FINAL BILL REPORT
ESSB 6456
PARTIAL VETO
C 348 L 98
Synopsis as Enacted
Brief Description: Funding transportation.
Sponsors: Senate Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators Prince, Haugen, Wood, Kline and Horn; by request of Governor Locke).
Senate Committee on Transportation
House Committee on Transportation Policy & Budget
Background: The transportation budget provides appropriations to the major transportation agencies C the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Washington State Patrol (WSP), the Department of Licensing (DOL), the Transportation Improvement Board (TIB), and the County Road Administration Board (CRAB). It also provides appropriations to many smaller transportation agencies and appropriates transportation funds and accounts to general government agencies.
Two-thirds of the moneys appropriated in the transportation budget are for capital programs, and one-third is for operating programs.
The motor vehicle fund is the primary funding source of transportation programs, providing for 43 percent, or $1.3 billion, of transportation appropriations in the 1997-99 transportation budget.
The 1995-97 transportation budget totaled $3.3 billion. The 1997-99 transportation budget totals $2.9 billion.
Summary: Supplemental appropriations are made to transportation agencies for the 1997-99 biennium. The total 1997-99 supplemental budget is $194.9 million, which brings the revised biennial transportation appropriation to $3.091 billion.
DOT Current Law and New Revenue Recommendations
$$91 million is provided for the following projects within current law revenue.
-A $27 million list of statewide freight mobility, economic development, and partnership projects (referred to as the $50 million project list). The total six-year project cost is $43 million. Funds vetoed by the Governor last session are used.
-$60 million of transportation dollars, federal dollars and general fund transfer is development projects, $2 million for corridor studies, and $45 million for preliminary engineering and right-of-way.
-$1 million for Ebey Slough Bridge.
-$2 million is transferred to the Advanced Environmental Mitigation Revolving Account to purchase and develop sites to meet environmental requirements on future construction projects.
-$0.5 million is provided for fish passage barrier removal.
-$0.6 million is provided for Centralia area flood mitigation.
$$14 million is provided for Special Category AC@ projects (SR 18 construction and SR 395 preconstruction). If $60 million bond bill is not enacted, $4 million is provided (SR 18 construction only).
$$12 million is appropriated for the Year 2000 conversion effort.
$13 of the 19 items related to the marine operating program are funded. Combinations of three types of items are considered: (1) one-year funding pending audits; (2) items not approved in 1997 because of audits; and (3) new items. $0.9 million in savings is taken from lower fuel costs and late delivery of the new Jumbo ferry.
$$3.5 million is provided for ferry terminal preservation projects.
$$3 million is provided for preconstruction activities related to construction of four passenger-only ferries and associated docking facilities.
$$2.7 million is provided for the Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks (CVISN) program transferred from WSP to DOT.
$$2.5 million is provided for the commute trip reduction program from the high capacity transportation account.
$$4 million is provided from the high capacity transportation account for facility improvements to match the federal commitment to improve passenger rail service between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C.
$Funding is reappropriated for highway, ferry and aviation programs.
$DOT is required to conduct a program evaluation of the Public/Private Initiatives (PPI) program ($100,000) within current appropriation authority.
$$1 million is provided for increased noxious weed control along state highways.
$$0.5 million is provided for the rural mobility program.
DOT Items Contingent on the Passage of the Referendum ($48.2 million)
- $0.5 million for freight rail branch line rehabilitation;
- $10 million for passenger rail infrastructure and facilities;
-$0.4 million for SR 2 safety improvements;
-$0.4 million for Port of Benton study;
-$0.8 million for Spokane Street median barrier (Seattle);
-$0.2 million for railroad crossing in Steilacoom;
-$0.6 million is provided for SR 166, Ross Point slope repair;
-$0.3 million is provided for SR 536, Memorial Highway Bridge; and
-$35 million is placed in reserve for preconstruction activities.
$The total request is for $197.0 million in transportation funds.
WSP Current Law Recommendations
$$302,000 is provided for Medicare coverage for commissioned officers hired prior to 1986 if the majority of the officers vote for the coverage.
$$1,580,000 is provided for transportation=s share of the WSP data center shortfall and transition costs to the Department of Information Services (DIS) data center.
$$289,000 is provided for vehicle license fraud enforcement.
$$350,000 is provided for the Vancouver commercial vehicle enforcement inspection building.
$$461,000 funds the WSP portion of the fuel tax enforcement program.
$$26,000 is provided for fiscal year 1999 vehicle inspection number (VIN) lane costs.
$$1 million in reversions and savings is realized.
$General fund activities transferred to the transportation fund in 1993-95 are returned to the general fund. The general fund is to assume a portion of the Technical Services and Communications Division of the WSP.
$The general fund is assuming $12.4 million in general fund activities.
$The total supplement budget request is $2 million in transportation funds, excluding the general fund transfer.
DOL Current Law Recommendation
$$339,000 is provided for the Year 2000 conversion effort.
$$2.8 million is provided to replace the Wang Imaging System instead of spending $1.2 million to bring an obsolete system into Year 2000 compliance.
$$2.6 million is provided to implement the recommendations of the Business and Technology Assessment Project (BTAP).
$$331,000 and 2.2 full time equivalents (FTEs) are provided for additional staffing in Vancouver and Yakima.
$$2.4 million is provided to implement proposed legislation, including $1.5 million to implement proposed driving under the influence (DUI) legislation.
$$4.4 million in reversions and savings is realized.
$The total supplemental budget is $4.7 million in transportation funds.
General Government Agencies
$$10,000 is provided for the Department of Agriculture to conduct laboratory analysis of diesel fuel samples to detect illegally-blended diesel fuel.
$The Office of Financial Management and the Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development are transferred to the general fund.
Legislative Transportation Committee
$$1 million is provided for the creation of a special panel to conduct an analysis of existing transportation funding mechanisms and to propose solutions for long-term financing of transportation.
$$150,000 is provided for a performance and management audit of selected public transportation systems to determine their effectiveness and efficiency.
$The total supplemental budget is $1.2 million in transportation funds.
Votes on Final Passage:
Senate 45 1
House 81 15 (House amended)
Senate 26 23 (Senate concurred)
Effective: April 3, 1998
Partial Veto Summary: The following items are vetoed:
$The study for design build contracting;
$Blue Ribbon Panel directives;
$No salary increases for positions above Washington State Patrol captains;
$Removal of obsolete DOL Business and Technology Assessment Project language;
$DOL technical corrections;
$Appropriations for DOL bills not passed;
$The directive for DOT to develop prioritization of highway infrastructure projects;
$The prohibition for DOT to contract out for engineering services;
$Funding for the program evaluation and audit of the Public/Private Initiatives program;
$The Transportation Commission to develop a comprehensive policy on tolls;
$DOT to develop a plan for preservation work on the Hood Canal bridge;
$Funding for the King Street Station;
$The directive for the preparation of a plan to consolidate the TIB, CRAB and TransAid;
$The transportation study on rented buildings in Thurston County to propose facility alternatives instead of renting;
$The increase for bond sale expenses;
$Directing the Legislature to receive agency budget documents when the OFM receives the documents;
$The requirement that DOT use appropriations to fund projects identified in the TEIS capital system; and
$Repeal of a section that appropriated $10 million into reserve status as a contingency if the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) is not enacted.