AN ACT Relating to mobile homes; creating new sections; making an appropriation; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that the cost of mobile home rental spaces has been rapidly escalating and that the availability of rental spaces has been steadily declining. For this reason, there is established the commission on mobile home rental space availability to conduct a comprehensive examination of the problem and its impact on mobile home owners, particularly senior citizens on fixed incomes.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) The commission shall consist of the following members:

(a) Four members of the senate, two from each caucus, appointed by the president of the senate;

(b) Four members of the house of representatives, two from each caucus, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;

(c) Two representatives of cities, appointed by the association of Washington cities. One representative shall be from a city with a population of greater than fifty thousand persons and one representative shall be from a city with a population of less than fifty thousand;

(d) Two representatives of counties, appointed by the Washington state association of counties. One representative shall be from a third class county or larger and one representative shall be from a fourth class county or smaller;

(e) Two persons representing, and appointed by, the Washington mobile home park owners association; and

(f) Two persons representing, and appointed by, the mobile home owners of America.

(2) The commission shall select one of its legislative members as chairperson. Legislative members of the commission shall be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided in RCW 44.04.120 and nonlegislative members shall be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.

(3) The commission shall use legislative staff assistance which shall be provided by the appropriate legislative committees. State agencies may assign to the commission such personnel as are necessary to assist the commission in the performance of its duties. Legislative and state agency personnel shall be used to the maximum extent practical.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) The commission shall develop recommendations to:

(a) Increase competition among mobile home parks;

(b) Increase the availability of land for the development of mobile home parks; and

(c) Solve the problem of continual increases in mobile home rental spaces, including possible subsidies to allow senior citizens on fixed incomes to keep their mobile homes.

(2) The recommendations of the commission shall provide a balance between (a) the mobile home park owners' legitimate costs of doing business and the need to receive a reasonable rate of return on their investments, and (b) the limited ability of tenants to absorb rate increases.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The commission shall:

(1) Review the ordinances of local government to assess their impact on the availability of mobile home rental spaces;

(2) Consult with federal, state, and local agencies, senior citizen organizations, the real estate industry, and other groups as it considers necessary;

(3) Use, to the fullest extent possible, the services, facilities, information, and advice of public and private agencies, organizations, and individuals in order to avoid duplication of effort and expense;

(4) Hold public hearings to allow public input and involvement; and

(5) Appoint a technical advisory committee, if necessary, to advise the commission in the performance of its duties. The membership of the advisory committee shall be balanced to reflect the views of all interested parties.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. (1) The commission shall submit to the legislature a preliminary report by July 1, 1990, and a final report by July 1, 1991. Following submittal of its final report, the commission shall review and comment on any proposed legislation and administrative rules in this area.

(2) The commission shall cease to exist, and this act shall expire, on July 1, 1993.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. There is appropriated from the general fund to the commission on mobile home rental space availability for the biennium ending June 30, 1991, the sum of fifty thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, to carry out the purposes of this act.