HOUSE BILL ANALYSIS
HB 1701
Title:An act relating to the recreation resource account.
Brief Description:Allowing for the use of funds to dredge marine recreation land.
Sponsors:Representatives Buck, Doumit, Radcliff, Kessler, Sump, Miloscia, Barlean, Regala, Schoesler, DeBolt, Hatfield, Tokuda, Eickmeyer, Mielke, Pennington, B. Chandler, Alexander, Clements and Mastin.
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL
RESOURCES
Meeting Date:February 16, 1999.
Bill Analysis Prepared by: Josh Weiss, Counsel (786-7129).
Background:The motor vehicle fuel tax is paid on all motor vehicle fuel sold in the state. The director of licensing is required to determine, at least once every four years, the proportion of the moneys collected from the tax which is on marine fuels. The rate is currently set at 1.139 percent. The marine fuel tax refund account is funded on a monthly basis, according to this rate.
The recreation resource account is funded from the marine fuel tax refund account. This account pays for the administrative and coordinative costs of the Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation. Additional funds are split into two shares for the benefit of watercraft recreation in the state. The first share is used to provide grants to state agencies for the acquisition or capital improvement to marine recreation land. Such grants may be used to secure matching funds from federal programs which are dedicated to similar projects. The second share is used to provide grants to public bodies for the acquisition or capital improvements to marine recreation land. A public body may use grants along with its own funds in order to secure federal matching funds for such projects. APublic body@ is defined to include counties, cities, towns, port districts, park and recreation districts, other municipal corporations, and Indian tribes recognized by the federal government for participation in the land and water conservation program.