BILL REQ. #:  H-4442.1 

Read first time 01/27/2004.   Referred to Committee on Trade & Economic Development.

     AN ACT Relating to creating a maritime office in the department of community, trade, and economic development; adding a new section to chapter 43.63A RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   Washington's maritime trade represents a complex network that includes ocean carriers, shippers, port facilities and operations, regional and continental road and rail networks, trucking operators, cargo trafficking and traffic management, internal and third-party freight forwarding services, emerging inland distribution centers, and the final customers. Puget Sound has some of the busiest container cargo ports in the United States, handling more than one hundred three billion dollars in trade. However, there is a great deal of competition for much of the offloading from the other ports. And the pressures on our maritime industry are growing every day due to stiff market competition, new and emerging ports, highway and rail infrastructure improvements in other areas, and waterway and port security.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 43.63A RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The department of community, trade, and economic development shall develop the Washington maritime office.
     (2) The Washington maritime office shall provide the maritime industry with enhanced knowledge, resources, and advocacy, by working with federal and state agencies, local governments, maritime businesses, and maritime organizations to:
     (a) Bring potential trading partners together;
     (b) Identify strategic infrastructure priorities and needs;
     (c) Attract key freight services;
     (d) Measure performance; and
     (e) Identify work force needs.
     (3) The Washington maritime office shall collect and distribute data regarding the maritime trade and industry. A report summarizing the data shall be made available annually.