Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

State Government Committee

HB 2076

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Summary of Bill

Requires the Caseload Forecast Council to prepare racial impact statements on the effect that proposed legislation will have on racial and ethnic minority groups.

Background:

Caseload Forecast Council. The Caseload Forecast Council (CFC) prepares and submits state caseload forecasts at least three times a year that facilitate the development of budget proposals by the governor and the Legislature. The CFC consists of two members appointed by the governor and four members appointed the legislative caucuses.

The caseload forecasts include the number of persons expected to receive state entitlements and public services. The CFC may request, without charge, any data and information it needs from the Administrative Office of the Courts and the Department of Social and Health Services.

Legislative Fiscal Notes. The Office of Financial Management (OFM) provides fiscal notes to the Legislature that estimate the impact of proposed legislation on state and local revenues and expenditures. The OFM coordinates the preparation of fiscal notes with state agencies.

Summary of Bill:

The CFC must provide a racial and ethnic impact statement on any legislative proposal upon request of any legislator. The CFC must establish a procedure to produce racial impact statements that estimate the effect of legislative proposals will have on racial and ethnic minority groups, including the ethnic composition of the criminal and juvenile justice systems. The lack of a racial impact statement, or any error in its accuracy, does not affect the validity of any legislation.

In preparing a procedure for producing racial impact statements, the CFC may work with legislative committees and staff, OFM, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Social and Health Services, the Administrative Office of the Courts, the Minority and Justice Commission, Washington State Institute for Public Policy, and the Sentencing Guidelines Commission.