BILL REQ. #:  H-1937.2 

READ FIRST TIME 02/24/11.   

     AN ACT Relating to modifying the Columbia river basin management program to prospectively maximize investment tools; amending RCW 90.90.010, 90.90.020, and 90.90.040; reenacting and amending RCW 43.84.092; adding new sections to chapter 90.90 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 90.90.010 and 2006 c 6 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The Columbia river basin water supply development account is created in the state treasury. The account may receive direct appropriations from the legislature, receipts of any funds pursuant to RCW 90.90.020 and 90.90.030, or funds from any other sources. The account is intended to fund projects using tax exempt bonds.
     (2)(a) Expenditures from the Columbia river basin water supply development account may be used to assess, plan, and develop new storage, improve or alter operations of existing storage facilities, implement conservation projects, develop pump exchanges, or any other actions designed to provide access to new water supplies within the Columbia river basin for both instream and out-of-stream uses. Except for the development of new storage projects and pump exchanges, there shall be no expenditures from this account for water acquisition or transfers from one water resource inventory area to another without specific legislative authority. For purposes of this chapter, "pump exchanges" means water supply development projects that exchange water from one source to another or relocate an existing diversion downstream, with resulting instream benefit.
     (b) Two-thirds of the funds placed in the account shall be used to support the development of new storage facilities and pump exchanges; the remaining one-third shall be used for the other purposes listed in this section.
     (3)(a) Funds may not be expended from this account for the construction of a new storage facility until the department of ecology evaluates the following:
     (i) Water uses to be served by the facility;
     (ii) The quantity of water necessary to meet those uses;
     (iii) The benefits and costs to the state of meeting those uses, including short-term and long-term economic, cultural, and environmental effects; and
     (iv) Alternative means of supplying water to meet those uses, including the costs of those alternatives and an analysis of the extent to which long-term water supply needs can be met using these alternatives.
     (b) The department of ecology may rely on studies and information developed through compliance with other state and federal permit requirements and other sources. The department shall compile its findings and conclusions, and provide a summary of the information it reviewed.
     (c) Before finalizing its evaluation under the provisions of this section, the department of ecology shall make the preliminary evaluation available to the public. Public comment may be made to the department within thirty days of the date the preliminary evaluation is made public.
     (4) Net water savings achieved through conservation measures funded by the account shall be placed in trust in proportion to the state funding provided to implement a project.
     (5) Net water savings achieved through conservation measures funded by the account developed within the boundaries of the federal Columbia river reclamation project and directed to the Odessa subarea to reduce the use of groundwater for existing irrigation is exempt from the provisions of subsection (4) of this section.
     (6) The department of ecology may enter into water service contracts with applicants receiving water from the program to recover all or a portion of the cost of developing the water supply. Costs recovered under water service contracts does not include staff time expended by the department on developing the water supply. With the applicant's concurrence, the department may receive power revenue generated by the water supply developed by the department through water service contracts. The department may deny an application if the applicant does not enter into a water service contract. Revenue collected from water service contracts must be deposited into the Columbia river basin water supply revenue recovery account created in section 3 of this act. The department may adopt rules describing the methodology as to how charges will be established and direct costs recovered for water supply developed under the Columbia river basin water supply program. Water service contracts with federal agencies under RCW 90.42.150 are not required to be established by rule.
     (7) Moneys in the Columbia river basin water supply development account created in this section may be spent only after appropriation.
     (((7))) (8) Interest earned by deposits in the account will be retained in the account.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 90.90 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The Columbia river basin taxable bond water supply development account is created in the state treasury. All receipts from direct appropriations from the legislature, moneys directed to the account pursuant to RCW 90.90.020 and 90.90.030, or moneys directed to the account from any other sources must be deposited in the account. Moneys in the account may be spent only after appropriation. The account is intended to fund projects using taxable bonds. Expenditures from the account may be used only as provided in this section.
     (2)(a) Expenditures from the Columbia river basin taxable bond water supply development account may be used to assess, plan, and develop new storage, improve or alter operations of existing storage facilities, implement conservation projects, develop pump exchanges, or any other actions designed to provide access to new water supplies within the Columbia river basin for both instream and out-of-stream uses. Except for the development of new storage projects and pump exchanges, there may be no expenditures from the account for water acquisition or transfers from one water resource inventory area to another without specific legislative authority. For the purposes of this section, the term "pump exchanges" means water supply development projects that exchange water from one source to another or relocate an existing diversion downstream, with resulting instream benefit.
     (b) Two-thirds of the moneys placed in the account must be used to support the development of new storage facilities and pump exchanges; the remaining one-third of the moneys must be used for the other purposes listed in this section.
     (3)(a) Funds may not be expended from the account for the construction of a new storage facility until the department of ecology evaluates the following:
     (i) Water uses to be served by the facility;
     (ii) The quantity of water necessary to meet those uses;
     (iii) The benefits and costs to the state of meeting those uses, including short-term and long-term economic, cultural, and environmental effects; and
     (iv) Alternative means of supplying water to meet those uses, including the costs of those alternatives and an analysis of the extent to which long-term water supply needs can be met using these alternatives.
     (b) The department of ecology may rely on studies and information developed through compliance with other state and federal permit requirements and other sources. The department shall compile its findings and conclusions, and provide a summary of the information it reviewed.
     (c) Before finalizing its evaluation under the provisions of this section, the department of ecology shall make the preliminary evaluation available to the public. Public comment may be made to the department within thirty days of the date the preliminary evaluation is made public.
     (4) Net water savings achieved through conservation measures funded by the account shall be placed in trust in proportion to the state funding provided to implement a project.
     (5) Net water savings achieved through conservation measures funded by the account developed within the boundaries of the federal Columbia river reclamation project and directed to the Odessa subarea to reduce the use of groundwater for existing irrigation is exempt from the provisions of subsection (4) of this section.
     (6) The department of ecology may enter into water service contracts with applicants receiving water from the program to recover all or a portion of the cost of developing the water supply. Costs recovered under water service contracts does not include staff time expended by the department on developing the water supply. With the applicant's concurrence, the department may receive power revenue generated by the water supply developed by the department through water service contracts. The department may deny an application if the applicant does not enter into a water service contract. Revenue collected from water service contracts must be deposited into the Columbia river basin water supply revenue recovery account created in section 3 of this act. The department may adopt rules describing the methodology as to how charges will be established and direct costs recovered for water supply developed under the Columbia river basin water supply program. Water service contracts with federal agencies under RCW 90.42.150 are not required to be established by rule.
     (7) Interest earned by deposits in the account will be retained in the account.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   A new section is added to chapter 90.90 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The Columbia river basin water supply revenue recovery account is created in the state treasury. All receipts from direct appropriations from the legislature, moneys directed to the account pursuant to RCW 90.90.020 and 90.90.030, revenue from water service contracts described in this chapter, or moneys directed into the account from any other sources must be deposited in the account. Moneys in the account may be spent only after appropriation. Expenditures from the account may be used only as provided in this section.
     (2)(a) Expenditures from the Columbia river basin water supply revenue recovery account may be used to assess, plan, and develop new storage, improve or alter operations of existing storage facilities, implement conservation projects, develop pump exchanges, or any other actions designed to provide access to new water supplies within the Columbia river basin for both instream and out-of-stream uses. Except for the development of new storage projects and pump exchanges, there may be no expenditures from the account for water acquisition or transfers from one water resource inventory area to another without specific legislative authority. For the purposes of this section, the term "pump exchanges" means water supply development projects that exchange water from one source to another or relocate an existing diversion downstream, with resulting instream benefit.
     (b) Two-thirds of the moneys placed in the account must be used to support the development of new storage facilities and pump exchanges; the remaining one-third of the moneys must be used for the other purposes listed in this section.
     (3)(a) Funds may not be expended from the account for the construction of a new storage facility until the department of ecology evaluates the following:
     (i) Water uses to be served by the facility;
     (ii) The quantity of water necessary to meet those uses;
     (iii) The benefits and costs to the state of meeting those uses, including short-term and long-term economic, cultural, and environmental effects; and
     (iv) Alternative means of supplying water to meet those uses, including the costs of those alternatives and an analysis of the extent to which long-term water supply needs can be met using these alternatives.
     (b) The department of ecology may rely on studies and information developed through compliance with other state and federal permit requirements and other sources. The department shall compile its findings and conclusions, and provide a summary of the information it reviewed.
     (c) Before finalizing its evaluation under the provisions of this section, the department of ecology shall make the preliminary evaluation available to the public. Public comment may be made to the department within thirty days of the date the preliminary evaluation is made public.
     (4) Net water savings achieved through conservation measures funded by the account shall be placed in trust in proportion to the state funding provided to implement a project.
     (5) Net water savings achieved through conservation measures funded by the account developed within the boundaries of the federal Columbia river reclamation project and directed to the Odessa subarea to reduce the use of groundwater for existing irrigation is exempt from the provisions of subsection (4) of this section.
     (6) The department of ecology may enter into water service contracts with applicants receiving water from the program to recover all or a portion of the cost of developing the water supply. Costs recovered under water service contracts does not include staff time expended by the department on developing the water supply. With the applicant's concurrence, the department may receive power revenue generated by the water supply developed by the department through water service contracts. The department may deny an application if the applicant does not enter into a water service contract. Revenue collected from water service contracts must be deposited into the Columbia river basin water supply revenue recovery account created in this section. The department may adopt rules describing the methodology as to how charges will be established and direct costs recovered for water supply developed under the Columbia river basin water supply program. Water service contracts with federal agencies under RCW 90.42.150 are not required to be established by rule.
     (7) Interest earned by deposits in the account will be retained in the account.

Sec. 4   RCW 90.90.020 and 2006 c 6 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1)(a) Water supplies secured through the development of new storage facilities made possible with funding from the Columbia river basin water supply development account, the Columbia river basin taxable bond water supply development account, and the Columbia river basin water supply revenue recovery account shall be allocated as follows:
     (i) Two-thirds of active storage shall be available for appropriation for out-of-stream uses; and
     (ii) One-third of active storage shall be available to augment instream flows and shall be managed by the department of ecology. The timing of releases of this water shall be determined by the department of ecology, in cooperation with the department of fish and wildlife and fisheries comanagers, to maximize benefits to salmon and steelhead populations.
     (b) Water available for appropriation under (a)(i) of this subsection but not yet appropriated shall be temporarily available to augment instream flows to the extent that it does not impair existing water rights.
     (2) Water developed under the provisions of this section to offset out-of-stream uses and for instream flows is deemed adequate mitigation for the issuance of new water rights provided for in subsection (1)(a) of this section and satisfies all consultation requirements under state law related to the issuance of new water rights.
     (3) The department of ecology shall focus its efforts to develop water supplies for the Columbia river basin on the following needs:
     (a) Alternatives to groundwater for agricultural users in the Odessa subarea aquifer;
     (b) Sources of water supply for pending water right applications;
     (c) A new uninterruptible supply of water for the holders of interruptible water rights on the Columbia river mainstem that are subject to instream flows or other mitigation conditions to protect stream flows; and
     (d) New municipal, domestic, industrial, and irrigation water needs within the Columbia river basin.
     (4) The one-third/two-thirds allocation of water resources between instream and out-of-stream uses established in this section does not apply to applications for changes or transfers of existing water rights in the Columbia river basin.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   A new section is added to chapter 90.90 RCW to read as follows:
     Two-thirds of the water made available through reoperation of Sullivan lake funded from the Columbia river basin water supply development account created in RCW 90.90.010 must be used to supply or offset out-of-stream uses described in RCW 90.90.020(3) in Douglas, Ferry, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, and Stevens counties. At least one-half of this quantity must be made available for municipal, domestic, and industrial uses.

Sec. 6   RCW 90.90.040 and 2006 c 6 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) To support the development of new water supplies in the Columbia river and to protect instream flow, the department of ecology shall work with all interested parties, including interested county legislative authorities and watershed planning groups((, adjacent to)) in the Columbia river basin, and affected tribal governments, to develop a Columbia river water supply inventory and a long-term water supply and demand forecast. The inventory must include:
     (a) A list of conservation projects that have been implemented under this chapter and the amount of water conservation they have achieved; and
     (b) A list of potential water supply and storage projects in the Columbia river basin, including estimates of:
     (i) Cost per acre-foot;
     (ii) Benefit to fish and other instream needs;
     (iii) Benefit to out-of-stream needs; and
     (iv) Environmental and cultural impacts.
     (2) The department of ecology shall complete the first Columbia river water supply inventory by November 15, 2006, and shall update the inventory annually thereafter.
     (3) The department of ecology shall complete the first Columbia river long-term water supply and demand forecast by November 15, 2006, and shall update the report every five years thereafter.

Sec. 7   RCW 43.84.092 and 2010 1st sp.s. c 30 s 20, 2010 1st sp.s. c 9 s 7, 2010 c 248 s 6, 2010 c 222 s 5, 2010 c 162 s 6, and 2010 c 145 s 11 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 aeronautics account, the aircraft search and rescue account, the budget stabilization account, 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 cleanup settlement account, the Columbia river basin water supply development account, the Columbia river basin taxable bond water supply development account, the Columbia river basin water supply revenue recovery account, the common school construction fund, the county arterial preservation account, the county criminal justice assistance account, the county sales and use tax equalization account, the deferred compensation administrative account, the deferred compensation principal account, the department of licensing services 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 energy freedom account, the energy recovery act account, the essential rail assistance account, The Evergreen State College capital projects account, the federal forest revolving account, the ferry bond retirement fund, the freight congestion relief account, the freight mobility investment account, the freight mobility multimodal account, the grade crossing protective fund, the public health services account, the health system capacity account, the high capacity transportation account, the state higher education construction account, the higher education construction account, the highway bond retirement fund, the highway infrastructure account, the highway safety account, the high occupancy toll lanes operations account, the hospital safety net assessment fund, 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 marine resources stewardship trust account, the medical aid account, the mobile home park relocation fund, the motor vehicle fund, the motorcycle safety education account, the multiagency permitting team account, 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 transportation systems account, the public works assistance account, the Puget Sound capital construction account, the Puget Sound ferry operations account, the Puyallup tribal settlement account, the real estate appraiser commission account, the recreational vehicle account, the regional mobility grant program account, the resource management cost account, the rural arterial trust account, the rural Washington loan fund, the site closure account, the small city pavement and sidewalk account, the special category C 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 state patrol highway account, the state route number 520 civil penalties account, the state route number 520 corridor account, 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 2003 account (nickel account), the transportation equipment fund, the transportation fund, the transportation improvement account, the transportation improvement board bond retirement account, the transportation infrastructure account, the transportation partnership account, the traumatic brain injury account, the tuition recovery trust fund, the University of Washington bond retirement fund, the University of Washington building account, the urban arterial trust account, the volunteer firefighters' and reserve officers' relief and pension principal fund, the volunteer firefighters' and reserve officers' administrative fund, the Washington judicial retirement system account, the Washington law enforcement officers' and firefighters' system plan 1 retirement account, the Washington law enforcement officers' and firefighters' 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.
     (b) Any state agency that has independent authority over accounts or funds not statutorily required to be held in the state treasury that deposits funds into a fund or account in the state treasury pursuant to an agreement with the office of the state treasurer shall receive its proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's or fund's average daily balance for the period.
     (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.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 8   The department of ecology shall, within existing resources and in consultation with stakeholders, evaluate options for aggregating projects to achieve the instream and out-of-stream allocation under RCW 90.90.020. The department of ecology shall report its findings to the legislature, consistent with RCW 43.01.036, by September 15, 2011.