3259-S AMH HUNT MOET 117

SHB 3259 - H AMD 1171

By Representative Hunter

ADOPTED 2/15/2008

   On page 4, beginning on line 10, strike all of section 3 and insert the following:

   "NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1)(a) A task force on Washington port district finance and management, for port districts in counties with more than one million residents, is established, with members as provided in this subsection:

   (i) The members of the finance committee of the house of representatives;

   (ii) The members of the ways and means committee of the senate; and

   (iii) Two members from the governor's policy staff, appointed by the governor.

   (b) The task force shall choose its chair and cochairs from among its legislative membership. The chair of the finance committee of the house of representatives shall convene the initial meeting of the task force.

   (2) The task force shall consult with individuals from the public and private sectors and other interested parties, as may be appropriate, for technical advice and assistance and may ask those individuals to establish advisory work groups that report to the task force.

   (3) The task force shall examine the management of a port district in a county with more than one million residents. The duties of the task force shall include examinations of:

   (a) Adopted financial management policies and tools employed by the district to monitor its performance;

   (b) Stewardship practices employed by the district for existing funding sources and their uses, with a special emphasis on the imposition and use of property tax levies; and

   (c) The structure and role of the district's commission in the establishment and measurement of the financial and operating performance of the district.

   (4) The task force shall use legislative facilities, and staff support shall be provided by the house of representatives office of program research and senate committee services.

   (5) Legislative members of the task force must be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 44.04.120. Nonlegislative members, except those representing an employer or organization, are entitled to be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.

   (6) The expenses of the task force shall be paid jointly by the house of representatives and the senate. Task force expenditures are subject to approval by the senate facilities and operations committee and the house of representatives executive rules committee, or their successor committees.

   (7) The task force shall report its findings and recommendations to the governor and the appropriate committees of the house of representatives and the senate by December 1, 2010.

   (8) This section expires May 1, 2011."

EFFECT: (1) Deletes "governance" from the name of the legislative task force established in the legislation. (2) Specifies that the task force must be comprised of the members of the House Finance Committee, the members of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, and two members of the Governor's policy staff. (3) Establishes new governance and examination provisions for the task force. (4) Makes technical changes.