S-4714

AN ACT Relating to community athletic facilities; and adding a new chapter to Title 43 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature recognizes that coordinated funding efforts are needed to maintain, develop, and improve the state's community outdoor athletic fields. Rapid population growth and increased urbanization have caused a decline in suitable outdoor fields for community athletic activities and has resulted in overcrowding and deterioration of existing surfaces. Lack of adequate community outdoor athletic fields directly affects the health and well-being of all citizens of the state, reduces the state's economic viability, and prevents Washington from maintaining and achieving the quality of life that it deserves. Therefore, it is the policy of the state and its agencies to maintain, develop, fund, and improve community outdoor athletic fields.

(2) In carrying out this policy, the legislature intends to promote the building of new community outdoor athletic fields and upgrade existing community outdoor athletic fields across Washington state. The purpose of this chapter is to create an advisory committee to provide information and advice to the interagency committee for outdoor recreation in the distribution of the funds established in the voter-approved Seahawk stadium legislation, section 214, chapter 220, Laws of 1997, which provides funding projected to be approximately ten million dollars in fiscal year 1999, and create a grant program that applies after the program created in section 214, chapter 220, Laws of 1997 ceases to receive funds.

(3) Further, after fiscal year 1999, the legislature intends to carry on a grant program created in this chapter to fund community outdoor athletic fields.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) A community outdoor athletic fields advisory committee is established within the interagency committee for outdoor recreation. The committee consists of seven members, three members from the public at large, appointed by the governor, one member from each caucus in the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, and one member from each caucus in the senate, appointed by the president of the senate. The governor must use his or her best efforts to achieve a balance among the appointed members of the public at large based upon factors of geographic, racial, ethnic, and gender diversity, and with a sense and awareness of community outdoor athletic field needs.

(2) The terms of members shall commence on the date of appointment and shall be for three years, or until a successor is appointed, except in the case of appointments to fill vacancies, which shall be for the remainder of the unexpired term. However, the first members shall be appointed for terms as follows: One member of the public at large for one year; two members of the public at large for two years; one member of the house of representatives for one year; one member from the house of representatives for two years; one member of the senate for two years; and one member of the senate for three years. The governor shall appoint one of the members from the public at large to serve as chair of the council for the duration of the member's term.

(3) Members from the public at large shall be compensated in accordance with RCW 43.03.240 and shall be entitled to reimbursement individually for travel expenses incurred in performance of their duties as members of the council in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The community outdoor athletic fields advisory committee has the following duties:

(1) To prepare and update a strategic plan for the development, maintenance, and improvement of community outdoor athletic fields in the state. The plan must be prepared in coordination with the office of the governor and the office of financial management, with participation of federal, state, and local agencies having community outdoor athletic responsibilities, user groups, private sector interests, and the general public. The advisory committee shall submit the plan and its policy recommendations to the governor. The plan shall include, but is not limited to:

(a) An inventory of current community outdoor athletic fields;

(b) A forecast of demand for these fields;

(d) A process for broad scale information gathering;

(e) An assessment of the capabilities and constraints, both internal and external to state government, that affect the ability of the state to achieve the goals of the plan;

(f) An analysis of strategic options and decisions available to the state;

(g) An implementation strategy that is coordinated with executive policy and budget priorities; and

(h) The elements necessary to qualify for participation in or the receipt of aid from any federal program for community outdoor athletic fields;

(2) Notwithstanding other provisions of the law, to establish the eligibility criteria for cities, counties, and qualified nonprofit organizations in applying and qualifying for grants from the account created in section 4 of this act. The committee shall determine the eligibility requirements for a qualified nonprofit organization;

(3) To encourage and provide opportunities for interagency and regional coordination and cooperative efforts between public agencies and between public and private entities involved in the maintenance, development, and improvement of community outdoor athletic fields;

(4) To appoint technical and other committees as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter; and

(5) To create and maintain a repository for data, studies, research, and other information relating to community outdoor athletic fields in the state, and to encourage the exchange of this information.

The community outdoor athletic fields advisory committee may provide information to and advise the interagency committee for outdoor recreation on the disbursement of funds governed by section 214, chapter 220, Laws of 1997.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The community outdoor athletic fields advisory committee shall manage a grant program designed to maintain, develop, fund, and improve community outdoor athletic fields. Grantees must match funds provided by the state, including approved in-kind resources. One percent of each year's state appropriation contribution total is dedicated to funding grant marketing promotion and grant writing support services, including a grant writer for purposes of this section. All grant projects must be approved and begun no later than January 1, 2006. The grants shall be awarded on a competitive application process. The community outdoor athletic fields grants may be used for acquiring, developing, equipping, maintaining, and improving community outdoor athletic fields. To the extent that funds are available, cities, counties, and qualified nonprofit organizations must meet eligibility criteria as established by the community outdoor athletic fields advisory committee. Grant funds are not intended for use other than those projects that may be approved as community outdoor athletic fields. Grants awarded in any one year need not be distributed in that year. The director of the interagency committee for outdoor recreation may expend up to one and one-half percent of the moneys appropriated for this section for administrative purposes.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. There is created the community outdoor athletic fields account within the state treasury. The account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not required for expenditures from the account. All receipts from appropriations made for the purposes of this chapter must be deposited into the account. Only the director of the interagency committee for outdoor recreation or the director's designee, or the community outdoor athletic fields advisory committee may authorize expenditures from the account. The community outdoor athletic fields grants may be used for acquiring, developing, equipping, maintaining, and improving community outdoor athletic fields.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. Sections 1 through 5 of this act constitute a new chapter in Title 43 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. 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.