BILL REQ. #:  H-5379.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/05/08.   

     AN ACT Relating to moving towards more uniform surface mine regulations; creating a new section; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1)(a) A joint select committee on surface mine regulations is established, with members as provided in this subsection.
     (i) The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint one member from each of the two largest caucuses of the house of representatives.
     (ii) The president of the senate shall appoint one member from each of the two largest caucuses of the senate.
     (iii) In addition, the department of natural resources shall cooperate with the joint select committee and provide information as the chair of the joint select committee may reasonably request.
     (b) The joint select committee shall choose its chair from among its membership. The speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the senate shall jointly select one legislative member to convene the initial meeting of the joint select committee.
     (2) The joint select committee shall review the current surface mining statutes, chapter 78.44 RCW, to pursue options for moving towards a more uniform system of surface mining regulations that bases regulatory decisions on actual environmental harm and not on the status of the operation's ownership or the size of the operation. The joint select committee shall give particular attention to, but not be limited to discussing, the exemptions to the definition of the term "surface mine" included in RCW 78.44.031(17).
     (3) Staff support for the joint select committee shall be provided by the house office of program research and senate committee services.
     (4) Members of the joint select committee shall be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 44.04.120.
     (5) The expenses of the joint select committee shall be paid jointly by the senate and the house of representatives. Joint select committee expenditures are subject to approval by the senate facilities and operations committee and the house executive rules committee, or their successor committees.
     (6) The joint select committee shall report its findings and recommendations in the form of proposed legislation to the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1, 2008.
     (7) This section expires July 31, 2009.