HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 2674

BYRepresentatives G. Fisher, Hine, Brough, R. Fisher, Heavey, Brumsickle, R. Meyers, Rector, Belcher, Prentice, Todd, Valle, Crane, Inslee, Locke, Cooper, Walker, Nelson, P. King, Ferguson, Jacobsen, Dellwo, Forner, Wineberry, Betrozoff and McLean

Creating the Air Transportation Commission.

House Committe on Transportation

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (22)

      Signed by Representatives R. Fisher, Chair; Baugher, Vice Chair, Eastern Washington; R. Meyers, Vice Chair, Western Washington; Schmidt, Ranking Republican Member; Wood, Assistant Ranking Republican Member; Basich, Bennett, Betrozoff, Cantwell, Cooper, Day, G. Fisher, Forner, Hankins, Jones, Nelson, Prentice, Smith, D. Sommers, Todd, S. Wilson and Zellinsky.

House Staff:Cathy Mayo (786-7304)

Rereferred House Committee on Appropriations

Majority Report:  The substitute bill by Committee on Transportation be substituted therefor and the substitute bill as amended by Committee on Appropriations do pass.  (21)

      Signed by Representatives Locke, Chair; Grant, Vice Chair; H. Sommers, Vice Chair; Belcher, Brekke, Brough, Dorn, Ebersole, Ferguson, Hine, Inslee, May, McLean, Nealey, Rust, Sayan, Spanel, Sprenkle, Valle, Wang and Wineberry.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.  (3)

      Signed by Representatives Silver, Ranking Republican Member; Youngsman, Assistant Ranking Republican Member; and Bowman.

House Staff:      Karl Herzog (786-7271)

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS FEBRUARY 24, 1990

BACKGROUND:

A number of studies have been commissioned in recent years to review and make recommendations relative to current air traffic problems, airport needs, aircraft noise abatement, air carrier systems, and long-range regional airport planning.  There is a concern that such studies will not be utilized to the maximum if there is not a centralized commission established to coordinate and utilize all of the data that is being compiled by each study and to make policy recommendations.

SUMMARY:

SUBSTITUTE BILL:  Concerns about the environmental and health impacts of air traffic are increasing with the air traffic operations in the Puget Sound area.  The Legislature also recognizes the need for improved coordination of local, federal, and state efforts to develop a statewide air transportation policy.

An Air Transportation Commission, composed of 22 voting members, is created.  The governor shall appoint 19 members as follows:  four elected city officials, with at least one from a small city or town and one from a large city that is involved in a regional airport system study; four elected county officials, with at least one from a small county affected by air traffic problems, and one from a large county that is involved in a regional airport system study; two citizens, one representing the east and the other the west side of the state; three representatives of the airline industry; two representatives of ports, one from a class A county; the governor or designee; a member of the Sea-Tac noise mediation project; a member of an Eastern Washington metropolitan planning organization; and a member of a Western Washington metropolitan planning organization.  The remaining three members shall be the secretary of transportation or a designee; the assistant secretary of the Aeronautics Division of the Department of Transportation; and the director of the Washington State Transportation Center.  The chair of the Legislative Transportation Committee (LTC) shall appoint four members of the Legislature to serve as nonvoting members of the commission.  The manager of the Seattle Airports Division, northwest region of the Federal Aviation Administration, shall serve as a nonvoting member.

The commission shall study Washington's long-range air transportation needs and assess the local impacts of increasing air traffic.  It shall study intermodal transportation systems between airports and economic and population centers.  It shall make recommendations to the Legislature on future state air transportation policy, including expansion of existing and potential air carrier and reliever facilities and siting.  The commission shall take into account state, local, and regional air transportation planning efforts in the development of its recommendations.

The commission is empowered to select a chair from its membership, adopt rules, and employ staff as necessary.  It may contract with consultants, and may petition for Federal Aviation Administration matching funds, following consultation with the DOT.  Expenses for the commission, including staff support, shall be paid from the transportation fund or the General Fund.  The DOT, the LTC and the Washington State Transportation Center may provide additional staff support.  The LTC must approve the commission's budget plan prior to expenditure of funds.

The commission shall present its report to the LTC by December 1, 1994, with an interim report in December, 1992.

The commission shall be dissolved June 30, 1995.

SUBSTITUTE BILL COMPARED TO ORIGINAL:  The role of the Air Transportation Commission in the development of air transportation policies is emphasized.

The membership of the commission is decreased from 26 voting members to 22.

The commission's area of study is expanded to include a study of intermodal transportation systems between airports and economic and population centers.  It is directed to take into account state, local, and regional air transportation planning efforts in the formulation of its own recommendations.

The expenses of the commission shall be paid from the transportation fund or the General Fund.  The commission may petition the Federal Aviation Administration for matching funds, following consultation with the DOT.  Additional staff support may be provided to the commission by the DOT, the LTC, and the Washington State Transportation Center.

The bill no longer contains an appropriation.

CHANGES PROPOSED BY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS (AMENDMENT):  Language that provides for general fund support of the Air Transportation Commission is deleted.

Fiscal Note:      Available.

Effective Date:The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    (Transportation) No one.

(Appropriations) No one.

House Committee - Testified Against:      (Transportation) Bill Hamilton, Aeronautics Division, Department of Transportation; Price Miller, Sr., Washington Pilots Association; Steve Sewell, Port of Seattle; and Joe Sims, Sea-Tac International Airport.

(Appropriations) No one.

House Committee - Testimony For:    (Transportation) None.

(Appropriations) None.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      (Transportation) The Aeronautics Account, which was the funding source in the original bill, would not have sufficient funding left over to administer its currently mandated aeronautic functions.  The Aeronautics Account money is derived from 3 percent of aircraft fuel tax from all aircraft except the commercial drivers, which are a primary concern of this legislation.

(Appropriations) None.