BILL REQ. #:  S-2567.1 

READ FIRST TIME 03/05/07.   

     AN ACT Relating to passenger-only ferry service; amending RCW 36.57A.220, 47.01.350, 47.60.662, 36.54.110, and 47.60.658; amending 2006 c 332 s 2 (uncodified); reenacting and amending RCW 47.60.120; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 36.57A.220 and 2006 c 332 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:
     A public transportation benefit area seeking grant funding as described in RCW 47.01.350 for a passenger-only ferry route between Kingston and Seattle shall first receive approval from the governor after submitting a complete business plan to the governor and the legislature by November 1, ((2006)) 2007. The business plan must, at a minimum, include hours of operation, vessel needs, labor needs, proposed routes, passenger terminal facilities, passenger rates, anticipated federal and local funding, coordination with the Washington state ferry system, coordination with existing transit providers, long-term operation and maintenance needs, and a long-term financial plan.

Sec. 2   RCW 47.01.350 and 2006 c 332 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The department of transportation shall establish a ferry grant program subject to availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose. The purpose of the grant program is to provide operating or capital grants for ferry systems as provided in chapters 36.54 and 36.57A RCW to operate passenger-only ferry service.
     (2) In providing grants under this section, the department may enter into multiple year contracts with the stipulation that future year allocations are subject to the availability of funding as provided by legislative appropriation.
     (((3) Priority shall be given to grant applications that provide continuity of existing passenger-only service and the provision of local or federal matching funds.))

Sec. 3   RCW 47.60.662 and 2006 c 332 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:
     The Washington state ferry system shall collaborate with new and potential passenger-only ferry service providers, as described in ((RCW 36.54.110(5))) chapters 36.54 and 36.57A RCW, for terminal operations at its existing terminal facilities.

Sec. 4   2006 c 332 s 2 (uncodified) is amended to read as follows:
     ((By October 31, 2006, the department of transportation shall have an independent appraisal of the market value of the Washington state ferries Snohomish and Chinook and present it to the transportation committees of the legislature and the governor by November 1, 2006.)) The department of transportation shall ((sell or otherwise dispose of)) make available for sale the Washington state ferries Snohomish and Chinook ((for)) at market value ((and deposit the proceeds of the sales into the passenger ferry account created in RCW 47.60.645 as soon as practicable upon approval by the governor of the business plan described in RCW 36.54.110(5))) by June 1, 2007. Proceeds from the sale must be deposited into the passenger ferry account created in RCW 47.60.645.

Sec. 5   RCW 36.54.110 and 2006 c 332 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The legislative authority of a county may adopt an ordinance creating a ferry district in all or a portion of the area of the county, including the area within the corporate limits of any city or town within the county. The ordinance may be adopted only after a public hearing has been held on the creation of a ferry district, and the county legislative authority makes a finding that it is in the public interest to create the district.
     (2) A ferry district is a municipal corporation, an independent taxing "authority" within the meaning of Article VII, section 1 of the state Constitution, and a "taxing district" within the meaning of Article VII, section 2 of the state Constitution.
     (3) A ferry district is a body corporate and possesses all the usual powers of a corporation for public purposes as well as all other powers that may now or hereafter be specifically conferred by statute, including, but not limited to, the authority to hire employees, staff, and services, to enter into contracts, and to sue and be sued.
     (4) The members of the county legislative authority, acting ex officio and independently, shall compose the governing body of any ferry district that is created within the county. The voters of a ferry district must be registered voters residing within the boundaries of the district.
     (5) A county with a population greater than one million persons and having a boundary on Puget Sound, or a county to the west of Puget Sound with a population greater than two hundred thirty thousand but less than three hundred thousand persons, proposing to create a ferry district to assume a passenger-only ferry route between Vashon and Seattle, including an expansion of that route to include Southworth, shall first receive approval from the governor after submitting a complete business plan to the governor and the legislature by November 1, ((2006)) 2007. The business plan must, at a minimum, include hours of operation, vessel needs, labor needs, proposed routes, passenger terminal facilities, passenger rates, anticipated federal and local funding, coordination with Washington state ferry system, coordination with existing transit providers, long-term operation and maintenance needs, and long-term financial plan. The business plan must not include contracting for operations with state employees or agencies. The business plan may include provisions regarding coordination with an appropriate county to participate in a joint ferry under RCW 36.54.030 through 36.54.070. In order to be considered for assuming the route, the ferry district shall ensure that the route will be operated only by the ferry district and not contracted out to a private entity, all existing labor agreements will be honored, and operations will begin no later than July 1, ((2007)) 2008. If the route is to be expanded to include serving Southworth, the ferry district shall enter into an interlocal agreement with the public transportation benefit area serving the Southworth ferry terminal within thirty days of beginning Southworth ferry service. For the purposes of this subsection, Puget Sound is considered as extending north to Admiralty Inlet.

Sec. 6   RCW 47.60.120 and 2003 c 373 s 2 and 2003 c 83 s 204 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     (((1))) If the department acquires or constructs, maintains, and operates any ferry crossings upon ((or toll bridges over)) Puget Sound or any of its tributary or connecting waters, there shall not be constructed, operated, or maintained any other ferry crossing upon ((or bridge over)) any such waters ((within ten miles of any such crossing or bridge operated or maintained)) in a manner that would interfere with the safe operation of ferries by the department ((excepting such)), except for bridges or ferry crossings in existence((,)) and being operated and maintained ((under a)) lawfully ((issued franchise)) at the time of the location of the ferry crossing ((or construction of the toll bridge)) by the department.
     (((2) The ten-mile distance in subsection (1) of this section means ten statute miles measured by airline distance. The ten-mile restriction shall be applied by comparing the two end points (termini) of a state ferry crossing to those of a private ferry crossing.
     (3) The Washington utilities and transportation commission may, upon written petition of a commercial ferry operator certificated or applying for certification under chapter 81.84 RCW, and upon notice and hearing, grant a waiver from the ten-mile restriction. The waiver must not be detrimental to the public interest. In making a decision to waive the ten-mile restriction, the commission shall consider, but is not limited to, the impact of the waiver on transportation congestion mitigation, air quality improvement, and the overall impact on the Washington state ferry system. The commission shall act upon a request for a waiver within ninety days after the conclusion of the hearing. A waiver is effective for a period of five years from the date of issuance. At the end of five years the waiver becomes permanent unless appealed within thirty days by the commission on its own motion, the department, or an interested party.
     (4) The department shall not maintain and operate any ferry crossing or toll bridge over Puget Sound or any of its tributary or connecting waters that would infringe upon any franchise lawfully issued by the state and in existence and being exercised at the time of the location of the ferry crossing or toll bridge by the department, without first acquiring the rights granted to such franchise holder under the franchise.
     (5) This section does not apply to the operation of passenger-only ferry service by public transportation benefit areas meeting the requirements of RCW 36.57A.200 or to the operation of passenger-only ferry service by ferry districts.))

Sec. 7   RCW 47.60.658 and 2006 c 332 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     The department shall maintain the level of service existing on January 1, 2006, for the Vashon to Seattle passenger-only ferry route until such time as the ((legislature approves a county ferry district's assumption of the route, as authorized under RCW 36.54.110(5))) route is assumed by another entity, providing a level of service at or exceeding the state level.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 8   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 immediately, except for section 6 of this act which takes effect July 1, 2008.