H-1653              _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 1140

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Representatives Fisch, Hargrove, Bristow, B. Williams, Jacobsen, Locke, Baugher, Lux, Walk, Sayan, Scott, K. Wilson, Zellinsky, Rayburn, Kremen and Smitherman

Read first time 2/8/85 and referred to Committee on State Government.

AN ACT Relating to state agency redesign and reorganization; creating new sections; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds that, to increase productivity, state agencies must promote and be receptive to innovation in areas including but not limited to cutting costs, implementing new ideas or services, reorganizing, and making existing delivery systems more efficient.  The legislature further finds that potential for such innovation is inhibited by the existence of excessive hierarchy and that downward directed bureaucratic structures contribute to lack of productivity in state government.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     In order to reduce organizational, salaried layers in state government and to create management and organization systems that enable all employees to contribute to innovation and the solution of problems, the legislature establishes the committee on agency redesign and reorganization.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     The committee on agency redesign and reorganization members and chairperson shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, and the governor of the state and shall consist of management specialists from the private sector and state government and two members of the house of representatives and two members of the senate.  It is the intent of the legislature that the committee be a nonpartisan body.  The committee shall develop its own rules of operation and meetings and shall have authority to examine, question, and review all state agencies.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     It is the intent of the legislature that the committee on agency redesign and reorganization give primary attention to reducing unnecessary layers of hierarchy in state agencies and recommending organizational approaches that involve participation of the maximum number of agency employees in dealing with agency problems and concerns.  It is the further intent of the legislature that the committee give first priority to redesign of the department of labor and industries.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.     The committee on agency redesign shall prepare a report to be delivered to the legislature and to the governor no later than December 5, 1985, which shall include recommendations pertaining to the redesign of the organizational structure of the department of social and health services and the department of labor and industries and, as time permits, other state agencies.  The committee shall cease to exist upon submitting its report.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6.     This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, the support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.