To establish the Puget Sound corps as a distinct program within the statewide Washington conservation corps. The bill also streamlines how government administers and manages the state's conservation corps to more efficiently expend the state's resources toward priority outcomes, including the recovery of the Puget Sound ecosystem to health by 2020. (Companion: SB 5230).   Official Text and Analysis.

Modifies the underlying bill to include the following: directs the WCC to prioritize the pursuit of funding sources only available to state agencies; changes "career tracts" to "career pathways" when directing the WCC to develop specialized programs; adds community and technical colleges to the list of entities for the WCC to partner with; clarifies enrollment criteria and recruitment prioritization; specifies that the Veterans Conservation Corps will receive at least 5 percent of the WCC funding via a contract arrangement; repeals references to a Parks Youth Corps; specifies that participants in the Veterans Conservation Corps are to be administered by the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs; and makes technical and restructuring changes.

To remove the "protection" and "promotion" of public lands and assets from the goals of the Washington Conservation Corps and replaces these words with the "conservation" of public lands and public assets. Removes language directing the Puget Sound Corps to deploy members with the goal of participating in the recovery of the Puget Sound ecosystem.

To specify that Conservation Corps projects may not create regulatory or financial burdens to local governments under the Growth Management and Shorelines Management acts and may not be serve as a prerequisite for funding. Local governments could still voluntarily participate in the Conversation Corps.

To consolidate the administrative functions of the Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) with the Department of Ecology. Creates a Puget Sound Corps within the WCC to focus on projects related to the recovery of Puget Sound. Adds WCC projects to the list of projects that receive grant funding priority by the Salmon Recovery Funding Board.

Consolidates the administrative functions of the Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) with the Department of Ecology. Creates a Puget Sound Corps within the WCC to focus on projects related to the recovery of Puget Sound. Adds WCC projects to the list of projects that receive grant funding priority by the Salmon Recovery Funding Board.

Consolidates the administrative functions of the Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) with the Department of Ecology. Creates a Puget Sound Corps within the WCC to focus on projects related to the recovery of Puget Sound. Adds WCC projects to the list of projects that receive grant funding priority by the Salmon Recovery Funding Board.