1236-S AMH REV BYER02

SHB 1236 - H COMM AMD ADOPTED 03-16-93

By Committee on Revenue

On page 8, after line 20, strike all material through line 24 on page 9 and insert the following:

"NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. (1) There is created a water rights fees task force. The task force shall be comprised of fourteen members, who are appointed as follows:

(a) Two members of the Washington state house of representatives, one from each major caucus, to be appointed by the speaker of the house;

(b) Two members of the Washington state senate, one from each major caucus, to be appointed by the president of the senate;

(c) Ten members, to be appointed jointly by the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the senate, to represent the following interests: Agriculture, aquaculture, business, cities, counties, the state department of ecology, environmentalists, water recreation interests, water utilities, and hydropower interests. The task force may establish technical advisory committees as necessary to complete its tasks.

(2) The task force shall conduct a comprehensive review of water rights fees and related policy issues. The task force's tasks shall include but not be limited to:

(a) Identification of the costs associated with the various types of activities and services provided in the water resource program and examination of how these costs compare with the fees charged for these activities and services;

(b) Identification of appropriate accountability measures for the department to employ in administration of the water rights program. Recommendations of accountability requirements and measurements shall take into account the distinctive characteristics of the water rights program, that is, that the department receives a large number of applications on a one-time basis and that the department must meet its legal obligations under the doctrine of prior appropriation.

(c) Identification of which program activities should be eligible for cost recovery from fees, as well as which direct and indirect costs of program administration;

(d) Review of the application, examination, and water rights permit requirements for marine water users, to determine if these users should receive special consideration;

(e) Review of the definition and treatment of nonconsumptive water uses, to determine if and what special consideration should be given to these uses;

(f) Review of the fees and accounting methods for the dam safety program;

(g) Review of the findings of the water resource data management task force, and identification of the appropriate distribution of responsibility between the applicant and the department for provision of technical information and analysis; and

(h) Establishment of a reasonable time framework for completion of new and pending water rights applications, and an analysis of the staff and funding levels required to meet the established time framework."