BILL REQ. #:  H-3403.1 

READ FIRST TIME 01/27/14.   

     AN ACT Relating to the community forest trust account; amending RCW 43.30.385, 79.64.020, 79.64.040, and 79.155.090; reenacting and amending RCW 43.79A.040; and adding a new section to chapter 79.155 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 79.155 RCW to read as follows:
     The community forest trust account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. All moneys received for the acquisition, sale, management, and administration of the department's duties under this chapter for community forest trust lands including, but not limited to, proceeds from the sale of valuable materials from community forest trust lands, interest earned on investments in the account, and all other revenue related to community forest trust lands created or acquired pursuant to this chapter must be deposited into the account. The account is authorized to receive fund transfers and appropriations from the general fund, as well as gifts, grants, and endowments from public or private sources as may be made from time to time. Expenditures from the account may be used to reimburse management costs incurred by the department on community forest trust lands, for the acquisition of interests in land or other real property to be managed as community forest trust lands, for technical assistance grants pursuant to RCW 79.155.120, and for all other purposes consistent with this chapter. Only the commissioner or the commissioner's designee may authorize expenditures from the account. However, the board must authorize any expenditures made to: (1) Reimburse state and local governmental entities' eligible financial contributions for the acquisition of community forest trust lands under RCW 79.155.090; or (2) acquire real property for the community forest trust under RCW 79.155.040(3). The account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not required for expenditures.

Sec. 2   RCW 43.30.385 and 2012 c 166 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The park land trust revolving fund is to be utilized by the department for the purpose of acquiring real property, including all reasonable costs associated with these acquisitions, as a replacement for the property transferred to the state parks and recreation commission, as directed by the legislature in order to maintain the land base of the affected trusts or under RCW 79.22.060 and to receive voluntary contributions for the purpose of operating and maintaining public use and recreation facilities, including trails, managed by the department.
     (2) ((In addition to the other purposes identified in this section, the park land trust revolving fund may be utilized by the department to hold funding for future acquisition of lands for the community forest trust program from willing sellers under RCW 79.155.040.
     (3)))(a) Proceeds from transfers of real property to the state parks and recreation commission or other proceeds identified from transfers of real property as directed by the legislature shall be deposited in the park land trust revolving fund.
     (b) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the proceeds from real property transferred or disposed under RCW 79.22.060 must be used solely to purchase replacement forest land, that must be actively managed as a working forest, within the same county as the property transferred or disposed. If the real property was transferred under RCW 79.22.060 (1)(c) and (2)(c) from within a county participating in the state forest land pool created under RCW 79.22.140, replacement forest land may be located within any county participating in the land pool.
     (c) Disbursement from the park land trust revolving fund to acquire replacement property and for operating and maintaining public use and recreation facilities shall be on the authorization of the department.
     (d) The proceeds from the recreation access pass account created in RCW 79A.80.090 must be solely used for the purpose of operating and maintaining public use and recreation facilities, including trails, managed by the department.
     (((4))) (3) In order to maintain an effective expenditure and revenue control, the park land trust revolving fund is subject in all respects to chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required to permit expenditures and payment of obligations from the fund.
     (((5))) (4) The department is authorized to solicit and receive voluntary contributions for the purpose of operating and maintaining public use and recreation facilities, including trails, managed by the department. The department may seek voluntary contributions from individuals and organizations for this purpose. Voluntary contributions will be deposited into the park land trust revolving fund and used solely for the purpose of public use and recreation facilities operations and maintenance. Voluntary contributions are not considered a fee for use of these facilities.

Sec. 3   RCW 79.64.020 and 2013 2nd sp.s. c 4 s 1000 are each amended to read as follows:
     A resource management cost account in the state treasury is created to be used solely for the purpose of defraying the costs and expenses necessarily incurred by the department in managing and administering state lands, ((community forest trust lands, and)) aquatic lands, and the making and administering of leases, sales, contracts, licenses, permits, easements, and rights-of-way as authorized under the provisions of this title. Appropriations from the resource management cost account to the department shall be expended for no other purposes. Funds in the resource management cost account may be appropriated or transferred by the legislature for the benefit of all of the trusts from which the funds were derived. During the 2013-2015 fiscal biennium, the legislature may transfer from the aquatics revenues in the resources management cost account to the marine resources stewardship trust account for the purposes of chapter 43.372 RCW.

Sec. 4   RCW 79.64.040 and 2013 2nd sp.s. c 4 s 1001 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The board shall determine the amount deemed necessary in order to achieve the purposes of this chapter and shall provide by rule for the deduction of this amount from the moneys received from all leases, sales, contracts, licenses, permits, easements, and rights-of-way issued by the department and affecting state lands((, community forest trust lands,)) and aquatic lands, provided that no deduction shall be made from the proceeds from agricultural college lands.
     (2) Moneys received as deposits from successful bidders, advance payments, and security under RCW 79.15.100, 79.15.080, and 79.11.150 prior to December 1, 1981, which have not been subjected to deduction under this section are not subject to deduction under this section.
     (3) Except as otherwise provided in subsection((s (4) and (6))) (5) of this section, the deductions authorized under this section shall not exceed twenty-five percent of the moneys received by the department in connection with any one transaction pertaining to state lands and aquatic lands other than second-class tide and shore lands and the beds of navigable waters, and fifty percent of the moneys received by the department pertaining to second-class tide and shore lands and the beds of navigable waters.
     (4) ((Deductions authorized under this section for transactions pertaining to community forest trust lands must be established at a level sufficient to defray over time the management costs for activities prescribed in a parcel's management plan adopted pursuant to RCW 79.155.080, and, if deemed appropriate by the board consistent with RCW 79.155.090, to reimburse the state and any local entities' eligible financial contributions for acquisition of the parcel.
     (5))) In the event that the department sells logs using the contract harvesting process described in RCW 79.15.500 through 79.15.530, the moneys received subject to this section are the net proceeds from the contract harvesting sale.
     (((6))) (5) During the 2011-2013 and 2013-2015 fiscal biennia, the twenty-five percent limitation on deductions set in subsection (3) of this section may be increased up to thirty percent by the board.

Sec. 5   RCW 79.155.090 and 2011 c 216 s 9 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Any revenue produced on community forest trust lands must be((, consistent with RCW 79.64.040,)) allocated as follows:
     (a) All costs incurred by the department in managing the parcel must be fully reimbursed; and
     (b) After the department's management costs are reimbursed, any remaining revenue must then be prioritized to fulfill the management objectives for the specific parcel as identified in the postacquisition management plan developed under RCW 79.155.080 consistent with the management principles outlined in RCW 79.155.030.
     (2)(a) If, by the determination of the board, there is revenue remaining in any given biennium after fulfilling the requirements of subsection (1) of this section, then the board has the discretion to reimburse any local entities' eligible financial contributions for acquisition of the parcel under RCW 79.155.070(2) and any state contribution to the acquisition of the parcel up to an amount that represents fifty percent of the difference between the parcel's original appraised fair market value and the parcel's timber and forest land value. However, any funds used as part of the local contribution may not be reimbursed if the funds were originally provided through a state or federal grant, provided through a fully compensated transfer of development rights at fair market value, or provided by a donation of funds or property.
     (b) If the board decides to reimburse the state and local contribution, then it must allocate the reimbursement so that fifty percent is provided to the state general fund and fifty percent is provided to any eligible partnering local entities.
     (c) Nothing in this section creates an expectation, requirement, or fiduciary duty for the board or the associated community forest trust lands to generate revenue in excess of amounts as provided in subsection (1)(a) of this section.

Sec. 6   RCW 43.79A.040 and 2013 c 251 s 5 and 2013 c 88 s 1 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     (1) Money in the treasurer's trust fund may be deposited, invested, and reinvested by the state treasurer in accordance with RCW 43.84.080 in the same manner and to the same extent as if the money were in the state treasury, and may be commingled with moneys in the state treasury for cash management and cash balance purposes.
     (2) All income received from investment of the treasurer's trust fund must be set aside in an account in the treasury trust fund to be known as the investment income account.
     (3) The investment income account may be utilized for the payment of purchased banking services on behalf of treasurer's trust funds including, but not limited to, depository, safekeeping, and disbursement functions for the state treasurer or affected state agencies. The investment income account is subject in all respects to chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for payments to financial institutions. Payments must occur prior to distribution of earnings set forth in subsection (4) of this section.
     (4)(a) Monthly, the state treasurer must distribute the earnings credited to the investment income account to the state general fund except under (b), (c), and (d) of this subsection.
     (b) The following accounts and funds must receive their proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's or fund's average daily balance for the period: The Washington promise scholarship account, the Washington advanced college tuition payment program account, the accessible communities account, the community and technical college innovation account, the agricultural local fund, the American Indian scholarship endowment fund, the foster care scholarship endowment fund, the foster care endowed scholarship trust fund, the contract harvesting revolving account, the Washington state combined fund drive account, the commemorative works account, the county enhanced 911 excise tax account, the toll collection account, the developmental disabilities endowment trust fund, the energy account, the fair fund, the family leave insurance account, the food animal veterinarian conditional scholarship account, the fruit and vegetable inspection account, the future teachers conditional scholarship account, the game farm alternative account, the GET ready for math and science scholarship account, the Washington global health technologies and product development account, the grain inspection revolving fund, the industrial insurance rainy day fund, the juvenile accountability incentive account, the law enforcement officers' and firefighters' plan 2 expense fund, the local tourism promotion account, the multiagency permitting team account, the pilotage account, the produce railcar pool account, the regional transportation investment district account, the rural rehabilitation account, the stadium and exhibition center account, the youth athletic facility account, the self-insurance revolving fund, the children's trust fund, the Washington horse racing commission Washington bred owners' bonus fund and breeder awards account, the Washington horse racing commission class C purse fund account, the individual development account program account, the Washington horse racing commission operating account, the life sciences discovery fund, the Washington state heritage center account, the reduced cigarette ignition propensity account, the center for childhood deafness and hearing loss account, the school for the blind account, the Millersylvania park trust fund, the public employees' and retirees' insurance reserve fund, ((and)) the radiation perpetual maintenance fund, and the community forest trust account.
     (c) The following accounts and funds must receive eighty percent of their proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's or fund's average daily balance for the period: The advanced right-of-way revolving fund, the advanced environmental mitigation revolving account, the federal narcotics asset forfeitures account, the high occupancy vehicle account, the local rail service assistance account, and the miscellaneous transportation programs account.
     (d) Any state agency that has independent authority over accounts or funds not statutorily required to be held in the custody of the state treasurer that deposits funds into a fund or account in the custody of the state treasurer pursuant to an agreement with the office of the state treasurer shall receive its proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's or fund's average daily balance for the period.
     (5) In conformance with Article II, section 37 of the state Constitution, no trust accounts or funds shall be allocated earnings without the specific affirmative directive of this section.