Read first time 01/18/12.   Referred to Committee on Local Government.

     AN ACT Relating to a joint select committee on junior taxing districts; and creating new sections.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that while Washington state has a history and tradition of promoting and establishing limited purpose governmental entities, the proliferation of special purpose districts has resulted in the creation and operation of a highly complex and multilayered tapestry of local governments and governmental services that can hinder shared goals of efficient and effective service delivery.
     The legislature, therefore, intends to establish a joint select committee on junior taxing districts to review junior taxing districts for the purpose of evaluating their provided services and making recommendations regarding their appropriateness for consolidation into an appropriate general purpose local government.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1)(a) A joint select committee on junior taxing districts is established, with members as provided in this subsection.
     (i) Each legislative leader of the two largest political parties in each house of the legislature shall appoint one voting member to the committee by July 1, 2012.
     (ii) The speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the senate jointly shall appoint two nonvoting members to the committee by July 1, 2012.
     (iii) The governor shall appoint one nonvoting member to the committee by July 1, 2012.
     (b) The committee shall choose its chair from among its legislative membership. The appointee from the majority caucus of the house of representatives shall convene the initial meeting of the committee.
     (2)(a) The committee shall review junior taxing districts for the purpose of evaluating their provided services and making recommendations regarding their appropriateness for consolidation into a city or county, the general purpose local governments of Washington. In completing its review and recommendations, the committee shall seek pertinent information and advice from:
     (i) Organizations representing counties, cities, and junior taxing districts;
     (ii) Counties, cities, and junior taxing districts;
     (iii) The department of revenue;
     (iv) The state auditor; and
     (v) The office of the attorney general.
     (b) For purposes of this section, the term "junior taxing district" includes all taxing districts other than the state, counties, cities, towns, and school districts.
     (3) Staff support for the committee must be provided by senate committee services and the house of representatives office of program research.
     (4) Legislative members of the committee must be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 44.04.120. Nonlegislative members, except those representing an employer or organization, are entitled to be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
     (5) The expenses of the committee must be paid jointly by the senate and the house of representatives. Committee expenses are subject to approval by the senate facilities and operations committee and the house of representatives executive rules committee or their successor committees.
     (6) The voting members of the committee shall report their findings and recommendations, in the form of draft legislation, to the governor and the ways and means committees of the house of representatives and senate, or their successor committees, by November 1, 2012.