H-4462              _______________________________________________

                                          SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL NO. 2921

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1990 Regular Session

By House Committee on Trade & Economic Development (originally sponsored by Representatives Inslee, Doty, Baugher, Rayburn, Hargrove and Vekich)

Read first time 2/2/90.

AN ACT Relating to economic development; adding new sections to chapter 43.31 RCW; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds that economic growth is taking place unevenly across the state causing some areas to suffer negative impacts from too much growth while other areas experience difficulty in attracting adequate economic development.  The state has an interest in reducing the negative impacts of growth in rapidly growing areas while assisting firms and industries located in these areas to relocate or expand into areas of the state in need of economic development.

          The legislature finds that there is a need to:

          (1) Limit negative impacts of growth in highly developed areas;

          (2) Aid regional economies that show promise for economic development but lack adequately prepared industrial locations and have significant rates of poverty;

          (3) Increase the number of industrial location alternatives available in local areas for companies considering expansion alternatives in low-growth, yet promising areas; and

          (4) Provide job opportunities in metropolitan areas with sufficient population and service bases, but without adequate industrial infrastructure.

          The legislature finds that Yakima county and many areas of our state possess the necessary population and potential for economic development but lack the industrial parks and locations that are necessary to attract firms and industries from high-growth parts of the state.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     The department shall establish an industrial growth management program to determine how effective an industrial development site is in achieving the goals under section 1 of this act.  This program may provide assistance to Yakima county and other areas of the state in the development of industrial parks, including water, sanitary sewer, natural gas and electrical utilities, drainage, road networks, and lighting.  This program shall provide assessments of the economic development potential of industrial park sites in areas requesting such an assessment from the department.  The department shall report to the trade and economic development committee in the house of representatives and the economic development and labor committee in the senate and the fiscal committees in the legislature by December 31, 1990.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     Sections 1 and 2 of this act are each added to chapter 43.31 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.