AN ACT Relating to the Washington state firearm range committee facility; adding a new section to chapter 77.32 RCW; creating new sections; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature recognizes that interest has been steadily increasing in archery and archery safety; law enforcement training and qualifications; target practice and safety; skeet, trap, and shotgun sports including dog training; and black powder shooting sports and related historical heritage activities. Current facilities for sporting training and practice, which are often leased, are threatened with being closed due to the pressures of urban growth. Acquisition and development of an accessible state facility of international Olympic quality will promote international competition, target practice and safety training, and Olympic-type training events. Having such a facility in the state will promote tourism and provide added recreational opportunities and greater hunting safety for the citizens of this state.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) The Washington state firearm range committee is created.

(2) The committee shall be composed of eight members appointed by the governor. The members shall be appointed as follows:

(a) One from a local government law enforcement agency;

(b) One from a state-wide law enforcement agency;

(d) One from a state-wide group or division of a state-wide group that emphasizes target practice and target practice safety including but not limited to iron silhouette competition, small bore competition, and big bore competition;

(e) One representative of a skeet, trap, shotgun and dog training sports group;

(f) One representative of a group involved with black powder shooting sports and related historical heritage events;

(g) One representative from an archery and archery safety group; and

(h) One representative of the general public.

(3) There shall be four nonvoting ex officio members, one from each caucus of the senate and the house of representatives, approved by the lieutenant governor or the speaker of the house of representatives, as appropriate.

(4) The members of the committee shall select one of its members as chair. The committee shall meet at the call of the chair.

(5) Committee members shall not receive compensation but shall be reimbursed for travel expenses under RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The Washington state firearm range committee shall have the following powers and duties:

(1) Assess local, state, federal, and tribal law enforcement needs in cooperation with the association of sheriffs and police chiefs and the criminal justice training commission;

(2) Assess sporting needs for each user type including number of user days and financial contributions to the facility and to the state's economy;

(3) Survey the existing public and private firearm facilities to assess excess demands;

(4) Review similar facilities in other states or countries including the Olympic firearm training center in Colorado Springs;

(5) Develop a proposed public and private use and cost ratio and a program for phased development and cost sharing for planning, construction, and operation;

(6) In cooperation with the department of natural resources and other state and local agencies, identify state lands that may be used for a facility;

(7) Fully investigate private and state liability issues and prepare proposals for liability limitations, insurance needs, and costs;

(8) Analyze the appropriate state role in the facility planning, development, and use, including possible contracting options; and

(9) Investigate and prepare recommendations on private and public funding sources including private donations and grants and county, city, and state funding.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. (1) The committee shall assess needs of all areas of the state and select a central site and possible satellite sites throughout the state.

(2) The committee shall assess the existing hunter education program and review the use of all funds under the federal aid in wildlife restoration act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The wildlife department, the department of natural resources, the department of trade and economic development, the parks and recreation commission, the house of representatives, and the senate shall provide support staff for the committee.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The committee may apply for and use private and public grant moneys to carry out its responsibilities under this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. The committee shall prepare a report and submit it to the legislature by January 1, 1990. The committee shall terminate February 1, 1990.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. (1) There is hereby imposed a temporary fee surcharge on all hunting licenses and all hunting tags. The surcharge on hunting licenses shall be one dollar per license. The surcharge on hunting tags shall be fifty cents per hunting tag.

(2) The revenues obtained under subsection (1) of this section shall be placed in the firearm range construction account.

(3) This section shall terminate December 1, 1991.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. A new section is added to chapter 77.32 RCW to read as follows:

The firearm range account is hereby created in the state game fund. Moneys in the account shall be subject to legislative appropriation and shall be used for land, construction and development of firearm ranges.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 10. The sum of ten thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1989, from the general fund to the firearm range committee for the purposes of this act.