BP BHEAD INT S [atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to the removal of the transportation commission; amending RCW 43.17.020 and 47.01.041; reenacting and amending RCW 47.01.101; adding a new section to chapter 47.01 RCW; repealing RCW 47.01.051, 47.01.061, and 47.01.071; and providing an effective date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1. RCW 43.17.020 and 1995 1st sp.s. c 2 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

There shall be a chief executive officer of each department to be known as: (1) The secretary of social and health services, (2) the director of ecology, (3) the director of labor and industries, (4) the director of agriculture, (5) the director of fish and wildlife, (6) the secretary of transportation, (7) the director of licensing, (8) the director of general administration, (9) the director of community, trade, and economic development, (10) the director of veterans affairs, (11) the director of revenue, (12) the director of retirement systems, (13) the secretary of corrections, and (14) the secretary of health, and (15) the director of financial institutions.

Such officers, except the ((~~secretary of transportation and the~~)) director of fish and wildlife, shall be appointed by the governor, with the consent of the senate, and hold office at the pleasure of the governor. ((~~The secretary of transportation shall be appointed by the transportation commission as prescribed by RCW 47.01.041.~~)) The director of fish and wildlife shall be appointed by the fish and wildlife commission as prescribed by RCW 77.04.055.

Sec. 2. RCW 47.01.041 and 1983 1st ex.s. c 53 s 28 are each amended to read as follows:

The executive head of the department of transportation shall be the secretary of transportation, who shall be appointed by the ((~~transportation commission, and~~)) governor with the consent of the senate. The secretary shall be paid a salary to be fixed by the governor in accordance with the provisions of RCW 43.03.040. ((The secretary shall be an ex officio member of the commission without a vote. The secretary shall be the chief executive officer of the commission and be responsible to it, and shall be guided by policies established by it.)) The secretary shall serve until removed by the ((~~commission~~)) governor, but only for incapacity, incompetence, neglect of duty, malfeasance in office, or failure to carry out the ((~~commission's~~)) governor's policies. Before a motion for dismissal shall be acted on ((~~by the commission~~)), the secretary shall be granted a hearing on formal written charges before the ((~~full commission~~)) state supreme court. An action by the ((~~commission~~)) state supreme court to remove the secretary shall be final.

Sec. 3. RCW 47.01.101 and 1987 c 505 s 48 and 1987 c 179 s 1 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

The secretary shall have the authority and it shall be his or her duty, subject to policy guidance from the ((~~commission~~)) governor:

(1) To serve as chief executive officer of the department with full administrative authority to direct all its activities;

(2) To organize the department as he or she may deem necessary to carry out the work and responsibilities of the department effectively;

(3) To designate and establish such transportation district or branch offices as may be necessary or convenient, and to appoint assistants and delegate any powers, duties, and functions to them or any officer or employee of the department as deemed necessary to administer the department efficiently;

(4) To direct and coordinate the programs of the various divisions of the department to assure that they achieve the greatest possible mutual benefit, produce a balanced overall effort, and eliminate unnecessary duplication of activity;

(5) To adopt all department rules that are subject to the adoption procedures contained in the state Administrative Procedure Act((~~, except rules subject to adoption by the commission pursuant to statute~~));

(6) To maintain and safeguard the official records of the department((~~, including the commission's recorded resolutions and orders~~));

(7) ((To provide full staff support to the commission to assist it in carrying out its functions, powers, and duties and to execute the policy established by the commission pursuant to its legislative authority;

~~(8)~~)) To propose policies to be adopted by the legislature designed to assure the development and maintenance of a comprehensive and balanced state‑wide transportation system that will meet the needs of the people of this state for safe and efficient transportation services. Wherever appropriate the policies will provide for the use of integrated, intermodal transportation systems to implement the social, economic, and environmental policies, goals, and objectives of the people of the state, and especially to conserve nonrenewable natural resources including land and energy. To this end the secretary shall:

(a) Develop transportation policies that are based on the policies, goals, and objectives expressed and inherent in existing state laws;

(b) Inventory the adopted policies, goals, and objectives of the local and area‑wide governmental bodies of the state and define the role of the state, regional, and local governments in determining transportation policies, in transportation planning, and in implementing the state transportation plan;

(c) Provide for effective coordination of state transportation planning with national transportation policy, state and local land use policies, and local and regional transportation plans and programs;

(d) Establish a procedure for review and revision of state transportation policies and for submission of proposed changes to the legislature;

(e) Integrate the state‑wide transportation plan with the needs of the elderly and handicapped, and coordinate federal and state programs directed at assisting local governments to answer such needs;

(f) Provide for public involvement in transportation designed to elicit the public's views both with respect to adequate transportation services and appropriate means of minimizing adverse social, economic, environmental, and energy impact of transportation programs;

(g) Provide for the administration of grants-in-aid and other financial assistance to counties and municipal corporations for transportation purposes;

(h) Provide for the management, sale, and lease of property or property rights owned by the department that are not required for transportation purposes;

(i) Ensure federal laws and regulations relating to the planning, construction, and operation of transportation facilities are taken into account;

(8) To approve and propose to the governor and to the legislature before the convening of each regular session during an odd‑numbered year a recommended budget for the operation of the department and for carrying out the program of the department for the ensuing biennium. The proposed budget must separately state the appropriations to be made from the motor vehicle fund for highway purposes in accordance with constitutional limitations and appropriations and expenditures to be made from the general fund, or accounts thereof, and other available sources for other operations and programs of the department;

(9) To review and authorize all departmental requests for legislation;

(10) To approve the issuance and sale of all bonds authorized by the legislature for capital construction of state highways, toll facilities, Columbia Basin county roads (for which reimbursement to the motor vehicle fund has been provided), urban arterial projects, and aviation facilities;

(11) To execute and implement the biennial operating budget for the operation of the department in accordance with chapter 43.88 RCW and with legislative appropriation and, in such manner as prescribed therein, to make and report to the ((~~commission~~)) governor and the chairs of the transportation committees of the senate and house of representatives, including one copy to the staff of each of the committees, deviations from the planned biennial ((~~category A and H~~)) highway construction programs necessary to adjust to unexpected delays or other unanticipated circumstances((.));

((~~(9)~~)) (12) To exercise all other powers and perform all other duties as are now or hereafter provided by law.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 47.01 RCW to read as follows:

All references in the Revised Code of Washington to the transportation commission that assign committee membership, or administrative or policy-making authority, are transferred to the secretary of transportation.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The following acts or parts of acts are each repealed:

(1) RCW 47.01.051 (Commission created--Appointment of members--Terms--Qualifications--Removal) and 1977 ex.s. c 151 s 5;

(2) RCW 47.01.061 (Commission--Procedures and internal operations) and 1987 c 364 s 2, 1984 c 287 s 94, 1983 1st ex.s. c 53 s 29, 1981 c 59 s 1, & 1977 ex.s. c 151 s 6; and

(3) RCW 47.01.071 (Commission--Functions, powers, and duties) and 1981 c 59 s 2, 1980 c 87 s 45, & 1977 ex.s. c 151 s 7.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. This act takes effect January 1, 2000.