HOUSE BILL ANALYSIS

                 SSB 6454

Title:  An act relating to obsolete natural resources accounts.

Brief Description:  Eliminating references to obsolete natural resources accounts.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Loveland, Brown and Jacobsen).

                    Brief Summary of Bill

$  Eliminates dedicated accounts that are either inactive or have never been used.

Background:  Dedicated accounts are created to fund specified agency programs.  There are a number of natural resource accounts in statute that have either never been used or were created to fund programs that have since expired.  The inactive accounts include the following:

(1) The aquaculture disease control account was created in 1985.  User fees for the aquaculture disease control program were never adopted and the account has never been used.

(2) The Cedar River channel construction account was created in 1989.  No funding was provided for channel construction, and the account has not been used.

(3) The clean Washington account was created in 1991 to fund recycling market development activities of the Clean Washington Center.  The center was terminated on June 30, 1997, and the account is no longer in use.

(4) The environmental and forest restoration account was created in 1993 to fund water quality, habitat, and restoration projects.  There was no fund source identified for the account.  There has been no activity in the account since 1995.

(5) The solid waste management account was created in 1989 to fund state and local solid waste management activities.  The account was funded with a solid waste disposal tax that expired July 1, 1995.  Final expenditures will be made from the account in the 1999-01 biennium.

(6) The state and local park improvements revolving account was created in 1971 as part of a bond issue for recreation land management.  All bond issues have been sold and there has been no activity in this account since 1995.

(7) The state wildlife and recreation lands management account was created in 1992.  There was no fund source identified for the account, and the account has not been used.

(8) The underwater parks account was created in 1993 for the purposes of operating underwater parks.  Underwater parks activities have been funded from the state general fund and the account has not been used.

(9) The vehicle tire recycling account was created in 1985 to provide funding for the removal of unauthorized tire dump sites.  The account was funded with a fee on used tires from 1989-1994.  Final expenditures from the account will be made in the 99-01 biennium.

(10) The wildlife conservation reward fund was created in 1987.  No funding source was identified and the account has not been used.

Summary:  The aquaculture disease control account, Cedar River channel construction account, and wildlife conservation reward account are abolished and any remaining balances are transferred to the state wildlife account.

The state wildlife and recreation lands management account, state and local improvements revolving account, and underwater park account are abolished and any remaining balances transferred to the parks renewal and stewardship account.

The clean Washington account, vehicle tire recycling account, and solid waste management account are abolished and any remaining balances transferred to the state toxics control account.

The environmental and forest restoration account is abolished.

Appropriation:  None.

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

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.