SENATE BILL REPORT

                  SHB 1212

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

           Government Operations, February 19, 1998

Title:  An act relating to the combining of water and sewer districts.

Brief Description:  Making corrections regarding combining water‑sewer districts.

Sponsors:  House Committee on Government Administration (originally sponsored by Representatives D. Schmidt, Scott, Mielke and Dunn).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Government Operations:  3/20/97; 2/19/98 [DPA].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.

  Signed by Senators Hale, Vice Chair; Haugen, Horn, Patterson and T. Sheldon.

Staff:  Eugene Green (786-7405)

Background:  Legislation was enacted in 1996 consolidating water district laws with sewer district laws and making a number of technical changes to these laws.  Among other changes, the term Asewer system,@ which had been defined to include both sanitary sewers and drainage systems, was altered to only apply to sanitary sewer systems and separate provisions were added for drainage systems.  These units of local government were renamed as water-sewer districts.  This legislation had a delayed effective date until July 1, 1997.

Summary of Amended Bill:  A variety of changes are made relating to the consolidation of water district laws with sewer district laws.

The distinction between sanitary sewer systems and drainage systems, initiated in the 1996 legislation consolidating sewer district and water district statutes, is continued, and various laws are amended to make this distinction.

It is clarified that a purchase of materials, supplies, or equipment with a value of from $10,000 to less than $50,000 is made using a general vendor list process provided for a number of local governments.

References to either Awater districts@ or Asewer districts@ are altered to Awater-sewer districts.@

Amended Bill Compared to Substitute Bill:  The striking amendment makes technical changes and eliminates an outdated emergency clause.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  This bill is simply a cleanup of the combining of Title 56 (sewer districts) and Title 57 (water districts).

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  PRO:  Joe Daniels, Washington Association of Sewer and Water Districts; Steve Lindstrom, Sno-King Water District Coalition.