AN ACT Relating to preliminary work to develop a process for planning for a new Interstate 5 bridge spanning the Columbia river; amending RCW 43.157.030; reenacting and amending RCW 43.157.010; adding a new section to chapter 43.157 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 47.01 RCW; creating a new section; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that Washington is one of our nation's trade leaders, serving as a gateway to both international and interstate trade for the west. Clark county's population has grown by thirty percent over the past fifteen years. Recent southwest Washington regional transportation council data found a greater than fifty percent year-over-year increase in peak-hour vehicle and truck delays on the Interstate 5 corridor through Vancouver. Southwest Washington must find a path forward to establishing a unified plan for infrastructure investments that will serve as the basis for progress for the next one hundred years. The safety and economic well-being of our residents cannot wait. Legislators representing southwest Washington have set out some guiding principles that will enable a planning process to begin to select a new Interstate 5 bridge project that will serve as the foundation of an initial investment in the bridges that link Washington with Oregon, supporting critical trade routes, alleviating congestion, and improving safety. To that end, the legislature intends to designate the replacement of the Interstate 5 bridge as a project of statewide significance.

Sec. 2.  RCW 43.157.010 and 2012 c 63 s 2 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter and RCW 28A.525.166, ((28B.76.210, 28C.18.080,)) 43.21A.350, and 90.58.100, unless the context requires otherwise:

(1) "Applicant" means a person applying to the department for designation of a development project as a project of statewide significance.

(2) "Aviation biofuels production facility" means a facility primarily for the processing of nonfossil biogenic feedstocks to produce aviation fuels that meet the fuel quality technical standards of the American society for testing materials for aviation fuels and coproducts.

(3) "Department" means the department of commerce.

(4) "Manufacturing" shall have the meaning assigned it in RCW 82.62.010.

(5)(a) "Project of statewide significance" means:

(i) A border crossing project that involves both private and public investments carried out in conjunction with adjacent states or provinces;

(ii) A development project that will provide a net environmental benefit;

(iii) A development project in furtherance of the commercialization of innovations;

(iv) A private industrial development with private capital investment in manufacturing or research and development; ((or))

(v) An aviation biofuels production facility; or

(vi) A project designated by the legislature and codified under this chapter.

(b) To qualify for designation under RCW 43.157.030 as a project of statewide significance:

(i) The project must be completed after January 1, 2009;

(ii) The applicant must submit an application to the department for designation as a project of statewide significance to the department of commerce; and

(iii) Except for an aviation biofuels production facility, the project must have:

(A) In counties with a population less than or equal to twenty thousand, a capital investment of five million dollars;

(B) In counties with a population greater than twenty thousand but no more than fifty thousand, a capital investment of ten million dollars;

(C) In counties with a population greater than fifty thousand but no more than one hundred thousand, a capital investment of fifteen million dollars;

(D) In counties with a population greater than one hundred thousand but no more than two hundred thousand, a capital investment of twenty million dollars;

(E) In counties with a population greater than two hundred thousand but no more than four hundred thousand, a capital investment of thirty million dollars;

(F) In counties with a population greater than four hundred thousand but no more than one million, a capital investment of forty million dollars;

(G) In counties with a population greater than one million, a capital investment of fifty million dollars;

(H) In rural counties as defined by RCW 82.14.370, projected full-time employment positions after completion of construction of fifty or greater;

(I) In counties other than rural counties as defined by RCW 82.14.370, projected full-time employment positions after completion of construction of one hundred or greater; or

(J) Been qualified by the director of the department as a project of statewide significance either because:

(I) The economic circumstances of the county merit the additional assistance such designation will bring;

(II) The impact on a region due to the size and complexity of the project merits such designation;

(III) The project resulted from or is in furtherance of innovation activities at a public research institution in the state or is in or resulted from innovation activities within an innovation partnership zone; or

(IV) The project will provide a net environmental benefit as evidenced by plans for design and construction under green building standards or for the creation of renewable energy technology or components or under other environmental criteria established by the director in consultation with the director of the department of ecology.

A project may be qualified under this subsection (5)(b)(iii)(J) only after consultation on the availability of staff resources of the office of regulatory assistance.

(6) "Research and development" shall have the meaning assigned it in RCW 82.62.010.

Sec. 3.  RCW 43.157.030 and 2009 c 421 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The department of ((community, trade, and economic development)) commerce shall:

(a) Develop an application for designation of development projects as projects of statewide significance. The application must be accompanied by a letter of approval from the legislative authority of any jurisdiction that will have the proposed project of statewide significance within its boundaries. No designation of a project as a project of statewide significance shall be made without such letter of approval. The letter of approval must state that the jurisdiction joins in the request for the designation of the project as one of statewide significance and has or will hire the professional staff that will be required to expedite the processes necessary to the completion of a project of statewide significance. The development project proponents may provide the funding necessary for the jurisdiction to hire the professional staff that will be required to so expedite. The application shall contain information regarding the location of the project, the applicant's average employment in the state for the prior year, estimated new employment related to the project, estimated wages of employees related to the project, estimated time schedules for completion and operation, and other information required by the department; and

(b) Designate a development project as a project of statewide significance if the department determines:

(i) After review of the application under criteria adopted by rule, the development project will provide significant economic benefit to the local or state economy, or both, the project is aligned with the state's comprehensive plan for economic development under RCW 43.162.020, and, by its designation, the project will not prevent equal consideration of all categories of proposals under RCW 43.157.010; and

(ii) The development project meets or will meet the requirements of RCW 43.157.010 regarding designation as a project of statewide significance.

(2) Any project designated by the legislature and codified in this chapter is not subject to the application requirements set out in subsection (1) of this section.

(3) The office of regulatory assistance shall assign a project facilitator or coordinator to each project of statewide significance to:

(a) Assist in the scoping and coordinating functions provided for in chapter 43.42 RCW;

(b) Assemble a team of state and local government and private officials to help meet the planning, permitting, and development needs of each project, which team shall include those responsible for planning, permitting and licensing, infrastructure development, workforce development services including higher education, transportation services, and the provision of utilities; and

(c) Work with each team member to expedite their actions in furtherance of the project.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4.  A new section is added to chapter 43.157 RCW to read as follows:

The legislature designates the following project as a project of statewide significance: An Interstate 5 bridge that crosses the Columbia river.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5.  A new section is added to chapter 47.01 RCW to read as follows:

On behalf of the state, the governor is encouraged to make every effort to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the governor of Oregon regarding the construction of a new Interstate 5 bridge spanning the Columbia river that achieves the following purposes:

(1) Selects a joint Oregon-Washington legislative action committee to work with both states' departments of transportation and transportation commissions and stakeholders to begin a process toward project development. It is assumed that the appropriate local and bistate entities already tasked with related work will also be included when the legislative and interagency agreements are ready to move forward. The legislative action committee must convene its first meeting by December 15, 2017;

(2) Reviews and confirms lead roles related to permitting, construction, operation, and maintenance of a future Interstate 5 bridge project;

(3) Establishes a process to seek public comment on the Interstate 5 bridge project development plan selected and presents final recommendations for the process and financing to both states;

(4) Works to ensure that there are sufficient resources available to both states' departments of transportation to inventory and utilize existing data and any prior relevant work to allow for nonduplicative and efficient decision making regarding a new project;

(5) Examines all of the potential mass transit options available for a future Interstate 5 bridge project;

(6) Utilizes design-build procurement, or an equivalent or better innovation delivery method, and determines the least costly, most efficient project management and best practices tools consistent with work already completed including, but not limited to, height, navigation needs, transparency, economic development, and other critical elements, while minimizing the impacts of congestion during construction;

(7) Considers the creation of a Columbia river bridge authority to review bridge needs for possible repair, maintenance, or new construction, prioritizing those needs and making recommendations to both states with regard to financing specific projects, timing, authorities, and operations; and

(8) Provides a report to the legislatures of each state that details the findings and recommendations of the legislative action committee by December 15, 2018.

(2) By December 1, 2017, and in compliance with RCW 43.01.036, the department of transportation must submit a report to the legislature that details the findings of the inventory of existing planning work.

--- END ---