BILL REQ. #:  H-3424.1 

Read first time 01/22/14.   Referred to Committee on Local Government.

     AN ACT Relating to local government treasury practices and procedures; and amending RCW 36.29.020, 36.29.022, 36.29.190, and 39.72.010.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 36.29.020 and 1999 c 18 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
     The county treasurer shall keep all moneys belonging to the state((,)) or to any county, and public funds as defined in RCW 39.58.010, in his or her own possession until disbursed according to law. The county treasurer shall not place the same in the possession of any person to be used for any purpose; nor shall he or she loan or in any manner use or permit any person to use the same; but it shall be lawful for a county treasurer to deposit any such moneys in any regularly designated qualified public depositary. Any municipal corporation may by action of its governing body authorize any of its funds which are not required for immediate expenditure, and which are in the custody of the county treasurer or other municipal corporation treasurer, to be invested by such treasurer. The county treasurer may invest in savings or time accounts in designated qualified public depositaries or in certificates, notes, or bonds of the United States, or other obligations of the United States or its agencies, or of any corporation wholly owned by the government of the United States; in bankers' acceptances purchased on the secondary market, in federal home loan bank notes and bonds, federal land bank bonds and federal national mortgage association notes, debentures and guaranteed certificates of participation, or the obligations of any other government sponsored corporation whose obligations are or may become eligible as collateral for advances to member banks as determined by the board of governors of the federal reserve system or deposit such funds or any portion thereof in investment deposits as defined in RCW 39.58.010 secured by collateral in accordance with the provisions of chapters 39.58 and 39.59 RCW: PROVIDED, Five percent of the earnings, with an annual maximum of fifty dollars, on each transaction authorized by the governing body shall be paid as an investment service fee to the office of the county treasurer or other municipal corporation treasurer when the earnings become available to the governing body: PROVIDED FURTHER, That if such investment service fee amounts to five dollars or less the county treasurer or other municipal corporation treasurer may waive such fee.
     If in the judgment of the governing body of the municipal corporation or the county treasurer it is necessary to redeem or to sell any of the purchased securities before their ultimate maturity date, the governing body may, by resolution, direct the county treasurer pursuant to RCW 36.29.010(8) to cause such redemption to be had at the redemption value of the securities or to sell the securities at not less than market value and accrued interest.
     Whenever the funds of any municipal corporation which are not required for immediate expenditure are in the custody or control of the county treasurer, and the governing body of such municipal corporation has not taken any action pertaining to the investment of any such funds, the county finance committee shall direct the county treasurer, under the investment policy of the county finance committee, to invest, to the maximum prudent extent, such funds or any portion thereof in savings or time accounts in designated qualified public depositaries or in certificates, notes, or bonds of the United States, or other obligations of the United States or its agencies, or of any corporation wholly owned by the government of the United States, in bankers' acceptances purchased on the secondary market, in federal home loan bank notes and bonds, federal land bank bonds and federal national mortgage association notes, debentures and guaranteed certificates of participation, or the obligations of any other government sponsored corporation whose obligations are or may become eligible as collateral for advances to member banks as determined by the board of governors of the federal reserve system or deposit such funds or any portion thereof in investment deposits as defined in RCW 39.58.010 secured by collateral in accordance with the provisions of chapters 39.58 and 39.59 RCW: PROVIDED, That the county treasurer shall have the power to select the specific qualified financial institution in which the funds may be invested. The interest or other earnings from such investments or deposits shall be deposited in the current expense fund of the county and may be used for general county purposes. The investment or deposit and disposition of the interest or other earnings therefrom authorized by this paragraph shall not apply to such funds as may be prohibited by the state Constitution from being so invested or deposited.

Sec. 2   RCW 36.29.022 and 1986 c 294 s 11 are each amended to read as follows:
     Upon the request of one or several units of local government that invest their money with the county under the provisions of RCW 36.29.020, the treasurer of that county may combine those units' moneys for the purposes of investment. In order to perform the daily investment activities of an investment pool, the treasurer or any person who is authorized by the treasurer to manage an investment pool must obtain at least twenty-four hours of continuing education annually in the field related to investments and at least eight hours must relate to fixed income investing. An employee who holds a chartered financial analyst designation may meet the continuing education requirement by completing the continuing education program sponsored by the chartered financial analyst institute or any successor organization. An employee who does not hold a chartered financial analyst designation may meet the continuing education requirement by tracking the hours he or she spends completing investment-related courses or training sponsored by professional organizations and associations, universities or other educational providers, investment firms, credit rating agencies, investment software vendors, and through self-study using online programs, or reading investment-related books or articles. An employee must submit documentation to the treasurer of his or her compliance with the continuing education requirement subject to the treasurer's approval of the employee's compliance with the continuing education requirement.

Sec. 3   RCW 36.29.190 and 2003 c 23 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:
     County treasurers are authorized to accept credit cards, charge cards, debit cards, smart cards, stored value cards, federal wire, and automatic clearinghouse system transactions, or other electronic communication, for any payment of any kind including, but not limited to, taxes, fines, interest, penalties, special assessments, fees, rates, charges, or moneys due counties. A payer desiring to pay by a credit card, charge card, debit card, smart card, stored value card, federal wire, automatic clearinghouse system, or other electronic communication shall bear the cost of processing the transaction in an amount determined by the treasurer((, unless)) for taxes, interest associated with taxes, and penalties associated with taxes. The treasurer's cost determination must be based upon costs incurred by the treasurer and may not, in any event, exceed the additional direct costs. Payment of taxes, interest associated with taxes, and penalties associated with taxes may be made by automatic clearinghouse system, or federal wire or other electronic communication and any fee may be absorbed within the county treasurer's banking services budget. If the county legislative authority or the legislative authority of a district where the county treasurer serves as ex officio treasurer finds that it is in the best interests of the county or district to not charge transaction processing costs for all payment transactions made for a specific category of nontax payments received by the county treasurer((,)) including, but not limited to, fines, interest not associated with taxes, penalties not associated with taxes, special assessments, fees, rates, and charges, or moneys due counties, the treasurer may elect to not charge those transaction processing costs. Interest associated with such transaction and penalties associated with such transaction may be absorbed by the county department or taxing district assessing the payment transactions. The treasurer's cost determination shall be based upon costs incurred by the treasurer and may not, in any event, exceed the additional direct costs incurred by the county to accept the specific form of payment utilized by the payer.

Sec. 4   RCW 39.72.010 and 1975-'76 2nd ex.s. c 77 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) In case of the loss or destruction of a warrant for the payment of money, or any bond or other instrument or evidence of indebtedness, issued by any county, city or town, district or other political subdivision or municipal corporation of the state of Washington, hereinafter referred to as a municipal corporation, or by any department or agency of such municipal corporation, such municipal corporation may cause a duplicate to be issued in lieu thereof, subject to the same requirements and conditions, and according to the same procedure, as prescribed for the issuance of duplicate state instruments in RCW 43.08.064 and 43.08.066 as now or hereafter amended: PROVIDED, That the requirements of RCW 43.08.066(2) shall not be applicable to instruments received by employees of the above issuers for the payment of salary or wages or as other compensation for work performed nor shall those requirements be applicable to instruments received by former employees or their beneficiaries for the payment of pension benefits.
     (2)(a) In case of the loss or destruction of a warrant for the payment of money, or any bond or other instrument or evidence of indebtedness, issued by any local government officer or agency, the officer or the agency through its appropriate officer may issue or cause to be issued a duplicate in lieu thereof, bearing the same designation and for the same amount as the original. The duplicate instrument is subject in all other respects to the same provisions of law as the original instrument.
     (b) Before a duplicate instrument is issued, the issuing officer shall require the person making application for its issue to file in his or her office a written affidavit specifically alleging on oath that he or she is the proper owner, payee, or legal representative of such owner or payee of the original instrument, giving the date of issue, the number, amount, and for what services or claim or purpose the original instrument or series of instruments of which it is a part was issued, and that the same has been lost or destroyed, and has not been paid, or has not been received by him or her: PROVIDED, That in the event that an original and its duplicate instrument are both presented for payment as a result of forgery or fraud, the issuing officer shall be the office responsible for endeavoring to recover any losses suffered by the local government.