Title: An act relating to the carry over of funds for biotoxin testing and monitoring.

Brief Description: Authorizing unspent biotoxin testing and monitoring funds to carry over to future biennia.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Hargrove and Shin).

Brief History:

Appropriations: 3/21/05, 3/23/05 [DPA].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Majority Report: Do pass as amended. Signed by 28 members: Representatives Sommers, Chair; Fromhold, Vice Chair; Alexander, Ranking Minority Member; Anderson, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; McDonald, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Armstrong, Bailey, Buri, Clements, Cody, Conway, Darneille, Dunshee, Grant, Haigh, Hinkle, Kagi, Kenney, Kessler, Linville, McDermott, McIntire, Miloscia, Pearson, Priest, Schual-Berke, Talcott and Walsh.

Staff: Alicia Paatsch (786-7178).

Background:

To ensure the health of consumers, the Department of Health's (DOH) Environmental Health program conducts testing and monitoring of paralytic and amnesic poisons (biotoxins) in the recreational shellfish fisheries. In the event dangerous levels of toxins are detected, the DOH has authorization to close shellfish beds and beaches.

The Olympic Region Harmful Algal Bloom (ORHAB) monitoring program is a collaboration of government, academia, businesses, and tribes established to study harmful algal blooms on the Washington coast. The program is based in the Olympic Natural Resources Center and administered by the University of Washington (UW).

The 2003 Legislature authorized the increase of shellfish license fees to cover the cost of shellfish testing and algal bloom monitoring through an assessment of various surcharges.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife is currently authorized by statute to collect the following surcharges:

• $3 from the sale of resident and non-resident shellfish and seaweed licenses;
• $2 on resident and non-resident adult combination licenses;
• $2 on annual resident and nonresident razor clam licenses; and
• $1 for the three-day razor clam license.

Amounts collected must be deposited in the General Fund-local account managed by the DOH, except $150,000 per year which is deposited into the General Fund-local account managed by the UW. Amounts in excess of the annual costs of the DOH recreational shellfish testing and monitoring programs are transferred to the State General Fund.

Summary of Amended Bill:

The DOH and the UW are authorized to carry forward unspent biotoxin and monitoring funds in local accounts.

Amended Bill Compared to Substitute Bill:

The amendment clarifies the underlying bill by removing inconsistent language.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Requested on March 17, 2005.

Effective Date of Amended Bill: The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

Testimony For: None.

Testimony Against: None.

Persons Testifying: None.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.