H-3881              _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 1303

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1988 Regular Session

By Representatives Kremen, Haugen, Fuhrman, Hargrove, Braddock, Jones, Spanel and Bristow

Prefiled with Chief Clerk 1/8/88.  Read first time 1/11/88 and referred to Committee on Local Government. Referred to Committee on Ways & Means 1/22/88.

AN ACT Relating to border areas; amending RCW 66.08.190; adding a new section to chapter 66.08 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds and declares that certain counties and municipalities near international borders are subjected to a constant volume and flow of travelers and visitors for whom local government services must be provided.  The legislature further finds that it is in the public interest and for the protection of the health, property, and welfare of the residents and visitors to provide supplemental resources to augment and maintain existing levels of police protection in such areas and to alleviate the impact of such added burdens.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 66.08 RCW to read as follows:

          For the purposes of this section, the term "border area" means any incorporated city or town located within seven air miles of the Washington-Canadian border, and that area of Whatcom county commonly referred to as Point Roberts.

          Funds allocable to border areas under RCW 66.08.190 shall be distributed pursuant to a formula developed by the department of community development, by rule, based on border traffic and historical public impacts of law enforcement problems caused by the border on local budgets.  All such funds received by Whatcom county pursuant to this allocation shall be spent within the Point Roberts area.

        Sec. 3.  Section 6, chapter 175, Laws of 1957 and RCW 66.08.190 are each amended to read as follows:

          When excess funds are distributed, all moneys subject to distribution shall be disbursed as follows:

          ((Fifty)) Forty-nine and three-fourths percent to the general fund of the state, ten percent to the counties of the state, ((and)) forty percent to the incorporated cities and towns of the state, and one-fourth of one percent to the department of community development to be allocated to border areas under section 2 of this 1988 act.