HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  SB 5060

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                       Transportation

Title:  An act relating to state highway bonds.

Brief Description:  Authorizing state highway bonds.

Sponsors:  Senators Eide, Goings, Haugen, Benton, Gardner, Patterson, West, Brown, Johnson and Oke.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Transportation:  4/5/99 [DP].

                 Brief Summary of Bill

$Increases Special Category C Bonds by $90 million from $240 million to $330 million.

$Dedicates proceeds to SR 18 and North-South Spokane corridors.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 23 members:  Representatives Fisher, Democratic Co-Chair; K. Schmidt, Republican Co-Chair; Cooper, Democratic 1st Vice Chair; Ericksen, Republican Vice Chair; Hankins, Republican Vice Chair; Buck; G. Chandler; DeBolt; Fortunato; Haigh; Hatfield; Hurst; Lovick; McDonald; Mielke; Mitchell; Ogden; Pflug; Radcliff; Schindler; Schual-Berke; Skinner and Wood.

Staff:  Brad Lovaas (786-7307).

Background:

The Special Category C program was established to finance major highway construction projects that could not be accomplished as part of the regular construction program.  The three projects selected at that time were: (1) 1st Avenue South bridge in Seattle; (2) SR 18 from the Black Diamond vicinity to approximately I-90 in southeast King County; and (3) Division/Ruby Street couplet in Spokane and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) of the North-South Corridor.

In 1990 the Legislature dedicated three-fourth of 1 cent of the motor vehicle fuel tax to the Special Category C program.  In 1993 the Legislature authorized the sale of $240 million of general obligation bonds for the construction of the three projects mentioned above, and pledged three-fourth of 1 cent to debt service.

Summary of Bill:

The bond authorization for the Special Category C program is increased by $90 million, from $240 million to $330 million.  This additional bond authorization is applied to projects in the Special Category C program.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  None.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  None.