BILL REQ. #:  S-3541.2 

Read first time 01/27/12.   Referred to Committee on Transportation.

     AN ACT Relating to the executive committee of Washington state ferry users; amending RCW 47.60.310 and 47.60.315; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   It is the intent of the legislature that the existing system for citizen involvement in the ferry fare rate-setting process is expanded to allow for a more deliberative and inclusive decision-making process.

Sec. 2   RCW 47.60.310 and 2010 c 8 s 10020 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The department is further directed to conduct such review by soliciting and obtaining expressions from local community groups in order to be properly informed as to problems being experienced within the area served by the Washington state ferries. In order that local representation may be established, the department shall give prior notice of the review to the ferry advisory committees.
     (2) The legislative authorities of San Juan, Skagit, Clallam, and Jefferson counties shall each appoint a committee to consist of five members to serve as an advisory committee to the department or its designated representative in such review. The legislative authorities of other counties that contain ferry terminals shall appoint ferry advisory committees consisting of three members for each terminal area in each county, except for Vashon Island, which shall have one committee, and its members shall be appointed by the Vashon/Maury Island community council. At least one person appointed to each ferry advisory committee shall be representative of an established ferry user group or of frequent users of the ferry system. Each member shall reside in the vicinity of the terminal that the advisory committee represents.
     (3) The members of the San Juan, Clallam, and Jefferson county ferry advisory committees shall be appointed for four-year terms. The initial terms shall commence on July 1, 1982, and end on June 30, 1986. Any vacancy shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term by the appointing authority. At least one person appointed to the advisory committee shall be representative of an established ferry-user group or of frequent users of the ferry system, at least one shall be representative of persons or firms using or depending upon the ferry system for commerce, and one member shall be representative of a local government planning body or its staff. Every member shall be a resident of the county upon whose advisory committee he or she sits((, and not more than three members shall at the time of their appointment be members of the same major political party)).
     (4) The members of each terminal area committee shall be appointed for four-year terms. The initial terms of the members of each terminal area committee shall be staggered as follows: All terms shall commence September 1, 1988, with one member's term expiring August 31, 1990, one member's term expiring August 31, 1991, and the remaining member's term expiring August 31, 1992. Any vacancy shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term by the appointing authority. ((Not more than two members of any terminal area committee may be from the same political party at the time of their appointment, and in a county having more than one committee, the overall party representation shall be as nearly equal as possible.))
     (5)(a) The ((chair[s])) chairs, or the chairs' designees, of the ((several)) terminal area committees and ferry advisory committees constitute an executive committee of ((the)) Washington state ferry users. The executive committee shall meet at least twice each year with representatives of the marine division of the department and the commission to review ferry system issues. The department shall provide technical support to the executive committee to allow for review of the following:
     (i) Ferry system revenues and operating costs;
     (ii) Ferry system route or other significant service changes; and
     (iii) Other ferry system issues.
     (b) The executive committee shall provide recommendations on the ferry-related issues listed in (a) of this subsection to the commission and the legislature on a schedule that will enable the information to be used as part of the decision-making process for legislative budget development and commission fare setting.
     (6) The committees to be appointed by the county legislative authorities shall serve without fee or compensation.

Sec. 3   RCW 47.60.315 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 16 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The commission shall adopt fares and pricing policies by rule, under chapter 34.05 RCW, according to the following schedule:
     (a) Each year the department shall provide the commission a report of its review of fares and pricing policies, with recommendations for the revision of fares and pricing policies for the ensuing year;
     (b) By September 1st of each year, beginning in 2008, the commission shall adopt by rule fares and pricing policies for the ensuing year.
     (2) The commission may adopt by rule fares that are effective for more or less than one year for the purposes of transitioning to the fare schedule in subsection (1) of this section.
     (3) The commission may increase ferry fares included in the schedule of charges adopted under this section by a percentage that exceeds the fiscal growth factor.
     (4) The chief executive officer of the ferry system may authorize the use of promotional, discounted, and special event fares to the general public and commercial enterprises for the purpose of maximizing capacity use and the revenues collected by the ferry system. The department shall report to the commission a summary of the promotional, discounted, and special event fares offered during each fiscal year and the financial results from these activities.
     (5) Fare revenues and other revenues deposited in the Puget Sound ferry operations account created in RCW 47.60.530 may not be used to support the Puget Sound capital construction account created in RCW 47.60.505, unless the support for capital is separately identified in the fare.
     (6) The commission may not raise fares until the fare rules contain pricing policies developed under RCW 47.60.290, or September 1, 2009, whichever is later.
     (7) The commission shall impose a vessel replacement surcharge of twenty-five cents on every one-way and round-trip ferry fare sold, including multiride and monthly pass fares. This surcharge must be clearly indicated to ferry passengers and drivers and, if possible, on the fare media itself.
     (8) Recommendations relating to ferry system revenues and operating costs presented to the commission by the executive committee of Washington state ferry users must be considered before raising fares.