Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGO 1968 NO. 31 >

(1) The tort claims account in the state general fund cannot be regarded as a revolving fund under present law; therefore, tort judgments against the state can only be paid to the extent that appropriations have been made by the legislature for their payment from this account. (2) After the $400,000 originally allocated from the governor's emergency appropriation to the tort claims account for the current biennium by the 1967 legislature is expended, the governor may not allocate any additional funds from his emergency appropriation to this account. (3) The governor may not allocate funds to the tort claims account from his contingency fund, under the terms of this appropriation for the current biennium, even upon approval of 60% of the legislative budget committee and the legislative council.