S-2003               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 6038

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Senators Matson, Vognild, Sellar, Warnke and Newhouse

Read first time 2/23/89 and referred to Committee on  Ways & Means.

AN ACT Relating to the search and rescue fund; and adding new sections to chapter 77.12 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature recognizes that the sheriffs of this state incur extraordinary costs each year in performing necessary search and rescue missions.  Search and rescue missions for hunters and fishers are generally more expensive than others because many occur in late fall and winter and may involve chartered helicopters, four-wheel drive vehicles, snowmobiles, boats, outfitters and their horses, or search dog teams.

          The purpose of sections 1 and 2 of this act is to establish a search and rescue fund which may be used to reimburse sheriffs for extraordinary costs incurred during search and rescue missions for licensed hunters and fishers, those who will contribute to the fund.  The fund shall be administered by the department of wildlife and will be created by revenues generated by a twenty-five cent surcharge on all hunting and fishing licenses sold.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     (1) The search and rescue fund is established for licensed hunters and fishers.  The fund shall assist any agency or political subdivision of the state of Washington which incurs extraordinary costs in search and rescue activities involving licensed hunters and fishers.  Reimbursable costs are limited to actual operational expenses and shall not include salaries paid to persons permanently employed by the agency or political subdivision.

          (2) A surcharge of twenty-five cents shall be assessed on each hunting and fishing license listed in RCW 77.32.010 and sold by the department or license dealers.  Receipts and interest from the surcharge shall be deposited in the search and rescue fund created in subsection (1) of this section.

          (3) All agencies and political subdivisions of this state shall have the right to make a claim on the search and rescue fund for rescue activities involving licensed hunters and fishers.  All claims shall be submitted to the department for consideration.  The department shall establish rules by which such claims shall be approved and processed, or denied.

          (4) The search and rescue fund created in subsection (1) of this section shall be the sole source of funds for the reimbursement of costs incurred under this section in search and rescue activities involving licensed hunters and fishers.

          (5) The moneys in the search and rescue fund created in subsection (1) of this section shall be subject to annual appropriation by the legislature for the direct and indirect cost of the administration of this section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     Sections 1 and 2 of this act are each added to chapter 77.12 RCW.