BILL ANALYSIS

HB 1310

TITLE OF THE BILL:  Relating to the authority of a public utility district to furnish water to persons outside of the district and the county where the district is located, and to establish local utility districts for water or sewer facilities outside of a district and the county where it is located.

WHAT THIS BILL DOES: Allows PUDs to provide water and sewer service to an area outside the district or county in which the district is located.

SPONSORS:  Representatives Scott, Mulliken, Morris, Schoesler, Ericksen, and Linville

HEARING DATE:  Monday, February 15, 1999

FISCAL NOTE:  Not requested.

ANALYSIS PREPARED BY:  Scott MacColl (786-7106)

BACKGROUND:

Public utility districts (PUDs) are authorized to supply water to people within the county where the district is located, within or outside its district limits, and to sell, regulate, and control the use, distribution and price of such services.  The provision of water service outside the boundary of the public utility district is subject to review by the boundary review board.

PUDs may establish local assessment districts (known as local utility districts) to distribute water for domestic use, irrigation, and electric energy and for maintenance, extensions and improvements.  PUDs may levy and collect special assessments and issue local improvement bonds to pay for building, operating and maintaining water systems within the local improvement district.

A district may operate a sewage system through the creation of a local utility district, if the voters of the district approve by majority vote a referendum proposition authorizing a district to do so.

SUMMARY:

Public utility districts are authorized to provide water for public and private purposes outside the limits of the district or county.

Public utility districts are also authorized to establish local utility districts to provide water for all public and private purposes partly or entirely outside the district or the county where the district is located.  Sewer facilities are authorized to provide services in the local utility district, subject to the statutory election authorization process.