BILL REQ. #:  H-1330.1 

Read first time 01/30/09.   Referred to Committee on Transportation.

     AN ACT Relating to establishing a joint select committee on high-speed rail; creating a new section; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) A joint select committee on high-speed rail is established. The committee shall consider, but is not limited to, developing a plan to build and finance a high-speed rail network running from Bellingham to Portland, Oregon and from Seattle to Spokane. The high-speed rail network must be capable of traveling at speeds of least two hundred twenty-five miles per hour.
     (2) The speaker of the house of representatives and the majority leader of the senate shall select two members from each of the two largest caucuses in the house of representatives and each of the two largest caucuses in the senate to serve on the committee.
     (3) The committee may seek assistance from other members of the senate and the house of representatives and other interested parties to provide advice and technical assistance.
     (4) Staff support for the committee must be provided by the house of representatives office of program research and the senate committee services.
     (5) Legislative members of the committee may be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 44.04.120.
     (6) The expenses of the committee must be paid jointly by the senate and the house of representatives. Committee expenditures are subject to approval by the senate facilities and operations committee and the house of representatives executive rules committee, or their successor committees.
     (7) The committee shall examine and analyze the following items:
     (a) The best available technology for a high-speed rail network based on the following criteria:
     (i) Cost per mile for operation and construction;
     (ii) Long-term costs;
     (iii) Best top speed;
     (iv) Flexibility;
     (v) Ability to handle freight cargo;
     (vi) Energy consumption; and
     (vii) Reliability;
     (b) Identification of potential rights-of-way and routes for new construction;
     (c) Identification of public-private financing opportunities including:
     (i) Design/build/operate;
     (ii) Sale of development rights;
     (iii) The potential for private ownership of all or portions of a new rail system, the operations of a rail system, and operations of ancillary services associated with the rail line; and
     (iv) Potential operating costs and public subsidies;
     (d) Examination of opportunities to colocate high-speed rail network tracks with a new power grid infrastructure;
     (e) Quantification of economic development potential of constructing new rail lines.
     (8) The committee shall report its findings and recommendations to the transportation committees of the house of representatives and the senate by December 1, 2010.
     (9) This section expires February 1, 2011.