04/23/2001 03:55 PM Senate RES

             SB 153-UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK LOAN FUND                                                                      
                                                                                                                              
CHAIRMAN TORGERSON  announced SB 153 to be up for  consideration. He                                                            
said that the  committee substitute  (CS) says that if a  company is                                                            
large enough  to be covered under  EPA regulations, it would  not be                                                            
eligible for a loan.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
TAPE 01-32, SIDE A                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                              
MR. JOHN  BARNETT, a contractor  providing  support services  to the                                                            
Board  of   Storage  Tank   Assistance,   supported  the   committee                                                            
substitute  and the  section  that refers  to  self-insurance.  This                                                            
would eliminate  companies  that would still  remain eligible  for a                                                            
loan from the state, such as Chevron, Tesoro and Williams.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN TORGERSON  said that it eliminates  anyone with  net assets                                                            
over $10 million.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR TAYLOR asked if it eliminates municipalities.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MR. BARNETT said  that municipalities are specifically  mentioned in                                                            
section 16 and it does not apply.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELTON  asked, regarding language  on page 8, lines  30 - 31,                                                            
why  they  are  requiring  a  form  to  be  developed   through  the                                                            
regulatory process. He was concerned that might take awhile.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. ANNETTE  KREITZER, staff  to Senator  Leman, sponsor,  responded                                                            
that they  have already  gone through the  financial responsibility                                                             
process through  regulation  and she didn't  think it would  be that                                                            
difficult for them to go through it one more time.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MR.  BARNETT  explained  that  two  years  ago,  Senator   Torgerson                                                            
developed a net  worth filter for the grant applicant  in SB 128 and                                                            
it was available  to the public by August 1. He said  they could get                                                            
this out fairly quickly.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS.  KREITZER  said  creating  the form  by  regulation  is  federal                                                            
language and the committee  doesn't have to require that to be done.                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN TORGERSON asked  Mr. Barnett what he thought about creating                                                            
the form in regulation.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR. BARNETT said  he thought the [Board of Storage  Tank Assistance]                                                            
could  review  that  issue  before  the  bill  got  to  the  Finance                                                            
Committee, but he didn't see any problem with it.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR TAYLOR  moved to adopt committee substitute  Cook 4/23/01 as                                                            
the  working  document.  There were  no  objections  and  it was  so                                                            
ordered.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  TAYLOR moved  to  pass CSSB  153(RES) from  committee  with                                                            
individual recommendations.  There were no objections  and it was so                                                            
ordered.