FINAL BILL REPORT

SHB 1121

C 54 L 17

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Concerning the frequency of Puget Sound action agenda implementation strategy and science work plan updates.

Sponsors: House Committee on Environment (originally sponsored by Representatives Muri, Fitzgibbon, Short, Peterson, Fey, Smith, Kagi, Barkis, McBride, Farrell, Wilcox, Jinkins, Haler, Stanford, Gregerson, Kilduff, Tarleton, Tharinger and Pollet; by request of Puget Sound Partnership).

House Committee on Environment

Senate Committee on Energy, Environment & Telecommunications

Background:

The Puget Sound Partnership.

The Puget Sound Partnership (Partnership) oversees the restoration of the environmental health of Puget Sound. The Partnership consists of a leadership council, an executive director, an ecosystem coordination board, and a Puget Sound science panel. As part of its work, the Partnership produces three documents: an action agenda, a science work plan, and a State of the Sound Report (Report). The Partnership also provides a set of funding recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature every two years.

The Puget Sound Partnership Action Agenda.

The Partnership produces an action agenda, which must be updated every two years. Among other elements, the action agenda addresses all geographic areas of Puget Sound, describes problems affecting Puget Sound's health, identifies implementation strategies to restore and protect Puget Sound, and incorporates appropriate actions to carry out the science work plan. Biennial updates to the action agenda include revised implementation strategies, benchmarks for near-term actions, and prioritized actions.

The Puget Sound Partnership Science Work Plan.

The Partnership also produces a science work plan, which must be updated every two years. The science work plan identifies recommendations from scientific and technical reports regarding Puget Sound, describes whether ongoing work addresses the recommendations, describes Puget Sound science-related activities being conducted by various entities in the region, identifies specific science work actions to be done over the course of the work plan, and recommends improvements to the ongoing science work in Puget Sound.

The Puget Sound Partnership State of the Sound Report.

The Partnership also produces the Report every two years. The Report includes, among other elements, an assessment of the progress made in implementing the action agenda, findings from the assessment and monitoring program, a review of citizen concerns provided to the Partnership, and a review of the expenditure of state funds.

The Puget Sound Partnership Funding Recommendations.

In each even-numbered year, the Partnership is required to provide to the Governor and the Legislature its recommendations for the funding necessary to implement the action agenda for the upcoming biennium.  Among other things, the funding recommendations identify funding needed for the action agenda and funding needed to support the work of the Partnership and address funding responsibilities among local, state, and federal governments, as well as nongovernmental funding.

Summary:

The Puget Sound Partnership's (Partnership) action agenda must be updated every four years, rather than every two years. Updates to the action agenda must include revised implementation strategies, quadrennial benchmarks for near-term actions, and prioritized actions necessary in the four-year period to achieve the objectives of the action agenda.

The Partnership's science work plan must be updated every four years, rather than every two years.

The State of the Sound Report that the Partnership provides to the Legislature every two years must include references to ongoing science-related activities and monitoring efforts.

Votes on Final Passage: