BILL REQ. #:  S-0717.1 

Read first time 01/19/11.   Referred to Committee on Higher Education & Workforce Development.

     AN ACT Relating to efficiencies and savings in higher education; amending RCW 43.03.220, 43.03.230, 43.03.240, 43.03.250, and 43.03.265; amending 2010 c 3 ss 602, 603, and 604 (uncodified); amending 2010 1st sp.s. c 37 s 901 (uncodified); creating new sections; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   Whereas colleges and universities need additional flexibility to deal with budget reductions, the legislature intends with this college efficiency and savings act to remove barriers that create unnecessary paperwork, bureaucracy, and inefficiencies, in order to reduce costs to the taxpayers.

Sec. 2   RCW 43.03.220 and 2010 1st sp.s. c 7 s 142 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Any part-time board, commission, council, committee, or other similar group which is established by the executive, legislative, or judicial branch to participate in state government and which functions primarily in an advisory, coordinating, or planning capacity shall be identified as a class one group.
     (2) Absent any other provision of law to the contrary, no money beyond the customary reimbursement or allowance for expenses may be paid by or through the state to members of class one groups for attendance at meetings of such groups.
     (3) Beginning July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2011, no person designated as a member of a class one board, commission, council, committee, or similar group may receive an allowance for subsistence, lodging, or travel expenses if the allowance cost is funded by the state general fund. Exceptions may be granted under section 605, chapter 3, Laws of 2010. Class one groups, when feasible, shall use an alternative means of conducting a meeting that does not require travel while still maximizing member and public participation and may use a meeting format that requires members to be physically present at one location only when necessary or required by law. Meetings that require a member's physical presence at one location must be held in state facilities whenever possible((, and)). Meetings conducted using private facilities must be approved by the director of the office of financial management, except that meetings of class one groups affiliated with institutions of higher education do not require such approval.
     (4) Beginning July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2011, class one groups that are funded by sources other than the state general fund are encouraged to reduce travel, lodging, and other costs associated with conducting the business of the group including use of other meeting formats that do not require travel.

Sec. 3   RCW 43.03.230 and 2010 1st sp.s. c 7 s 143 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Any agricultural commodity board or commission established pursuant to Title 15 or 16 RCW shall be identified as a class two group for purposes of compensation.
     (2) Except as otherwise provided in this section, each member of a class two group is eligible to receive compensation in an amount not to exceed one hundred dollars for each day during which the member attends an official meeting of the group or performs statutorily prescribed duties approved by the chairperson of the group. A person shall not receive compensation for a day of service under this section if the person (a) occupies a position, normally regarded as full-time in nature, in any agency of the federal government, Washington state government, or Washington state local government; and (b) receives any compensation from such government for working that day.
     (3) Compensation may be paid a member under this section only if it is authorized under the law dealing in particular with the specific group to which the member belongs or dealing in particular with the members of that specific group.
     (4) Beginning July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2011, no person designated as a member of a class two board, commission, council, committee, or similar group may receive an allowance for subsistence, lodging, or travel expenses if the allowance cost is funded by the state general fund. Exceptions may be granted under section 605, chapter 3, Laws of 2010. Class two groups, when feasible, shall use an alternative means of conducting a meeting that does not require travel while still maximizing member and public participation and may use a meeting format that requires members to be physically present at one location only when necessary or required by law. Meetings that require a member's physical presence at one location must be held in state facilities whenever possible((, and)). Meetings conducted using private facilities must be approved by the director of the office of financial management, except that meetings of class two groups affiliated with institutions of higher education do not require such approval.
     (5) Beginning July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2011, class two groups that are funded by sources other than the state general fund are encouraged to reduce travel, lodging, and other costs associated with conducting the business of the group including use of other meeting formats that do not require travel.

Sec. 4   RCW 43.03.240 and 2010 1st sp.s. c 7 s 144 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Any part-time, statutory board, commission, council, committee, or other similar group which has rule-making authority, performs quasi judicial functions, has responsibility for the administration or policy direction of a state agency or program, or performs regulatory or licensing functions with respect to a specific profession, occupation, business, or industry shall be identified as a class three group for purposes of compensation.
     (2) Except as otherwise provided in this section, each member of a class three group is eligible to receive compensation in an amount not to exceed fifty dollars for each day during which the member attends an official meeting of the group or performs statutorily prescribed duties approved by the chairperson of the group. A person shall not receive compensation for a day of service under this section if the person (a) occupies a position, normally regarded as full-time in nature, in any agency of the federal government, Washington state government, or Washington state local government; and (b) receives any compensation from such government for working that day.
     (3) Compensation may be paid a member under this section only if it is authorized under the law dealing in particular with the specific group to which the member belongs or dealing in particular with the members of that specific group.
     (4) Beginning July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2011, no person designated as a member of a class three board, commission, council, committee, or similar group may receive an allowance for subsistence, lodging, or travel expenses if the allowance cost is funded by the state general fund. Exceptions may be granted under section 605, chapter 3, Laws of 2010. Class three groups, when feasible, shall use an alternative means of conducting a meeting that does not require travel while still maximizing member and public participation and may use a meeting format that requires members to be physically present at one location only when necessary or required by law. Meetings that require a member's physical presence at one location must be held in state facilities whenever possible((, and)). Meetings conducted using private facilities must be approved by the director of the office of financial management, except that meetings of class three groups affiliated with institutions of higher education do not require such approval.
     (5) Beginning July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2011, class three groups that are funded by sources other than the state general fund are encouraged to reduce travel, lodging, and other costs associated with conducting the business of the group including use of other meeting formats that do not require travel.

Sec. 5   RCW 43.03.250 and 2010 1st sp.s. c 7 s 145 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) A part-time, statutory board, commission, council, committee, or other similar group shall be identified as a class four group for purposes of compensation if the group:
     (a) Has rule-making authority, performs quasi-judicial functions, or has responsibility for the administration or policy direction of a state agency or program;
     (b) Has duties that are deemed by the legislature to be of overriding sensitivity and importance to the public welfare and the operation of state government; and
     (c) Requires service from its members representing a significant demand on their time that is normally in excess of one hundred hours of meeting time per year.
     (2) Each member of a class four group is eligible to receive compensation in an amount not to exceed one hundred dollars for each day during which the member attends an official meeting of the group or performs statutorily prescribed duties approved by the chairperson of the group. A person shall not receive compensation for a day of service under this section if the person (a) occupies a position, normally regarded as full-time in nature, in any agency of the federal government, Washington state government, or Washington state local government; and (b) receives any compensation from such government for working that day.
     (3) Compensation may be paid a member under this section only if it is authorized under the law dealing in particular with the specific group to which the member belongs or dealing in particular with the members of that specific group.
     (4) Beginning July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2011, class four groups, when feasible, shall use an alternative means of conducting a meeting that does not require travel while still maximizing member and public participation and may use a meeting format that requires members to be physically present at one location only when necessary or required by law. Meetings that require a member's physical presence at one location must be held in state facilities whenever possible((, and)). Meetings conducted using private facilities must be approved by the director of the office of financial management, except that meetings of class four groups affiliated with institutions of higher education do not require such approval.

Sec. 6   RCW 43.03.265 and 2010 1st sp.s. c 7 s 146 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Any part-time commission that has rule-making authority, performs quasi-judicial functions, has responsibility for the policy direction of a health profession credentialing program, and performs regulatory and licensing functions with respect to a health care profession licensed under Title 18 RCW shall be identified as a class five group for purposes of compensation.
     (2) Except as otherwise provided in this section, each member of a class five group is eligible to receive compensation in an amount not to exceed two hundred fifty dollars for each day during which the member attends an official meeting of the group or performs statutorily prescribed duties approved by the chairperson of the group. A person shall not receive compensation for a day of service under this section if the person (a) occupies a position, normally regarded as full-time in nature, in any agency of the federal government, Washington state government, or Washington state local government; and (b) receives any compensation from such government for working that day.
     (3) Compensation may be paid a member under this section only if it is necessarily incurred in the course of authorized business consistent with the responsibilities of the commission established by law.
     (4) Beginning July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2011, no person designated as a member of a class five board, commission, council, committee, or similar group may receive an allowance for subsistence, lodging, or travel expenses if the allowance cost is funded by the state general fund. Exceptions may be granted under section 605, chapter 3, Laws of 2010. Class five groups, when feasible, shall use an alternative means of conducting a meeting that does not require travel while still maximizing member and public participation and may use a meeting format that requires members to be physically present at one location only when necessary or required by law. Meetings that require a member's physical presence at one location must be held in state facilities whenever possible((, and)). Meetings conducted using private facilities must be approved by the director of the office of financial management, except that meetings of class five groups affiliated with institutions of higher education do not require such approval.
     (5) Beginning July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2011, class five groups that are funded by sources other than the state general fund are encouraged to reduce travel, lodging, and other costs associated with conducting the business of the group including use of other meeting formats that do not require travel.

Sec. 7   2010 c 3 s 602 (uncodified) is amended to read as follows:
     (1) From the effective date of this section until July 1, 2011, state agencies of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches shall not enter into any contracts or other agreements entered into for the acquisition of personal services not related to an emergency or other catastrophic event that requires government action to protect life or public safety.
     (2) This section does not apply to personal services contracts or other agreements for the acquisition of personal services where the costs are funded exclusively from private or federal grants, where the costs are for tax and fee collection, where the costs are for revenue generation and auditing activities, where the costs are for the review and research conducted by the joint transportation committee pursuant to RCW 44.04.300, where the costs are necessary to receive or maintain federal funds by the state, or((, in)) to institutions of higher education((, where the costs are not funded from state funds or tuition)). This section also does not apply where costs are related to hearing officers, where costs are related to real estate appraisals or habitat assessments, where costs are related to carrying out a court order, or where costs are related to information technology contracts related to an information services board approved information technology project, or where costs are related to judicial information system technology projects.
     (3) Exceptions to this section may be granted under section 605, chapter 3, Laws of 2010.

Sec. 8   2010 c 3 s 603 (uncodified) is amended to read as follows:
     (1) From the effective date of this section until July 1, 2011, state agencies of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches shall not enter into any contracts or other agreements for the acquisition of any item of equipment the cost of which exceeds five thousand dollars and is not related to an emergency or other catastrophic event that requires government action to protect life or public safety.
     (2) This section does not apply to the unemployment insurance program of the employment security department, to costs that are for tax and fee collection, for revenue generation and audit activities, or for receiving or maintaining federal funds by the state, or((, in)) to institutions of higher education((, to costs not funded from state funds or tuition)). This section also does not apply to costs that are funded exclusively from private or federal grants, or for equipment necessary to complete a project funded in the omnibus capital or transportation appropriation acts, or the operational divisions of the department of information services, or cost related to the continuation, renewal, or establishment of maintenance for existing computer software licensing and existing computer hardware, or for costs related to the judicial information system.
     (3) Exceptions to this section may be granted under section 605, chapter 3, Laws of 2010.

Sec. 9   2010 c 3 s 604 (uncodified) is amended to read as follows:
     (1) State agencies of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches shall not make expenditures for the cost or reimbursement of out-of-state travel or out-of-state training by state employees where the travel or training is not related to an emergency or other catastrophic event that requires government action to protect life or public safety, or direct service delivery, and the travel or training occurs after the effective date of this section and before July 1, 2011.
     (2) This section does not apply to travel expenditures when the costs are funded exclusively from private or federal grants. This section does not apply to the unemployment insurance program of the employment security department, to costs that are for tax and fee collection, for revenue generation and audit activities, or for receiving or maintaining federal funds by the state, or((, in)) to institutions of higher education((, to costs not funded from state funds or tuition)). This section also does not apply to costs related to carrying out a court order or to costs to travel by air into Washington state from any airport located in a contiguous state of which the largest city is part of a metropolitan statistical area with a city located in Washington state, or to motor vehicle and parking costs for single day travel to a contiguous state or British Columbia, Canada.
     (3) Exceptions to this section may be granted under section 605 of this act.

Sec. 10   2010 1st sp.s. c 37 s 901 (uncodified) is amended to read as follows:
     (1) From the effective date of this section until July 1, 2011, state agencies of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches shall not establish new staff positions or fill vacant existing staff positions except as specifically authorized by this section.
     (2) The following activities of state agencies are exempt from subsection (1) of this section:
     (a) Direct custody, supervision, and patient care in corrections, juvenile rehabilitation, institutional care of veterans, the mentally ill, developmentally disabled, state hospitals, the special commitment center, and the schools for the blind and the deaf;
     (b) Direct protective services to children and other vulnerable populations in the department of social and health services;
     (c) Washington state patrol investigative services and field enforcement;
     (d) Hazardous materials response and emergency cleanup;
     (e) Emergency public health and patient safety response and the public health laboratory;
     (f) Military operations and emergency management within the military department;
     (g) Firefighting;
     (h) Enforcement officers in the department of fish and wildlife, the liquor control board, the gambling commission, and the department of natural resources;
     (i) Park rangers at the parks and recreation commission;
     (j) Seasonal employment by natural resources agencies to the extent that employment levels do not exceed the prior fiscal year;
     (k) Seasonal employment in the department of transportation maintenance programs to the extent that employment levels do not exceed the prior fiscal year;
     (l) Employees hired on a seasonal basis by the department of agriculture for inspection and certification of agricultural products and for insect detection;
     (m) Activities directly related to tax and fee collection, revenue generation, auditing, and recovery;
     (n) In institutions of higher education, ((any positions directly related to academic programs, as well as positions not funded from state funds or tuition, positions that are filled by enrolled students at their own institution as student workers, positions in campus police and security, positions related to emergency management and response, and positions related to student health care and counseling)) all positions;
     (o) Operations of the state lottery and liquor control board business enterprises;
     (p) The unemployment insurance program of the employment security department; and
     (q) Activities that are necessary to receive or maintain federal funds by the state.
     (3) The exemptions specified in subsection (2) of this section do not require the establishment of new staff positions or the filling of vacant staff positions in the activities specified.
     (4) Exceptions to this section may be granted under section 605 of this act.
     (5) Also exempted from this section are positions related to facility realignments in the department of corrections, positions related to the transfer of programs between state agencies assumed in this act, and disability determination staff funded solely by federal funds.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 11   This act may be known and cited as the college efficiency and savings act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 12   This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately.