BILL REQ. #:  H-0625.1 

Read first time 01/21/09.   Referred to Committee on Local Government & Housing.

     AN ACT Relating to a feasibility study of a Puget Sound port authority; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The Washington state institute for public policy shall conduct a feasibility study of creating a Puget Sound port authority. The purpose of the study is to determine whether creation of an integrated and unified port authority will meet and exceed the operational productivity and financial performance metrics of global and domestic peer ports as well as provide value to taxpayers through economies of scale and administrative efficiencies. Within one year of the effective date of this section, the institute shall submit to the governor and legislature a feasibility study detailing how a Puget Sound port authority that includes the boundaries of a port district located in a county with a population of one million five hundred thousand persons or more and any port district located in an adjoining county with a population of over five hundred thousand persons will significantly enhance Washington state's global marine, air, and rail freight transportation competitiveness with other global and domestic ports and increase international trade commerce providing broad economic benefits to the citizens of the state. The study must include, but is not limited to, the following elements:
     (1) An analysis of the management and operational structure of port districts included in the boundaries of a Puget Sound port authority and how a reorganization plan can be implemented in a phased manner over a five-year period;
     (2) How a Puget Sound port authority will maximize and expand freight transportation capital facilities to significantly increase global marine, air, and rail freight transportation infrastructure capacity, including performance metrics to assess capital facilities utilization and productivity;
     (3) How a Puget Sound port authority can include the evaluation and application of environmental technologies and practices to mitigate potential adverse impacts;
     (4) Recommendations on development of a strategic global marketing plan to increase global and domestic market share for North American markets for both inbound and outbound global freight transportation traffic volume and commodity dollar value, including clearly identifiable targeted markets and market penetration performance goals and metrics; and
     (5) The institute shall develop a peer index of global and national ports documenting past traffic volume and forecast traffic volume over the next ten years, overseas marketing networks both inbound and outbound, services offered, and financial performance over the past ten years. This index must be used by the institute to evaluate the possible future performance of a Puget Sound port authority.