Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research	BILL ANALYSIS
Appropriations Committee

HB 2114

Brief Description:  Establishing a joint legislative fiscal note process.

Sponsors:  Representatives Campbell, Kirby, Cody, Pennington, Ballasiotes, McMorris, Schual‑Berke, Skinner, Tokuda, Marine, Cooper, Lisk, Boldt, Woods and Morell.

Brief Summary of Bill

$Responsibility for preparing fiscal notes is moved from the Office of Financial Management to the Legislature.

$State and local government fiscal notes will be jointly prepared through a non-partisan process.

Hearing Date:  2/26/01

Staff:  Patricia Linehan (786‑7178).

Background: 

The Office of Financial Management (OFM) has principal responsibility for preparing fiscal notes, which are statements of the projected fiscal impact of legislation.  Fiscal notes itemize the increase or decrease of revenues or expenditures by the affected state or local government.  The fiscal note shows the financial impact, by each fiscal year, for the remainder of the biennium in which the proposed legislation or resolution takes effect.  It also shows a cumulative forecast for the succeeding four fiscal years.

The OFM coordinates the development of the fiscal notes with all of the state agencies affected by the proposed legislation or resolution.  Local government fiscal notes are developed in coordination with the directors of the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED) and OFM, and if needed, with other state agencies, appropriate legislative staff, and various associations of local government. 

Any legislator may request a state or local government fiscal note for proposed legislation.  The legislator may also request revision of a local government fiscal note to address proposed amendments or substitute bills.

Upon completion of a state government fiscal note, copies are filed with:

$the chairperson of the committee which received the bill or resolution after introduction in the house of origin; and

$the House and Senate fiscal committees.

Upon completion of the local government fiscal note, copies are filed with:

$the requesting legislator;

$the chairperson of the House and Senate fiscal committee which holds or has acted upon the bill or resolution;

$the chairperson of the House or Senate local government committee;

$the chairperson of the House or Senate fiscal committee; and

$the Secretary of the Senate; or the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives.

Summary of Bill: 

A joint legislative fiscal note process is established and the responsibility of producing fiscal notes is transferred from the OFM to the legislative branch.  State and local government fiscal notes will be jointly prepared through a non-partisan process. 

The House of Representatives and the Senate will develop, by rule, a process by which state and local government fiscal notes are prepared.  Under the process, fiscal notes will be prepared jointly by staff of the Senate Committee Services and the House of Representatives, Office of Program Research.

Upon completion of either a state or local government fiscal note, copies will be filed with:

$the chairperson of the committee which received the bill or resolution after introduction in the house of origin;

$the House and Senate fiscal committees;

$the requesting legislator;

$the Secretary of the Senate; and

$the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives.

The Legislature, through the joint legislative fiscal note process, is responsible for preparing reports on local government fiscal notes and the fiscal impacts on local governments from enacted legislation.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not Requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.