2019 Regular Session

ByRepresentatives Springer, Jenkin, Klippert, Doglio, and Jinkins

Read first time 02/26/19.Referred to Committee on Appropriations.

AN ACT Relating to funding the Washington information network 211 system; amending RCW 80.36.430; reenacting and amending RCW 43.79A.040; adding a new section to chapter 80.36 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. For over a decade, the 211 system has provided the state of Washington with a reliable and high quality method for consumers to obtain information and referrals to essential services provided by federal, state, and local governments, as well as nonprofit and faith-based organizations across the state, including timely and critical responses to natural disasters, public health crises, and other emergencies. The 211 system requires better, stable, and reliable funding in order to continue its historic role in communities across the state and to further improve access to important services for consumers, particularly services depended upon by many low-income Washingtonians to meet basic housing, food, safety, and health needs.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 80.36 RCW to read as follows:

The Washington information and referral access account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. All receipts from funds collected under RCW 80.36.430(1) must be deposited into the account. Expenditures from the account must be used exclusively for the department to contract with the Washington information network 211 organization for operational support. Only the secretary of social and health services or the secretary's designee may authorize expenditures from the account. The account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not required for expenditures.

Sec. 3. RCW 80.36.430 and 2013 2nd sp.s. c 8 s 108 are each amended to read as follows:

Subject to the enactment into law of the 2013 amendments to RCW 82.14B.040 in section 103, chapter 8, Laws of 2013 2nd sp. sess., the 2013 amendments to RCW 82.14B.042 in section 104, chapter 8, Laws of 2013 2nd sp. sess., the 2013 amendments to RCW 82.14B.030 in section 105, chapter 8, Laws of 2013 2nd sp. sess., the 2013 amendments to RCW 82.14B.200 in section 106, chapter 8, Laws of 2013 2nd sp. sess., and the 2013 amendments to RCW 82.08.0289 in section 107, chapter 8, Laws of 2013 2nd sp. sess.:

(1) The Washington telephone assistance program is funded by the legislature by means of a biennial general fund appropriation to the department and by funds from any federal government or other programs for this purpose. Every fiscal year, an amount of no less than two million dollars from the funds collected under this subsection must be deposited into the Washington information and referral access account.

(2) Local exchange companies must bill the department for their expenses incurred in offering the telephone assistance program, including administrative and program expenses. The department must disburse the money to the local exchange companies. The department is exempted from having to conclude a contract with local exchange companies in order to effect this reimbursement. The department must recover its administrative costs. The department may specify by rule the range and extent of administrative and program expenses that will be reimbursed to local exchange companies.

(3) The department must enter into an agreement with the department of commerce for an amount not to exceed eight percent of the prior fiscal year's total revenue for the administrative and program expenses of providing community service voice mail services. The community service voice mail service may include toll-free lines in community action agencies through which recipients can access their community service voice mailboxes at no charge.

(4) The department shall enter into an agreement with the Washington information network 211 organization for operational support, ((subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this purpose))for an amount of no less than two million dollars per fiscal year.

Sec. 4. RCW 43.79A.040 and 2018 c 260 s 28, 2018 c 258 s 4, and 2018 c 127 s 6 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

(1) Money in the treasurer's trust fund may be deposited, invested, and reinvested by the state treasurer in accordance with RCW 43.84.080 in the same manner and to the same extent as if the money were in the state treasury, and may be commingled with moneys in the state treasury for cash management and cash balance purposes.

(2) All income received from investment of the treasurer's trust fund must be set aside in an account in the treasury trust fund to be known as the investment income account.

(3) The investment income account may be utilized for the payment of purchased banking services on behalf of treasurer's trust funds including, but not limited to, depository, safekeeping, and disbursement functions for the state treasurer or affected state agencies. The investment income account is subject in all respects to chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for payments to financial institutions. Payments must occur prior to distribution of earnings set forth in subsection (4) of this section.

(4)(a) Monthly, the state treasurer must distribute the earnings credited to the investment income account to the state general fund except under (b), (c), and (d) of this subsection.

(b) The following accounts and funds must receive their proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's or fund's average daily balance for the period: The 24/7 sobriety account, the Washington promise scholarship account, the Gina Grant Bull memorial legislative page scholarship account, the Washington advanced college tuition payment program account, the Washington college savings program account, the accessible communities account, the Washington achieving a better life experience program account, the community and technical college innovation account, the agricultural local fund, the American Indian scholarship endowment fund, the foster care scholarship endowment fund, the foster care endowed scholarship trust fund, the contract harvesting revolving account, the Washington state combined fund drive account, the commemorative works account, the county enhanced 911 excise tax account, the toll collection account, the developmental disabilities endowment trust fund, the energy account, the fair fund, the family and medical leave insurance account, the fish and wildlife federal lands revolving account, the natural resources federal lands revolving account, the food animal veterinarian conditional scholarship account, the forest health revolving account, the fruit and vegetable inspection account, the future teachers conditional scholarship account, the game farm alternative account, the GET ready for math and science scholarship account, the Washington global health technologies and product development account, the grain inspection revolving fund, the Washington history day account, the industrial insurance rainy day fund, the juvenile accountability incentive account, the law enforcement officers' and firefighters' plan 2 expense fund, the local tourism promotion account, the low-income home rehabilitation revolving loan program account, the multiagency permitting team account, the northeast Washington wolf-livestock management account, the pilotage account, the produce railcar pool account, the regional transportation investment district account, the rural rehabilitation account, the Washington sexual assault kit account, the stadium and exhibition center account, the youth athletic facility account, the self-insurance revolving fund, the children's trust fund, the Washington horse racing commission Washington bred owners' bonus fund and breeder awards account, the Washington horse racing commission class C purse fund account, the Washington information and referral access account, the individual development account program account, the Washington horse racing commission operating account, the life sciences discovery fund, the Washington state heritage center account, the reduced cigarette ignition propensity account, the center for childhood deafness and hearing loss account, the school for the blind account, the Millersylvania park trust fund, the public employees' and retirees' insurance reserve fund, the school employees' benefits board insurance reserve fund, (([the]))the public employees' and retirees' insurance account, (([the]))the school employees' insurance account, and the radiation perpetual maintenance fund.

(c) The following accounts and funds must receive eighty percent of their proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's or fund's average daily balance for the period: The advanced right-of-way revolving fund, the advanced environmental mitigation revolving account, the federal narcotics asset forfeitures account, the high occupancy vehicle account, the local rail service assistance account, and the miscellaneous transportation programs account.

(d) Any state agency that has independent authority over accounts or funds not statutorily required to be held in the custody of the state treasurer that deposits funds into a fund or account in the custody of the state treasurer pursuant to an agreement with the office of the state treasurer shall receive its proportionate share of earnings based upon each account's or fund's average daily balance for the period.

(5) In conformance with Article II, section 37 of the state Constitution, no trust accounts or funds shall be allocated earnings without the specific affirmative directive of this section.