BILL REQ. #:  H-1793.1 

Read first time 02/13/2007.   Referred to Committee on Transportation.

     AN ACT Relating to prioritizing existing funding for special safety corridor projects; adding a new section to chapter 46.68 RCW; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 46.68 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The special safety corridor account is created in the motor vehicle fund. All receipts from taxes imposed under RCW 82.08.020 and 82.12.020 on materials, labor, equipment, contracts, and components used for constructing any state transportation project authorized by the legislature must be deposited into the account, except for those amounts that are in excess of seventy million dollars each fiscal year. Moneys in the account may be spent only after appropriation. Expenditures from the account may be used for special safety corridor projects. Special safety corridor projects are projects that may require bond financing to complete construction and safety improvements. The following criteria shall be used in determining which special safety corridor projects have the highest priority:
     (a) Fatal accident experience;
     (b) Historic underfunding of safety improvements;
     (c) Ability to leverage additional nonstate revenue sources;
     (d) Contribute to the economic development of the corridor; and
     (e) Provide additional capacity to move people and goods safely.
     (2) The following projects, listed in order of priority, are eligible for special safety corridor account funding:
     (a) State route number 2 beginning near the junction with state route number 9 at milepost 5 to the King county line at Stevens Pass near milepost 64;
     (b) State route number 97 beginning at milepost 0 to milepost 63; and
     (c) State route number 20 beginning near Sedro Woolley at milepost 64 to near Newport at milepost 436.
     Moneys deposited in the special safety corridor account in the motor vehicle fund may be used for payment of debt service on bonds the proceeds of which are used to finance special safety corridor projects under this section.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect July 1, 2007.