BILL REQ. #:  S-2240.4 

READ FIRST TIME 03/05/07.   

     AN ACT Relating to a study to evaluate the imposition of a fee on the processing of shipping containers, port-related user fees, and other funding mechanisms to improve freight corridors; creating the freight congestion relief account; reenacting and amending RCW 43.84.092; adding a new section to chapter 46.68 RCW; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds and declares there is a need to mitigate the enormous burden imposed on the state transportation system by the overland movement of cargo shipped to and from Washington state ports. Accordingly, it is the intent of the legislature to alleviate this burden by studying the imposition of a fee on the processing of shipping containers through those ports. The study shall also examine other similar mechanisms for imposing and collecting port-related user fees, as well as other funding mechanisms. Enactment by the legislature of any funding mechanism identified by the study must require the use of the funds derived therefrom to provide congestion relief through the improvement of freight rail systems and state highways that function as freight corridors.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   Subject to availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the joint transportation committee shall administer a consultant study to evaluate the imposition of a fee on the processing of shipping containers, port-related user fees, and other funding mechanisms to improve freight corridors for deposit in the freight congestion relief account created under chapter 46.68 RCW.
     (1) At a minimum, the study must: (a) Assess the imposition of a shipping container based fee, port-related user fees, and other funding mechanisms on the demand elasticity of the movement of freight goods through Washington's container ports at various rates as well as forecast diversion of marine cargo at various price points; (b) measure the return on investment in freight rail and highway-based infrastructure supported by the user fee and its impact on forecast growth in shipping container traffic and the movement of freight goods; (c) recommend the structure of a future project recommendation body including its membership, process, and selection criteria; (d) examine existing data on the health and environmental cost impacts of maritime shipping and the movement of freight goods on air quality near Washington's container ports. The scope of work for the study may be expanded to include analysis of other issues relevant to the imposition of container port-related user fees.
     (2) The findings and recommendations of the report must be submitted to the transportation committees of the legislature by December 1, 2007.
     (3) This section expires January 1, 2008.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   A new section is added to chapter 46.68 RCW to read as follows:
     The freight congestion relief account is created in the state treasury. Moneys in the account may be spent only after appropriation. Expenditures from the account may only be used to provide congestion relief through the improvement of freight rail systems and state highways that function as freight corridors. Expenditures from the account must, at a minimum, include funding for the following projects: State route 519 and associated access to port of Seattle; state route 509 connection to I-5 bypassing SeaTac airport; state route 167 port of Tacoma access to I-5 and state route 167 new alignment in Pierce county; I-90 Snoqualmie Pass; grade separations in the East Spokane Valley; increased capacity of Stampede Pass rail corridor; rail bottlenecks and choke points along mainline routes, including but not limited to the Vancouver by-pass project; Kelso-Martin's bluff; Vancouver rail loop; Blakeslee junction and other mainline constrictions; and rail spur lines that support container freight traffic and facilities for container transloading.

Sec. 4   RCW 43.84.092 and 2006 c 337 s 11, 2006 c 311 s 23, 2006 c 171 s 10, 2006 c 56 s 10, and 2006 c 6 s 8 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     (1) All earnings of investments of surplus balances in the state treasury shall be deposited to the treasury income account, which account is hereby established in the state treasury.
     (2) The treasury income account shall be utilized to pay or receive funds associated with federal programs as required by the federal cash management improvement act of 1990. The treasury income account is subject in all respects to chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for refunds or allocations of interest earnings required by the cash management improvement act. Refunds of interest to the federal treasury required under the cash management improvement act fall under RCW 43.88.180 and shall not require appropriation. The office of financial management shall determine the amounts due to or from the federal government pursuant to the cash management improvement act. The office of financial management may direct transfers of funds between accounts as deemed necessary to implement the provisions of the cash management improvement act, and this subsection. Refunds or allocations shall occur prior to the distributions of earnings set forth in subsection (4) of this section.
     (3) Except for the provisions of RCW 43.84.160, the treasury income account may be utilized for the payment of purchased banking services on behalf of treasury funds including, but not limited to, depository, safekeeping, and disbursement functions for the state treasury and affected state agencies. The treasury income account is subject in all respects to chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for payments to financial institutions. Payments shall occur prior to distribution of earnings set forth in subsection (4) of this section.
     (4) Monthly, the state treasurer shall distribute the earnings credited to the treasury income account. The state treasurer shall credit the general fund with all the earnings credited to the treasury income account except:
     (a) The following accounts and funds shall receive their proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's and fund's average daily balance for the period: The capitol building construction account, the Cedar River channel construction and operation account, the Central Washington University capital projects account, the charitable, educational, penal and reformatory institutions account, the Columbia river basin water supply development account, the common school construction fund, the county criminal justice assistance account, the county sales and use tax equalization account, the data processing building construction account, the deferred compensation administrative account, the deferred compensation principal account, the department of retirement systems expense account, the developmental disabilities community trust account, the drinking water assistance account, the drinking water assistance administrative account, the drinking water assistance repayment account, the Eastern Washington University capital projects account, the education construction fund, the education legacy trust account, the election account, the emergency reserve fund, the energy freedom account, The Evergreen State College capital projects account, the federal forest revolving account, the freight congestion relief account, the freight mobility investment account, the freight mobility multimodal account, the health services account, the public health services account, the health system capacity account, the personal health services account, the state higher education construction account, the higher education construction account, the highway infrastructure account, the high-occupancy toll lanes operations account, the industrial insurance premium refund account, the judges' retirement account, the judicial retirement administrative account, the judicial retirement principal account, the local leasehold excise tax account, the local real estate excise tax account, the local sales and use tax account, the medical aid account, the mobile home park relocation fund, the multimodal transportation account, the municipal criminal justice assistance account, the municipal sales and use tax equalization account, the natural resources deposit account, the oyster reserve land account, the pension funding stabilization account, the perpetual surveillance and maintenance account, the public employees' retirement system plan 1 account, the public employees' retirement system combined plan 2 and plan 3 account, the public facilities construction loan revolving account beginning July 1, 2004, the public health supplemental account, the public works assistance account, the Puyallup tribal settlement account, the real estate appraiser commission account, the regional mobility grant program account, the resource management cost account, the rural Washington loan fund, the site closure account, the small city pavement and sidewalk account, the special wildlife account, the state employees' insurance account, the state employees' insurance reserve account, the state investment board expense account, the state investment board commingled trust fund accounts, the supplemental pension account, the Tacoma Narrows toll bridge account, the teachers' retirement system plan 1 account, the teachers' retirement system combined plan 2 and plan 3 account, the tobacco prevention and control account, the tobacco settlement account, the transportation infrastructure account, the transportation partnership account, the tuition recovery trust fund, the University of Washington bond retirement fund, the University of Washington building account, the volunteer fire fighters' and reserve officers' relief and pension principal fund, the volunteer fire fighters' and reserve officers' administrative fund, the Washington fruit express account, the Washington judicial retirement system account, the Washington law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' system plan 1 retirement account, the Washington law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' system plan 2 retirement account, the Washington public safety employees' plan 2 retirement account, the Washington school employees' retirement system combined plan 2 and 3 account, the Washington state health insurance pool account, the Washington state patrol retirement account, the Washington State University building account, the Washington State University bond retirement fund, the water pollution control revolving fund, and the Western Washington University capital projects account. Earnings derived from investing balances of the agricultural permanent fund, the normal school permanent fund, the permanent common school fund, the scientific permanent fund, and the state university permanent fund shall be allocated to their respective beneficiary accounts. All earnings to be distributed under this subsection (4)(a) shall first be reduced by the allocation to the state treasurer's service fund pursuant to RCW 43.08.190.
     (b) The following accounts and funds shall receive eighty percent of their proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's or fund's average daily balance for the period: The aeronautics account, the aircraft search and rescue account, the county arterial preservation account, the department of licensing services account, the essential rail assistance account, the ferry bond retirement fund, the grade crossing protective fund, the high capacity transportation account, the highway bond retirement fund, the highway safety account, the motor vehicle fund, the motorcycle safety education account, the pilotage account, the public transportation systems account, the Puget Sound capital construction account, the Puget Sound ferry operations account, the recreational vehicle account, the rural arterial trust account, the safety and education account, the special category C account, the state patrol highway account, the transportation 2003 account (nickel account), the transportation equipment fund, the transportation fund, the transportation improvement account, the transportation improvement board bond retirement account, and the urban arterial trust account.
     (5) In conformance with Article II, section 37 of the state Constitution, no treasury accounts or funds shall be allocated earnings without the specific affirmative directive of this section.