6121-S.E AMH TEH H4447.1

6121-S.E AMH TEH H4447.1

ESSB 6121 - H COMM AMD

By Committee on Trade, Economic Development & Housing

Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:

"NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) Economic development programs, which include work force training, industrial modernization, and export assistance, have become increasingly important to state efforts to encourage employment growth, increased state revenues, and general economic well-being. Economic trends are rapidly changing and markets have become increasingly competitive as states and countries seek to improve and safeguard their own economic well-being. The purpose of the executive-legislative committee on economic development policy is to provide responsive and consistent involvement by the executive branch and the legislature in economic development efforts to maintain a healthy state economy and to provide employment opportunities to Washington residents.

(2) There is created an executive-legislative committee on economic development policy which shall consist of the governor or the governor's representative, five members appointed by the governor, six senators, and six members of the house of representatives. Members shall be appointed for one-year terms.

(3) The governor's appointees to the committee shall include one representative of businesses with five hundred or fewer employees, one representative of businesses with greater than five hundred employees, and two representatives of labor, and may include state agency directors or their representatives.

(4) The senate members of the committee shall be appointed by the president of the senate and the house members of the committee shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives. Not more than three members from each house shall be from the same political party.

(5) The committee shall have three co-chairs: (a) The governor or the governor's representative, (b) a senator appointed from the majority caucus by the president of the senate, and (c) a house member appointed from the majority party by the speaker of the house of representatives.

(6) A list of appointees shall be submitted by June 1, 1994, and thereafter before the close of each regular legislative session or any successive special session for confirmation of senate members by the senate, and confirmation of house members by the house of representatives. Vacancies shall be filled by the appointing authority.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The committee shall by majority vote establish subcommittees, and prescribe rules of procedure which are consistent with this chapter for itself and its subcommittees. The committee shall be convened within ninety days of the end of each regular legislative session to establish its work plan and meeting dates for the year. The committee may invite nonmembers of the committee to serve as subcommittee members, but such subcommittee members shall not receive the reimbursement provided for by section 5 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) The committee or its subcommittees are authorized to:

(a) Study and review economic development issues, including work force training, industrial modernization, technology diffusion, sustainable development, export assistance, tourism, investment, and entrepreneurial development; and to assist the governor and the legislature in developing comprehensive and consistent economic development policies.

(b) Develop, in conjunction with the department of community, trade, and economic development and other state agencies, a strategic plan with implementation steps and evaluation criteria for state-supported economic development activities in the state.

(c) Monitor the economic development efforts which address issues specified in this section of the department of community, trade, and economic development, and other state agencies.

(2) The committee's work may include but is not limited to:

(a) Evaluating existing state policies, laws, and programs which promote or affect economic development and determine their cost-effectiveness, level of cooperation with other public and private agencies, and consistency with sustainable development precepts;

(b) Monitoring economic trends, and developing for review by the governor and the legislature such appropriate state responses as may be deemed effective and appropriate;

(c) Monitoring economic development policies and programs of other states and nations and evaluating their effectiveness;

(d) Determining the economic impact of various business or industrial sectors upon the state's economy;

(e) Assessing the need for and effect of federal, regional, and state cooperation in economic development policies and programs; and

(f) Developing and evaluating legislative proposals and administrative initiatives and plans concerning the issues specified in this section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The committee shall receive the necessary staff support from the staff resources of the governor, the senate, and the house of representatives.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The members of the committee shall serve without additional compensation, but shall be reimbursed for their travel expenses, in accordance with RCW 44.04.120 for members of the legislature or by the office of the governor under RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060 for the governor's appointees, incurred while attending sessions of the committee or meetings of any subcommittee of the committee, while engaged on other committee business authorized by the committee, and while going to and coming from committee sessions or committee meetings.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The committee shall cooperate, act, and work with legislative committees, executive agencies, representatives of the private sector and the nonprofit sector with an interest in economic development, and with the councils or committees of other states similar to this committee and with other interstate research or policy organizations.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. The following acts or parts of acts are each repealed:

(1) RCW 44.52.010 and 1985 c 467 s 17;

(2) RCW 44.52.020 and 1985 c 467 s 18;

(3) RCW 44.52.030 and 1985 c 467 s 19;

(4) RCW 44.52.040 and 1985 c 467 s 20;

(5) RCW 44.52.050 and 1985 c 467 s 21;

(6) RCW 44.52.060 and 1985 c 467 s 22; and

(7) RCW 44.52.070 and 1985 c 467 s 23.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. Sections 1 through 6 of this act are each added to chapter 44.52 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. A new section is added to chapter 43.131 RCW to read as follows:

The executive-legislative committee on economic development policy and its powers and duties shall be terminated on June 30, 1996, as provided in section 10 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 10. A new section is added to chapter 43.131 RCW to read as follows:

The following acts or parts of acts as now existing or hereafter amended are each repealed, effective June 30, 1997:

(1) Section 1 of this act;

(2) Section 2 of this act;

(3) Section 3 of this act;

(4) Section 4 of this act;

(5) Section 5 of this act; and

(6) Section 6 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 11. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 12. 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 April 1, 1994."