HOUSE BILL REPORT
SSB 5403
As Reported by House Committee On:
Community & Economic Development
Title: An act relating to the interagency, multijurisdictional system improvement team.
Brief Description: Concerning the interagency, multijurisdictional system improvement team.
Sponsors: Senate Committee on State Government & Elections (originally sponsored by Senators Wellman, Warnick, Hasegawa, Kuderer, Lovelett, Mullet, Salda?a and Wilson, C.).
Brief History:
Committee Activity:
Community & Economic Development: 3/17/21, 3/19/21 [DP].
Brief Summary of Substitute Bill
  • Extends the expiration date of the Interagency, Multijurisdictional System Improvement Team to June 30, 2025.
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Majority Report: Do pass.Signed by 10 members:Representatives Ryu, Chair; Paul, Vice Chair; Boehnke, Ranking Minority Member; Corry, Frame, Jacobsen, Johnson, J., Lovick, Rule and Taylor.
Minority Report: Without recommendation.Signed by 3 members:Representatives Chase, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Kraft and Sutherland.
Staff: Kyle Raymond (786-7190).
Background:

In 2017 the Legislature established an Interagency, Multijurisdictional System Improvement Team (Team). 

 

The Team identifies, implements, and reports on infrastructure system improvements that achieve certain, designated outcomes, including:

  • projects that maximize value, minimize overall costs and disturbance to the community, and ensure long-term durability and resilience;
  • projects designed to meet the unique needs of each community, rather than the needs of particular funding programs;
  • project designs that maximize long-term value by fully considering and responding to anticipated long-term environmental, technological, economic, and population changes;
  • the flexibility to innovate, including using natural systems, addressing multiple regulatory drivers, and forming regional partnerships;
  • the ability to plan and collaborate across programs and jurisdictions so different investments are packaged to be complementary, timely, and responsive to economic and community opportunities;
  • the needed capacity for communities, appropriate to their unique financial, planning, and management capacities, so they can design, finance, and build projects that best meet their long-term needs and minimize costs;
  • optimal use and leveraging of federal and private infrastructure dollars; and
  • mechanisms to ensure periodic, system-wide review and ongoing achievement of the designated outcomes.

 

The membership of the Team includes representatives from state infrastructure programs that provide funding for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater projects.  The Public Works Board (Board), a representative from the Department of Ecology, Department of Health, and Department of Commerce facilitate the work of the Team.

 

The Team also consists of representatives that are infrastructure program users, infrastructure project builders, and other entities determined by the Team, including the associations representing cities, counties, public utility districts, water and sewer districts, general contractors, and building trades. 

 

The Team may invite representatives of other infrastructure programs as needed to achieve efficiency, minimize costs, and maximize value across infrastructure programs. 

 
The Team must provide briefings as requested to the Board on the current state of infrastructure programs to build an understanding of the infrastructure investment program landscape and the interplay of its component parts.

 

The expiration date of the Team is June 30, 2021.
Summary of Substitute Bill:

The expiration date of the Team is extended to June 30, 2025.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) The Team brings together a broad group of different agencies to work together and support small, rural, and underserved communities.  The Team saves money for the state and local communities through, for example, coordinating infrastructure projects.  
 
The Team allows for the share of applications across agencies, which creates a better experience for customers.  The Team also has helped prioritize projects in the competitive grant environment, including coordinating grant funding for projects.
  
The Team brings high value for participating agencies.  The Team is an example of good government.  

 

The bill does not have a fiscal impact.
  
(Opposed) None.
Persons Testifying: Senator Wellman, prime sponsor; Kathryn Gardow, Public Works Board; and Ashley Probart, Transportation Improvement Board.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.