Title: An act relating to establishing a commemorative works account for the department of general administration.

Brief Description: Establishing a commemorative works account for the department of general administration.

Sponsors: By Representatives Sommers, Alexander, Romero, Hunt, Kenney, Sullivan and Moeller; by request of Department of General Administration.

Brief Summary of Bill

• Creates the Commemorative Works Account to be used by the Department of General Administration for the ongoing care, maintenance, and repair of commemorative works on the state capitol grounds.

• Allows the Commemorative Works Account to retain its interest earnings.

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 27 members: Representatives Sommers, Chair; Fromhold, Vice Chair; Sehlin, Ranking Minority Member; Pearson, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Alexander, Anderson, Boldt, Buck, Chandler, Clements, Cody, Conway, Cox, Dunshee, Grant, Hunter, Kagi, Kenney, Kessler, Linville, McDonald, McIntire, Miloscia, Ruderman, Schual-Berke, Sump and Talcott.

There are currently 19 commemorative works located on the Capitol Campus. The oldest was erected in 1938; the most recent in 1999. The funding to maintain and repair these commemorative works is appropriated by the Legislature in the General Administration Services Revolving Account through Seat of Government charges.

The Commemorative Works Account, a nonappropriated account, is created to fund the ongoing care, maintenance, and repair of future commemorative works on the state capitol grounds. Only the Director of the Department of General Administration, or the Director's designee, may authorize expenditures from the account. The account retains the interest on its earnings.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: There are many memorials and pieces of artwork on our state capitol campus and they need ongoing maintenance and repair. It is important that we have funds to make that happen. Since 1997, the proponents of commemorative works have been required to provide the funding for the ongoing care of these works. We need a fund where that money can be deposited so the proponents knows that it is held safely and can earn interest. This is essentially an endowment for the ongoing care and maintenance of those memorials. This bill will make it possible for those funds to be properly accounted for and available when repairs need to be made.