BILL REQ. #:  H-1208.2 

Read first time 01/30/2007.   Referred to Committee on Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness.

     AN ACT Relating to creating the emergency transportation grant program; amending RCW 82.26.020; adding new sections to chapter 18.73 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 43.135 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The legislature finds that:
     (a) The preservation of life is a fundamental purpose of government;
     (b) Public and private ambulances are among the first responders to a disaster by providing transportation services for trauma victims and the infirm; and
     (c) Improving public and private ambulance service will improve the surge capacity of the state to respond in the event of a major disaster.
     (2) The legislature intends to further the fundamental governmental purpose of preserving life by providing grants to both public and private ambulance services to improve their ability to respond to the critical needs of Washington citizens in the event of a disaster.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 18.73 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) There is established in the department of community, trade, and economic development an emergency transportation grant program to enhance the ability of public and private ambulance services to respond to the critical needs of Washington citizens in the event of a disaster.
     (2) Activities and equipment funded through this program must achieve measurable goals in one or more of the following areas:
     (a) The preparedness of ambulance services to meet the needs of state and local emergency management officials in the event of a disaster;
     (b) The capacity of ambulance services to quickly increase their service levels to meet the increased demand caused by a disaster; or
     (c) The ability of ambulance services to redistribute ambulances from areas unaffected by a disaster to areas affected by the disaster.
     (3) At a minimum, grant applications must address:
     (a) A description of the geographic area covered by the ambulance service;
     (b) A description of the current level of ambulance services in the area and their ability to meet the needs of the area in the event of a disaster; and
     (c) An explanation of the measurable goals to be achieved by the grant funds and a description of the necessary performance measures needed to effectively monitor whether the goals are being achieved in an effective and efficient manner.
     (4) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated by the legislature for this purpose from the emergency transportation grant account and other sources, the department of community, trade, and economic development shall make awards under the grant program.
     (a) Awards shall be made competitively based on the purposes and criteria in this section.
     (b) Activities or equipment funded under this section may be considered for funding in future years, but shall be considered under the same terms and criteria as new applications for activities or equipment. Funding of an activity or equipment under this section shall not constitute an obligation by the state of Washington to provide ongoing funding.
     (c) The department of community, trade, and economic development may receive such gifts, grants, and endowments from public or private sources as may be made from time to time, in trust or otherwise, for the use and benefit of the purposes of the grant program established in this section and expend the same or any income from these sources according to the terms of the gifts, grants, or endowments.
     (5) The department of community, trade, and economic development shall submit an annual report to the governor and the legislature describing projects funded by the grant program.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   A new section is added to chapter 18.73 RCW to read as follows:
     The emergency transportation grant account is created in the state treasury. Receipts from the tax on the sale, handling, or distribution of tobacco products under RCW 82.26.020(3)(a) must be deposited into the account. Moneys in the account may be spent only after appropriation. Expenditures from the account may only be used for the emergency transportation grant program created in section 2 of this act.

Sec. 4   RCW 82.26.020 and 2005 c 180 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) There is levied and there shall be collected a tax upon the sale, handling, or distribution of all tobacco products in this state at the following rate:
     (a) Seventy-five percent of the taxable sales price of cigars, not to exceed fifty cents per cigar; or
     (b) Seventy-five percent of the taxable sales price of all tobacco products that are not cigars.
     (2) Taxes under this section shall be imposed at the time the distributor (a) brings, or causes to be brought, into this state from without the state tobacco products for sale, (b) makes, manufactures, fabricates, or stores tobacco products in this state for sale in this state, (c) ships or transports tobacco products to retailers in this state, to be sold by those retailers, or (d) handles for sale any tobacco products that are within this state but upon which tax has not been imposed.
     (3) The moneys collected under this section shall be deposited as follows:
     (a) ((Thirty-seven)) Sixteen percent in the emergency transportation grant account created under section 3 of this act;
     (b) Twenty-one percent in the general fund;
     (((b))) (c) Fifty percent in the health services account created under RCW 43.72.900; and
     (((c))) (d) Thirteen percent in the water quality account under RCW 70.146.030 for the period beginning July 1, 2005, through June 30, 2021, and in the general fund for the period beginning July 1, 2021.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   A new section is added to chapter 43.135 RCW to read as follows:
     RCW 43.135.035(4) does not apply to RCW 82.26.020(3)(a).