Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research | BILL ANALYSIS |
Higher Education Committee |
HB 1922
This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent. |
Brief Description: Modifying the due date for applications by local governments for designation as a health sciences and services authority.
Sponsors: Representative Jinkins.
Brief Summary of Bill |
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Hearing Date:
Staff: Megan Mulvihill (786-7304).
Background:
Legislation passed in 2007 authorized the creation of a Health Sciences and Services Authority (Authority) to promote bioscience-based economic development and advance new therapies and procedures to combat disease and promote public health. Initially, just a single Authority was authorized and only in a county with a population of less than 1 million persons. In 2010 the Legislature further specified that there could be no more than two Authorities in the state, and that Authorities could only be located east of the crest of the Cascade Mountains. Spokane County was the only county to submit an application to become an Authority, so the Washington Student Achievement Council (Council) approved the Authority of Spokane County.
An individual local government, or local governments joining together, may establish such an Authority by ordinance or resolution. The ordinance or resolution must specify the powers of the Authority, establish an administrative board, clarify the geographic boundaries of the Authority, and provide investment guidelines. An Authority is overseen by a board of not more than 14 members and has all the general powers necessary to carry out its purposes and duties, such as the power to make and execute agreements and contracts, establish special funds, hire staff, incur general indebtedness, leverage the Authority's public funds with moneys received from other public and private sources, hold funds received by the Authority in trust, and make grants to entities to promote bioscience-based economic development.
The Council was authorized to approve or reject applications submitted by local governments for an area's designation as an Authority. The Council was also charged with adopting any rules necessary for implementation and was given responsibility for developing performance measures to evaluate the effectiveness of the programs in the Authorities that are funded with public resources. The Council is also tasked with developing evaluation criteria that enable the local governments to measure the effectiveness of the programs.
Summary of Bill:
The due date for when applications from local governments to be designated as an Authority is changed from December 31, 2010 to December 31, 2018.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Requested on January 9, 2018.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.