FINAL BILL REPORT

                 2SHB 1132

                         C 343 L 99

                     Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Establishing the capitol furnishings preservation committee.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on State Government (Originally sponsored by Representatives Romero, Skinner, Lantz, Hankins, Ogden, Radcliff, Mitchell and Lambert).

House Committee on State Government

House Committee on Appropriations

Senate Committee on State & Local Government

Background:

Historic furnishings on the capitol campus are subject to the Department of General Administration surplus property rules.  These rules allow state elected officials to buy surplus property if an item is valued lower than resale value, declared surplus of a personal nature, and depicts or represents the office in which they have served.   Elected officials may purchase such items after leaving office.

Summary:

The Capitol Furnishings Preservation Committee is established to recover, preserve and prevent future loss of historic furnishings.  The committee is also to review and advise future remodeling and restoration projects pertaining to historic furnishings.  The committee has authority to decide whether Capitol campus furnishings over 50 years old are surplus or historic items.  Historic furnishings are defined to include furniture, fixtures, and artwork over 50 years old.

Committee membership is made up of legislators, representatives of statewide offices, the state historical society, and private citizens.  Committee members are authorized to solicit donations of Capitol furnishings, monetary donations, and grants, with an explicit exemption from the state ethics law for this purpose.  Only the director of the Washington State Historical Society, or the director's designee, is authorized to expend funds from the capitol furnishings preservation committee account when authorized by the committee. 

The capitol furnishings preservation committee account is created.  Appropriations and receipts from donations and grants must be deposited in the account.  Expenditures are authorized only to finance the purchase and preservation of historic furnishings.

Votes on Final Passage:

House  96 0

Senate 43 2 (Senate amended)

House  94 0 (House concurred)

Effective:  July 25, 1999