S-3264               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 6149

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                        1989 First Special Session

By Senators Thorsness, Lee, Craswell, McCaslin, Anderson, Smith, Cantu, Benitz, Matson and Metcalf

Read first time 4/26/89 and referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

AN ACT Relating to reducing legislative per diem and appropriations to the governor as an incentive for concluding extraordinary sessions of the legislature; amending RCW 44.04.120; adding a new section to chapter 43.88 RCW; and declaring an emergency.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 1, chapter 10, Laws of 1959 ex. sess. as last amended by section 1, chapter 3, Laws of 1985 and RCW 44.04.120 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Each member of the senate or house of representatives when serving on official legislative business shall be entitled to receive, in lieu of per diem or any other payment, for each day or major portion thereof in which he is actually engaged in legislative business or business of the committee, commission, or council, notwithstanding any laws to the contrary, an allowance in an amount fixed by the secretary of the senate and chief clerk of the house, respectively, in accordance with applicable rules and resolutions of each body.  Such allowance shall be reasonably calculated to reimburse expenses, exclusive of mileage, which are ordinary and necessary in the conduct of legislative business, recognizing cost variances which are encountered in different locales.  The allowance authorized shall not exceed the greater of forty-four dollars per day or the maximum daily amount determined under RCW 43.03.050, as now or hereafter amended.  In addition, a mileage allowance shall be paid at the rate per mile provided for in RCW 43.03.060, as now or hereafter amended, when authorized by the house, committee, commission, or council of which he is a member and on the business of which he is engaged.

(2) During any extraordinary session of the legislature pursuant to Article II, section 12(2) of the state Constitution, the allowance established under subsection (1) of this section shall be reduced by ten percent during the first five days of the session, twenty percent during the next ten days, and twenty-five percent during the remainder of the extraordinary session.  An amount equal to the allowances not paid under this subsection shall be deposited by the chief clerk of the house of representatives and the secretary of the senate in the account established under section 2(2) of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 43.88 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) For each day of an extraordinary session of the legislature pursuant to Article II, section 12(2) of the state Constitution, the director of financial management shall remove from appropriated status one percent of the state general funds appropriated for the operation of the office of the governor.

          (2) The funds removed from appropriated status under this section, together with the moneys identified in RCW 44.04.120(2), shall be deposited in the state conservancy account hereby created in the state treasury.  Moneys in the account may be appropriated by the legislature solely for the purpose of acquiring or improving lands for wildlife habitat, conservation, or public recreation purposes.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     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.