HOUSE BILL REPORT

SSB 5506

BYSenate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Newhouse, Gaspard, Lee, Benitz and Anderson; by request of Department of Community Development)

Making appropriations for projects recommended by the public works board.

House Committe on Capital Facilities & Financing

Majority Report:  Do pass with amendments.  (11)

      Signed by Representatives H. Sommers, Chair; Rasmussen, Vice Chair; Schoon, Ranking Republican Member; Beck, Betrozoff, Bowman, Fraser, Jacobsen, Peery, Wang and Winsley.

House Staff:Bill Robinson (786-7136)

AS PASSED HOUSE APRIL 19, 1989

BACKGROUND:

Under Chapter 43.155 RCW, the Public Works Board, within the Department of Community Development, may make low-interest or interest-free loans to assist local governments in financing public works projects.  Eligible public works include roads, bridges, water systems, and storm and sanitary sewage systems. The statute establishes eligibility criteria for local governments and priorities for projects.  Each year, the board submits a list of projects to the Legislature for approval and appropriation.  The Legislature may delete a project from the list but may not add any projects or change the order of project priorities.

SUMMARY:

The Legislature approves the list of 64 projects submitted by the Publics Works board for loans from the public works trust fund.  The $39,931,540 appropriation includes all the projects on the list plus $1 million for unanticipated emergency public works.

Appropriation:    $39,931,540 from the public works assistance account.

Fiscal Note:      Available.

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

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Pete Butkus, Department of Community Development; Charlie Shell, City of Seattle; Jim Justin, Association of Washington Cities.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    The public works program meets the needs of smaller cities.  The Department of Community Development provides a good service and the accountability to serve local governments.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.

VOTE ON FINAL PASSAGE:

      Yeas 98