04/04/2006 09:00 AM House FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 419                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act repealing the Board  of Storage Tank Assistance,                                                                   
     the underground  storage tank  revolving loan  fund, and                                                                   
     the  tank   cleanup  loan  program;   repealing  certain                                                                   
     reporting    requirements   relating   to    underground                                                                   
     petroleum  storage   tank  systems;  making   conforming                                                                   
     amendments; and providing for an effective date."                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
KAREN LIDSTER,  STAFF, REPRESENTATIVE  JOHN COGHILL,  related                                                                   
that over  the interim,  Representative   Coghill sent  out a                                                                   
memo asking any department to  determine if they had statutes                                                                   
or  regulations   that  were   no  longer  necessary.     The                                                                   
Department  of Environmental Conservation  brought  forward a                                                                   
request to  repeal the Board  of Storage Tank  Assistance and                                                                   
the  accompanying  loan  program.     The  sponsor  statement                                                                   
provides the history of that program.   The Board was created                                                                   
in  1990  by HB  220  to  oversee  the grant  that  was  also                                                                   
created.   In  1999,  the Storage  Tank  Assistance Fund  was                                                                   
converted  to  an Underground  Storage  Tank  Revolving  Loan                                                                   
Fund.   Since that time there  have been no  applications for                                                                   
loans.   HB 419  will modify the  end date  for the  Board in                                                                   
order  to  be  consistent  with   the  end  date  for  formal                                                                   
termination of  the loan program.   The sunset date  was June                                                                   
30, 2007.  HB 419 also lifts out  the statutes that relate to                                                                   
the  Board,   the  reporting,  the  regulations,   fees,  the                                                                   
program, definitions,  administrative codes, and  the orderly                                                                   
completion  of   the  board's  obligation,   and  renumbering                                                                   
instructions   related  to  those   statutes  that   will  be                                                                   
repealed.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Holm asked  if there  is a  loan fund  amount                                                                   
that is being recaptured.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
LAURA   BEASON,    ADMINISTRATION   MANAGER,    DIVISION   OF                                                                   
INFORMATION  AND   ADMINISTRATIVE  SERVICES,   DEPARTMENT  OF                                                                   
ENVIRONMENTAL  CONSERVATION,  responded  that there  is  zero                                                                   
available fund balance in the loan.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:57:35 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Weyhrauch asked  what happens if someone needs                                                                   
assistance.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  JOHN COGHILL  replied that  the loan  program                                                                   
would  go away,  but DEC  would still  deal with  underground                                                                   
storage  tanks.    They  still have  a  fee  for  registering                                                                   
underground  storage tanks.   There has not  been any  use of                                                                   
this fund for many years.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:59:09 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Foster  recalled that he voted for  the HB 220                                                                   
in 1999.   He MOVED  to REPORT HB  419 out of  committee with                                                                   
individual recommendations and  the accompanying fiscal note.                                                                   
There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
HB  419  was REPORTED  out  of  Committee  with a  "do  pass"                                                                   
recommendation   and  with  zero   fiscal  note  #1   by  the                                                                   
Department of Environmental Conservation.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
10:00:35 AM