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| 2013 federal legislative agenda | The Port's federal legislative priorities include reforming the Harbor Maintenance Tax, the permanent extension of the Water Resources Development Act, developing a national, multimodal freight strategy and creating dedicated multi-modal freight funds. |
| National freight strategy | The Port supports the development of a national multi-modal freight strategy. The strategy should recognize the prominent role of U.S. West Coast ports which currently handle two thirds of U.S. international trade and are among the largest job generators in the United States. |
| Federal freight funding | The Port supports creating dedicated multi-modal freight funds—both formula and competitive grants—that support the implementation of a national freight strategy. |
| Harbor Maintenance Tax | The Port supports reforming the Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT) to address fairness and equity for donor ports and to ensure that U.S. tax policy that does not disadvantage U.S. ports. |
| Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) | The Port supports the permanent extension of section 214 of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), allowing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to accept funds contributed by non-federal public entities to expedite the processing of permits. |
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| 2013 state legislative agenda | The Port's state legislative priorities include preserving a competitive climate for Washington state ports, completing State Route 167, preserving toxics cleanup funds and achieving timely decisions on water quality certificates. |
| SR 167 completion | The Port supports completing State Route 167 by adding the remaining six miles between Puyallup (SR-161) and Tacoma (SR-509) originally envisioned in the highway's design 30 years ago. Read our blog. |
| Toxics cleanup funds | The Port will work to ensure that the Local Toxics Account be used to fully fund the $72 million Remedial Action Grant priority project list prepared by the Department of Ecology for the 2013-2015 biennium. |
| Taxes on the movement of cargo | The Port opposes increases in taxes on the movement of cargo, which would increase the cost of calling on Washington state ports and may result in the diversion of cargo and jobs to other states. |