S-0191.1

SENATE BILL 5344

BySenators Schoesler, Dozier, Braun, Wagoner, Warnick, MacEwen, and Torres

AN ACT Relating to a public school revolving fund; amending RCW 43.84.092; adding new sections to chapter 43.79 RCW; and providing a contingent effective date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 43.79 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The public school revolving fund shall be established and maintained in the state treasury.

(2) Money may be placed in the public school revolving fund from the proceeds of bonds when authorized by the legislature or any other lawful source.

(3) Moneys in the public school revolving fund may be spent only after appropriation. Expenditures from the fund may only be used to provide loans to school districts for capital projects.

(4) Moneys received from school districts as repayment for capital project loans must be placed in the public school revolving fund.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 43.79 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The public school revolving fund and the public school revolving fund board shall be governed by the provisions in Article IX, section . . . (Senate Joint Resolution No. . . . . (S-0192/23)) and this section.

(2) The public school revolving fund board shall establish and administer an application and review procedure for eligible school districts that want to apply for low-interest or interest-free loans for capital projects. The board may develop additional criteria related to applicant eligibility, prioritization of recipients, and loan amounts. The office of the state treasurer must provide administrative and staff support to the board.

(3)(a) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, to qualify for a low-interest or interest-free loan from the public school revolving fund, the public school revolving fund board must determine that:

(i) The capital project qualifies for state funding assistance under the school construction assistance program;

(ii) The school has not authorized an additional tax levy within the last year for the purpose of repaying principal or interest on the loan; and

(iii) The school district board of directors is not using the loan to refinance existing debt or financial obligations of the school district.

(b) The public school revolving fund board may make low-interest or interest-free loans to school districts for emergency capital projects that have not qualified for the school construction assistance program. The loans may be used to help fund all or part of an emergency public works project less any reimbursement from any of the following sources: (i) Federal disaster or emergency funds, including funds from the federal emergency management agency; (ii) state disaster or emergency funds; (iii) insurance settlements; or (iv) litigation.

Sec. 3. RCW 43.84.092 and 2022 c 182 s 404 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) All earnings of investments of surplus balances in the state treasury shall be deposited to the treasury income account, which account is hereby established in the state treasury.

(2) The treasury income account shall be utilized to pay or receive funds associated with federal programs as required by the federal cash management improvement act of 1990. The treasury income account is subject in all respects to chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for refunds or allocations of interest earnings required by the cash management improvement act. Refunds of interest to the federal treasury required under the cash management improvement act fall under RCW 43.88.180 and shall not require appropriation. The office of financial management shall determine the amounts due to or from the federal government pursuant to the cash management improvement act. The office of financial management may direct transfers of funds between accounts as deemed necessary to implement the provisions of the cash management improvement act, and this subsection. Refunds or allocations shall occur prior to the distributions of earnings set forth in subsection (4) of this section.

(3) Except for the provisions of RCW 43.84.160, the treasury income account may be utilized for the payment of purchased banking services on behalf of treasury funds including, but not limited to, depository, safekeeping, and disbursement functions for the state treasury and affected state agencies. The treasury income account is subject in all respects to chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for payments to financial institutions. Payments shall occur prior to distribution of earnings set forth in subsection (4) of this section.

(4) Monthly, the state treasurer shall distribute the earnings credited to the treasury income account. The state treasurer shall credit the general fund with all the earnings credited to the treasury income account except:

(a) The following accounts and funds shall receive their proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's and fund's average daily balance for the period: The abandoned recreational vehicle disposal account, the aeronautics account, the Alaskan Way viaduct replacement project account, the brownfield redevelopment trust fund account, the budget stabilization account, the capital vessel replacement account, the capitol building construction account, the Central Washington University capital projects account, the charitable, educational, penal and reformatory institutions account, the Chehalis basin account, the Chehalis basin taxable account, the cleanup settlement account, the climate active transportation account, the climate transit programs account, the Columbia river basin water supply development account, the Columbia river basin taxable bond water supply development account, the Columbia river basin water supply revenue recovery account, the common school construction fund, the community forest trust account, the connecting Washington account, the county arterial preservation account, the county criminal justice assistance account, the deferred compensation administrative account, the deferred compensation principal account, the department of licensing services account, the department of retirement systems expense account, the developmental disabilities community services account, the diesel idle reduction account, the drinking water assistance account, the administrative subaccount of the drinking water assistance account, the early learning facilities development account, the early learning facilities revolving account, the Eastern Washington University capital projects account, the education construction fund, the education legacy trust account, the election account, the electric vehicle account, the energy freedom account, the energy recovery act account, the essential rail assistance account, The Evergreen State College capital projects account, the fair start for kids account, the ferry bond retirement fund, the fish, wildlife, and conservation account, the freight mobility investment account, the freight mobility multimodal account, the grade crossing protective fund, the public health services account, the state higher education construction account, the higher education construction account, the higher education retirement plan supplemental benefit fund, the highway bond retirement fund, the highway infrastructure account, the highway safety fund, the hospital safety net assessment fund, the Interstate 405 and state route number 167 express toll lanes account, the judges' retirement account, the judicial retirement administrative account, the judicial retirement principal account, the limited fish and wildlife account, the local leasehold excise tax account, the local real estate excise tax account, the local sales and use tax account, the marine resources stewardship trust account, the medical aid account, the money-purchase retirement savings administrative account, the money-purchase retirement savings principal account, the motor vehicle fund, the motorcycle safety education account, the move ahead WA account, the move ahead WA flexible account, the multimodal transportation account, the multiuse roadway safety account, the municipal criminal justice assistance account, the oyster reserve land account, the pension funding stabilization account, the perpetual surveillance and maintenance account, the pilotage account, the pollution liability insurance agency underground storage tank revolving account, the public employees' retirement system plan 1 account, the public employees' retirement system combined plan 2 and plan 3 account, the public facilities construction loan revolving account, the public health supplemental account, the public school revolving fund, the public works assistance account, the Puget Sound capital construction account, the Puget Sound ferry operations account, the Puget Sound Gateway facility account, the Puget Sound taxpayer accountability account, the real estate appraiser commission account, the recreational vehicle account, the regional mobility grant program account, the resource management cost account, the rural arterial trust account, the rural mobility grant program account, the rural Washington loan fund, the sexual assault prevention and response account, the site closure account, the skilled nursing facility safety net trust fund, the small city pavement and sidewalk account, the special category C account, the special wildlife account, the state investment board expense account, the state investment board commingled trust fund accounts, the state patrol highway account, the state reclamation revolving account, the state route number 520 civil penalties account, the state route number 520 corridor account, the statewide broadband account, the statewide tourism marketing account, the supplemental pension account, the Tacoma Narrows toll bridge account, the teachers' retirement system plan 1 account, the teachers' retirement system combined plan 2 and plan 3 account, the tobacco prevention and control account, the tobacco settlement account, the toll facility bond retirement account, the transportation 2003 account (nickel account), the transportation equipment fund, the transportation future funding program account, the transportation improvement account, the transportation improvement board bond retirement account, the transportation infrastructure account, the transportation partnership account, the traumatic brain injury account, the University of Washington bond retirement fund, the University of Washington building account, the voluntary cleanup account, the volunteer firefighters' and reserve officers' relief and pension principal fund, the volunteer firefighters' and reserve officers' administrative fund, the vulnerable roadway user education account, the Washington judicial retirement system account, the Washington law enforcement officers' and firefighters' system plan 1 retirement account, the Washington law enforcement officers' and firefighters' system plan 2 retirement account, the Washington public safety employees' plan 2 retirement account, the Washington school employees' retirement system combined plan 2 and 3 account, the Washington state patrol retirement account, the Washington State University building account, the Washington State University bond retirement fund, the water pollution control revolving administration account, the water pollution control revolving fund, the Western Washington University capital projects account, the Yakima integrated plan implementation account, the Yakima integrated plan implementation revenue recovery account, and the Yakima integrated plan implementation taxable bond account. Earnings derived from investing balances of the agricultural permanent fund, the normal school permanent fund, the permanent common school fund, the scientific permanent fund, and the state university permanent fund shall be allocated to their respective beneficiary accounts.

(b) Any state agency that has independent authority over accounts or funds not statutorily required to be held in the state treasury that deposits funds into a fund or account in the state treasury 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 treasury accounts or funds shall be allocated earnings without the specific affirmative directive of this section.

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