 | WASHINGTON STATE LEGISLATURE | |
| Legislative Digest No. 59 | ||
| SIXTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE | ||
| Thursday, April 16, 2009 | 95th Day - 2009 Regular Session | |
| SENATE |
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| HOUSE |
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This publication includes digest and history for bills, joint memorials, joint resolutions, concurrent resolutions, initiatives, and substitutes. Engrossed measures may be republished if the amendment makes a substantive change.
Electronic versions of Legislative Digests are available at http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/digests.aspx?year=2009.
HB 2300-S
by House Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Representatives Ericks, Condotta, Conway, and Kenney)
Allowing the state lottery to enter into agreements to conduct multistate shared games.
Authorizes the state lottery commission to enter into agreements to conduct the multistate shared game lottery known as Powerball.
| Mar 25 | Public hearing in the House Committee on Ways & Means at 3:30 PM. | |
| Apr 14 | WAYS - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. | |
| Minority; do not pass. | ||
| Placed on second reading. | ||
HB 2327-S
by House Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Representatives Linville and Ericks; by request of Office of Financial Management)
Eliminating or reducing the frequency of reports prepared by state agencies.
Eliminates or reduces the frequency of reports prepared by state agencies.
| Apr 2 | Public hearing in the House Committee on Ways & Means at 1:30 PM. | |
| Apr 14 | WAYS - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. | |
| Placed on second reading. | ||
HB 2334-S
by House Committee on Capital Budget (originally sponsored by Representatives Dunshee, Williams, Hunt, Ormsby, White, Conway, Hudgins, and Chase)
Creating jobs by funding construction of safety, health, and energy-saving improvements to public facilities.
Declares an intent to create jobs and increase the quality of life of all Washington citizens by issuing bonds for the investment in safety, health, and energy efficient improvements to public facilities in all public K-12 school districts, community and technical colleges, state universities, regional universities, The Evergreen State College, and other public facilities.Authorizes the state finance committee, for the purpose of creating jobs by constructing needed capital improvements for the safety, health, and energy efficiency of public facilities, to issue general obligation bonds of the state of Washington in the sum of three billion dollars, or so much thereof as may be required, for this purpose and all costs incidental thereto.Requires the state finance committee, on or before June 30th of each year, to certify to the state treasurer the amount needed in the ensuing twelve months to meet the bond retirement and interest requirements on the bonds authorized in the act.Authorizes the legislature to provide additional means for raising moneys for the payment of the principal of and interest on the bonds authorized in the act.Requires the office of the state treasurer to determine a mechanism to allow individual Washington state residents to purchase Washington works bonds.Creates the stabilization debt payment account and the Washington works account.Makes appropriations.Provides that the act is contingent upon approval by the voters of certain parts of the act. If certain parts of the act are not approved by the voters by December 1, 2009, the act is null and void.
| Apr 7 | Public hearing in the House Committee on Capital Budget at 8:00 AM. | |
| Apr 14 | CB - Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. | |
| Minority; do not pass. | ||
| Executive session in the House Committee on Capital Budget at 8:00 AM. | ||
HB 2352
by Representatives Morrell, Walsh, Kagi, Dickerson, and Hinkle
Changing provisions affecting long-term care worker training and credentialing.
Modifies certification and training requirements for certain long-term care workers.
| Apr 15 | First reading, referred to Ways & Means. | |
SB 6164
by Senator Regala
Providing local flexibility with existing revenues during severe economic downturns.
Authorizes revenue generated from real estate excise taxes to also be used for the maintenance of capital facilities if the county or city imposing the taxes identifies the capital maintenance facilities in their adopted budget.Modifies the definition of "criminal justice purposes" in regards to county sales and use taxes imposed under RCW 82.14.340 and allows revenue received from any such tax to be used to replace or supplant existing funding for criminal justice purposes.Clarifies that taxes on gambling activities collected by local governments are to be used for public safety purposes.Provides that revenue from taxes imposed under chapter 67.28 RCW (public stadium, convention, arts, and tourism facilities) may also be used for governmental purposes that will maintain or enhance tourism, including public safety improvements.Expires December 31, 2012.
| Apr 15 | First reading, referred to Ways & Means. | |
SB 6165
by Senators Ranker, Rockefeller, Tom, and Jarrett
Allowing greater use of short boards for appeals before the shorelines hearings board.
Requires the chair of the shorelines hearings board, in designating appeals for review by panels of three hearings board members, to consider factors such as the complexity and precedential nature of the case and the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of using a short board versus a full board.
| Apr 15 | First reading, referred to Ways & Means. | |
SB 6166
by Senators Hargrove, Ranker, Rockefeller, Jacobsen, and Morton
Concerning the sale of timber from state trust lands.
Prohibits the department of natural resources from using contract harvesting for more than twenty percent of the total annual volume of timber offered for sale.Prohibits the balance of the contract harvesting revolving account from exceeding five million dollars at the end of each calendar year.Directs the department of natural resources, to the extent possible under current law consistent with its responsibility to the trust beneficiaries, to consider requests from purchasers for timber sale extensions and to provide flexibility in timber sale contract administration to help mitigate against the potential for contract default.Expires January 1, 2014.
| Apr 15 | First reading, referred to Ways & Means. | |
SB 6167
by Senators Kline, Regala, and Hargrove
Concerning crimes against property.
Raises the monetary threshold amounts differentiating the various degrees of property crimes in the state.Creates an organized retail crime task force to: (1) Examine the impact of raising these values on the retail industry, the district and municipal courts, and the county and city offices of the prosecuting attorney;(2) Examine the best methods for apportionment and sharing of costs for prosecution when multiple jurisdictions are involved; and(3) Identify any policies or procedures which would enhance the successful investigation and prosecution of property crimes in Washington state.Requires the sentencing guidelines commission to review the monetary threshold amounts differentiating the various degrees of property crimes in Washington state to determine whether such amounts should be modified.Requires the court or the prosecuting attorney, before a sentence is imposed upon a defendant convicted of a crime against property, to check existing judicial information systems to determine the criminal history of the defendant.Provides that the act applies to crimes committed on or after September 1, 2009.
| Apr 15 | First reading, referred to Ways & Means. | |
SB 6168
by Senators Tom and Prentice
Reducing costs in state elementary and secondary education programs.
Reduces costs in state elementary and secondary education programs.
| Apr 15 | First reading, referred to Ways & Means. | |
SB 6169
by Senator Prentice
Enhancing tax collection tools for the department of revenue in order to promote fairness and administrative efficiency.
Authorizes the department of revenue: (1) If it has issued a warrant under RCW 82.32.210 for the collection of unpaid taxes from a limited liability business entity and that business entity has been terminated, dissolved, or abandoned, or is insolvent, to pursue collection of the entity's unpaid taxes, including penalties and interest on those taxes, against any or all of the responsible individuals; and(2) To issue a notice and order to withhold and deliver to any financial institution in the form of a listing of all or a portion of the unsatisfied tax warrants filed under chapter 82.32 RCW with the clerk of the superior court of a county of the state, except tax warrants subject to a payment agreement, which is not in default, between the department and the taxpayer.Directs the department of revenue to: (1) Work with interested financial institutions to develop policies regarding the frequency of service under section 201(3) of the act and under what circumstances a notice and order to withhold and deliver will contain only a partial list of unsatisfied tax warrants eligible to be included in the notice; and(2) Develop a policy regarding the information to be contained in a notice and order to withhold and deliver to ensure that financial institutions can accurately match their records with the names of tax debtors.
| Apr 15 | First reading, referred to Ways & Means. | |
SB 6170
by Senators Hobbs and Prentice
Concerning environmental tax incentives.
Provides environmental tax incentives relating to: (1) Renewable energy;(2) Radioactive waste cleanup;(3) Hog fuel;(4) Biomass energy;(5) Solar energy; and(6) Livestock nutrients.
| Apr 15 | First reading, referred to Ways & Means. | |
SB 6171
by Senator Prentice
Concerning savings in programs under the supervision of the department of health.
Provides savings in programs under the supervision of the department of health.
| Apr 15 | First reading, referred to Ways & Means. | |
SB 6172
by Senators Rockefeller and Ranker
Eliminating the oil spill advisory council.
Eliminates the oil spill advisory council.Authorizes the Puget Sound partnership to: (1) Provide independent advice and assessment of the state's oil spill prevention, preparedness, and response programs, including review of existing activities and recommendations for any necessary improvements; and(2) Carry out this function through an existing committee, such as the ecosystem coordination board or the leadership council, or appoint a special advisory council.Provides that, because this is a unique statewide program, the Puget Sound partnership may invite participation from outside the Puget Sound region.
| Apr 15 | First reading, referred to Ways & Means. | |
SB 6173
by Senator Prentice
Improving sales tax compliance.
Finds that the department of revenue's 2008 compliance study: (1) Estimates that sales tax noncompliance exceeds well over one hundred million dollars annually in unpaid state and local sales and use taxes; and(2) Indicates that sales tax noncompliance occurs most frequently for construction at 80.7 percent of all firms in this industry.Changes the excise taxation of construction businesses and others who render services in respect to real property.Eliminates the use of resale certificates to document wholesale purchases.Takes effect January 1, 2010, however, the January 1, 2010, effective date may not be construed as preventing the department of revenue from accepting applications for, or issuing, seller's permits before January 1, 2010, or taking any other action before January 1, 2010, necessary to ensure the effective implementation of the act.Provides that, if any other bill making substantively identical amendments to RCW 82.08.890 and 82.12.890 is enacted, the amendments to RCW 82.08.890 and 82.12.890 in this act are null and void.
| Apr 15 | First reading, referred to Ways & Means. | |
SJM 8016
by Senators Honeyford, Holmquist, Schoesler, Delvin, Becker, Carrell, Morton, McCaslin, Parlette, Stevens, Swecker, King, Zarelli, and Hewitt
Regarding government spending policies.
Requests the United States Government to: (1) Divest the American people from all private-sector corporate entities that received bailout funds as soon as is practically possible;(2) Reduce the size of government to its proper constitutional size by limiting its functions to its proper constitutional role;(3) Reduce marginal tax rates to spur economic growth; and(4) Reject all further attempts to redistribute wealth through the tax code or by any other means.
| Apr 15 | First reading, referred to Ways & Means. | |