Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research		 BILL
ANALYSIS
Appropriations Committee

HB 3066

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Description: Funding catastrophic flood relief.

Sponsors: Representatives Alexander, Fromhold, McDonald, Ormsby, Newhouse, Flannigan, VanDeWege, Kelley, Sullivan, Hasegawa and Ross.

Brief Summary of Bill
  • Appropriates $50 million from the Disaster Recovery Account to the Department of Transportation solely for the Chehalis - Centralia flood control project.
  • Funds may not be allotted until an agreement signed by the non-federal partners, delineating responsibility for ongoing maintenance of the levees and operations of the dam, is delivered to the Governor and the Legislature.

Hearing Date: 1/29/08

Staff: Wendy Polzin (786-7137).

Background:

Initiative 601, adopted by the voters in 1993, established by statute a state General Fund (GFS) expenditure limit and created the Emergency Reserve Fund (ERF). All GFS revenue in excess of the state expenditure limit are deposited in the ERF. The ERF may only be appropriated with approval of at least two-thirds of the members of each house of the Legislature. As of June 2007 the ERF had a balance of $293,878,000.

The Disaster Response Account (account) was created in 1997. Funds from this account may be used only for support of state agency and local government disaster response and recovery efforts, and to reimburse the workers' compensation funds and self-insured employers. Funds may be placed in the account from legislative appropriations and transfers, federal appropriations, or any other lawful source.

In December 2007 a series of storms caused rivers to flood in southwest Washington. On December 8, the President declared a major disaster in the counties of Grays Harbor, Kitsap, Lewis, Mason, Pacific and Thurston. Federal funding assistance was made available following this declaration.

Summary of Bill:

The sum of $50 million is appropriated from the Emergency Reserve Fund to the Disaster Response Account. From the Disaster Response Account $50 million is appropriated to the Department of Transportation solely for the Chehalis - Centralia flood control project through FY 2009.

Funds shall not be allotted for the project until an agreement between non-federal project partners has been signed and submitted to the Governor, the majority and minority leaders of the Senate and the speaker and minority leader of the House of Representatives.

The signed agreement must determine responsibility for continuing maintenance of the improved levees and operation of the dam. The agreement must also include a plan to limit future land use development in the floodplain in accordance with federal and state requirements

Appropriation: The sum of $50 million is appropriated from the Emergency Reserve Fund to the Disaster Response Account. From the Disaster Response Account $50 million is appropriated to the Department of Transportation solely for the Chehalis - Centralia flood control project through FY 2009.

Fiscal Note: Requested on January 25, 2008.

Effective Date: The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.