Read first time 01/14/09.   Referred to Committee on Transportation.

     AN ACT Relating to increasing the membership of public transportation benefit area authorities; and amending RCW 36.57A.050.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 36.57A.050 and 2009 c 549 s 4097 are each amended to read as follows:
     Within sixty days of the establishment of the boundaries of the public transportation benefit area the members of the county legislative authority and the elected representative of each city within the area shall provide for the selection of the governing body of such area, the public transportation benefit area authority, which shall consist of elected officials selected by and serving at the pleasure of the governing bodies of component cities within the area and the county legislative authority of each county within the area. If at the time a public transportation benefit area authority assumes the public transportation functions previously provided under the Interlocal Cooperation Act (chapter 39.34 RCW) there are citizen positions on the governing board of the transit system, those positions may be retained as positions on the governing board of the public transportation benefit area authority.
     Within such sixty-day period, any city may by resolution of its legislative body withdraw from participation in the public transportation benefit area. The county legislative authority and each city remaining in the public transportation benefit area may disapprove and prevent the establishment of any governing body of a public transportation benefit area if the composition thereof does not meet its approval.
     In no case shall the governing body of a single county public transportation benefit area with boundaries that encompass a population greater than five hundred thousand be greater than ((nine)) eleven members, otherwise in no case shall the governing body of a single county benefit area be greater than nine and in the case of a multicounty area, fifteen members. Those cities within the transportation benefit area and excluded from direct membership on the authority are hereby authorized to designate a member of the authority who shall be entitled to represent the interests of such city which is excluded from direct membership on the authority. The legislative body of such city shall notify the authority as to the determination of its authorized representative on the authority.
     Each member of the authority is eligible to be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060 and to receive compensation, as set by the authority, in an amount not to exceed forty-four dollars for each day during which the member attends official meetings of the authority or performs prescribed duties approved by the chair of the authority. Except that the authority may, by resolution, increase the payment of per diem compensation to each member from forty-four dollars up to ninety dollars per day or portion of a day for actual attendance at board meetings or for performance of other official services or duties on behalf of the authority. In no event may a member be compensated in any year for more than seventy-five days, except the chair who may be paid compensation for not more than one hundred days: PROVIDED, That compensation shall not be paid to an elected official or employee of federal, state, or local government who is receiving regular full-time compensation from such government for attending meetings and performing prescribed duties of the authority.
     The dollar thresholds established in this section must be adjusted for inflation by the office of financial management every five years, beginning July 1, 2008, based upon changes in the consumer price index during that time period. "Consumer price index" means, for any calendar year, that year's annual average consumer price index, for Washington state, for wage earners and clerical workers, all items, compiled by the bureau of labor and statistics, United States department of labor. If the bureau of labor and statistics develops more than one consumer price index for areas within the state, the index covering the greatest number of people, covering areas exclusively within the boundaries of the state, and including all items shall be used for the adjustments for inflation in this section. The office of financial management must calculate the new dollar threshold and transmit it to the office of the code reviser for publication in the Washington State Register at least one month before the new dollar threshold is to take effect.
     A person holding office as commissioner for two or more special purpose districts shall receive only that per diem compensation authorized for one of his or her commissioner positions as compensation for attending an official meeting or conducting official services or duties while representing more than one of his or her districts. However, such commissioner may receive additional per diem compensation if approved by resolution of all boards of the affected commissions.