended to read
as follows:
This chapter shall expire on June 1, ((2007)) 2013, coinciding with
the expiration of chapter 70.148 RCW.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7 The following acts or parts of acts are each
repealed:
(1) 2000 c 16 s 4 & 1998 c 245 s 178 (uncodified);
(2) 2000 c 16 s 5 & 1997 c 8 s 3 (uncodified); and
(3) 2005 c 428 s 4 (uncodified).
NEW SECTION. Sec. 8 Section 3 of this act takes effect July 1,
2006."
SHB 2678 -
By Committee on Water, Energy & Environment
On page 1, line 1 of the title, after "agency;" strike the remainder of the title and insert "amending RCW 70.148.020, 70.148.050, 70.148.900, 70.149.900, and 82.23A.902; reenacting and amending RCW 43.79A.040; repealing 2000 c 16 s 4 and 1998 c 245 s 178 (uncodified); repealing 2000 c 16 s 5 and 1997 c 8 s 3 (uncodified); repealing 2005 c 428 s 4 (uncodified); providing an effective date; and providing an expiration date."