FINAL BILL REPORT

ESHB 2891

C 113 L 04

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Modifying public utility district provisions.

Sponsors: By House Committee on Local Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Grant and Mastin).

House Committee on Local Government

Senate Committee on Government Operations & Elections

Background:

Washington law authorizes the creation of a county-wide public utility district (PUD). The territorial limits of a county-wide PUD are co-extensive with those of the county and include all of the cities within that county that do not already own or operate all utilities that a PUD is authorized to provide.

When a county-wide PUD is first formed in a county with three legislative authority districts, one PUD commissioner is chosen from each of the three legislative authority districts.

The PUD commissioners may change the boundaries of the PUD, subject to certain legal requirements. The boundaries may not be changed more often than once in four years.

Summary:

In a county with a federal nuclear reservation within its boundaries, voting precincts are included in a PUD if they receive at least one utility service (electricity, water, or sewer) from the PUD. Voting precincts in this area are withdrawn from a PUD if a city provides at least one of these services for the voting precinct and the PUD does not provide any of these services.

In order to determine which voting precincts are affected by these requirements, the city and the PUD must provide lists of their customers affected by the act within 10 days of the act's effective date. For those voting precincts that meet these requirements in the future, the lists must be provided within 30 days. The county auditor then has 10 days to determine which voting precincts would have to be included or withdrawn from the PUD. The PUD has 10 days to revise the boundaries of the PUD.

Taxes or assessments levied or assessed before the withdrawal of certain precincts would remain as liens, as would those levies or assessments made to pay or secure an obligation of the PUD duly incurred or issued before the withdrawal.

Votes on Final Passage:

House 93  0

Senate 46  0

Effective: March 24, 2004