Under a proposal receiving a hearing in the Washington state Senate Transportation Committee, state-owned ferries plying the Puget Sound would no longer have to be built in Washington state, fewer apprentice workers would be involved in building them and the state would limit the money it pays for cost overruns.

Taken together, the changes are intended to bring down the cost of buying and building new ferries to be integrated into the aging white-and-green painted fleet.

The measure, Senate Bill 5858, was introduced by Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, who is co-chair of the Senate Transportation Committee. There are no co-sponsors.

King's bill follows up on a report released last month that was commissioned by the state auditor's office.