The bill amends several sections of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) related to the authority and operations of county ferry districts. It allows county legislative authorities to create ferry districts within their jurisdictions, including areas within city limits, after holding a public hearing and determining it is in the public interest. The bill specifies that ferry districts are municipal corporations with the authority to levy taxes, hire employees, and enter contracts. Notably, it introduces a requirement for counties with populations over 1.5 million to submit a business plan to the governor and legislature before creating a ferry district for specific passenger-only routes, ensuring that operations are not contracted out to private entities.

Additionally, the bill modifies tax levy limits for ferry districts, allowing a maximum of 75 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, with stricter limits for newly created districts. It also establishes a new advisory committee for ferry districts, composed of five residents, with specific representation requirements to ensure user perspectives are included. The bill includes various technical amendments, such as changing the terminology from "passenger-only" ferries to simply "ferries" in certain contexts, and clarifies the distance restrictions for ferry crossings near existing state-operated routes.

Statutes affected:
Original bill: 36.54.120, 36.54.130, 36.54.135
Engrossed bill: 36.54.120, 36.54.130, 36.54.135
Bill as passed Legislature: 36.54.110, 36.54.120, 36.54.130, 36.54.135
Session law: 36.54.110, 36.54.120, 36.54.130, 36.54.135