H-1847

AN ACT Relating to stopping the growth of state employment; amending RCW 43.88.160; and creating new sections.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that, because of the state's current economic situation, an increase in the total number of persons on the state payroll could result in a decrease in state-provided services and programs, such as educational services and children's programs. To avoid any tax increases and the unnecessary use of reserves in the budget stabilization account, the legislature intends to cap the total number of state employees at its current level for the 1991-93 biennium. This cap is on the total number of state employees and not on the number of employees of any given department or agency. Consequently, shifts or transfers of employees may occur between departments and agencies so that employees are assigned where the needs are greatest.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. For the 1991-93 biennium the total number of full time equivalent allotments for state employment may not exceed eighty-one thousand five hundred thirty.

Sec. 3. RCW 43.88.160 and 1987 c 505 s 36 are each amended to read as follows:

This section sets forth the major fiscal duties and responsibilities of officers and agencies of the executive branch. The regulations issued by the governor pursuant to this chapter shall provide for a comprehensive, orderly basis for fiscal management and control, including efficient accounting and reporting therefor, for the executive branch of the state government and may include, in addition, such requirements as will generally promote more efficient public management in the state.

(1) Governor; director of financial management. The governor, through the director of financial management, shall devise and supervise a modern and complete accounting system for each agency to the end that all revenues, expenditures, receipts, disbursements, resources and obligations of the state shall be properly and systematically accounted for. The accounting system shall include the development of accurate, timely records and reports of all financial affairs of the state. The system shall also provide for central accounts in the office of financial management at the level of detail deemed necessary by the director to perform central financial management. The director of financial management shall adopt and periodically update an accounting procedures manual. Any agency maintaining its own accounting and reporting system shall comply with the updated accounting procedures manual and the rules of the director adopted under this chapter. An agency may receive a waiver from complying with this requirement if the waiver is approved by the director. Waivers expire at the end of the fiscal biennium for which they are granted. The director shall forward notice of waivers granted to the legislative fiscal committees. The director of financial management may require such financial, statistical, and other reports as the director deems necessary from all agencies covering any period.

The director of financial management is responsible for quarterly reporting of primary budget drivers such as applicable workloads, caseload estimates, and appropriate unit cost data. These reports shall be transmitted to the legislative fiscal committees or by electronic means to the legislative evaluation and accountability program committee. Quarterly reports shall include actual monthly data and the variance between actual and estimated data to date. The reports shall also include estimates of these items for the remainder of the budget period.

In addition, the director of financial management, as agent of the governor, shall:

(a) Make surveys and analyses of agencies with the object of determining better methods and increased effectiveness in the use of manpower and materials; and the director shall authorize expenditures for employee training to the end that the state may benefit from training facilities made available to state employees;

(b) Report to the governor with regard to duplication of effort or lack of coordination among agencies;

(c) Review any pay and classification plans, and changes thereunder, developed by any agency for their fiscal impact: PROVIDED, That none of the provisions of this subsection shall affect merit systems of personnel management now existing or hereafter established by statute relating to the fixing of qualifications requirements for recruitment, appointment, or promotion of employees of any agency. The director shall advise and confer with agencies including appropriate standing committees of the legislature as may be designated by the speaker of the house and the president of the senate regarding the fiscal impact of such plans and may amend or alter said plans, except that for the following agencies no amendment or alteration of said plans may be made without the approval of the agency concerned: Agencies headed by elective officials;

(d)(i) Fix the number and classes of positions or authorized man years of employment for each agency and during the fiscal period amend the determinations previously fixed by the director except that the director shall not be empowered to fix said number or said classes for the following: Agencies headed by elective officials;

(ii) Maintain the total number of full time equivalent allotments for state employment during the 1991-93 biennium at or below eighty-one thousand five hundred thirty;

(e) Provide for transfers and repayments between the budget stabilization account and the general fund as directed by appropriation and RCW 43.88.525 through 43.88.540;

(f) Promulgate regulations to effectuate provisions contained in subsections (a) through (e) hereof.

(2) The treasurer shall:

(a) Receive, keep and disburse all public funds of the state not expressly required by law to be received, kept and disbursed by some other persons: PROVIDED, That this subsection shall not apply to those public funds of the institutions of higher learning which are not subject to appropriation;

(b) Disburse public funds under the treasurer's supervision or custody by warrant or check;

(c) Keep a correct and current account of all moneys received and disbursed by the treasurer, classified by fund or account;

(d) Perform such other duties as may be required by law or by regulations issued pursuant to this law.

It shall be unlawful for the treasurer to issue any warrant or check for public funds in the treasury except upon forms duly prescribed by the director of financial management. Said forms shall provide for authentication and certification by the agency head or the agency head's designee that the services have been rendered or the materials have been furnished; or, in the case of loans or grants, that the loans or grants are authorized by law; or, in the case of payments for periodic maintenance services to be performed on state owned equipment, that a written contract for such periodic maintenance services is currently in effect and copies thereof are on file with the office of financial management; and the treasurer shall not be liable under the treasurer's surety bond for erroneous or improper payments so made: PROVIDED, That when services are lawfully paid for in advance of full performance by any private individual or business entity other than as provided for by RCW 42.24.035, such individual or entity other than central stores rendering such services shall make a cash deposit or furnish surety bond coverage to the state as shall be fixed in an amount by law, or if not fixed by law, then in such amounts as shall be fixed by the director of the department of general administration but in no case shall such required cash deposit or surety bond be less than an amount which will fully indemnify the state against any and all losses on account of breach of promise to fully perform such services: AND PROVIDED FURTHER, That no payments shall be made in advance for any equipment maintenance services to be performed more than three months after such payment. Any such bond so furnished shall be conditioned that the person, firm or corporation receiving the advance payment will apply it toward performance of the contract. The responsibility for recovery of erroneous or improper payments made under this section shall lie with the agency head or the agency head's designee in accordance with regulations issued pursuant to this chapter. Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit a public body to advance funds to a private service provider pursuant to a grant or loan before services have been rendered or material furnished.

(3) The state auditor shall:

(a) Report to the legislature the results of current post audits that have been made of the financial transactions of each agency; to this end the auditor may, in the auditor's discretion, examine the books and accounts of any agency, official or employee charged with the receipt, custody or safekeeping of public funds. The current post audit of each agency may include a section on recommendations to the legislature as provided in subsection (3)(c) of this section.

(b) Give information to the legislature, whenever required, upon any subject relating to the financial affairs of the state.

(c) Make the auditor's official report on or before the thirty-first of December which precedes the meeting of the legislature. The report shall be for the last complete fiscal period and shall include at least the following:

Determinations as to whether agencies, in making expenditures, complied with the laws of this state: PROVIDED, That nothing in this act shall be construed to grant the state auditor the right to perform performance audits. A performance audit for the purpose of this act shall be the examination of the effectiveness of the administration, its efficiency and its adequacy in terms of the programs of departments or agencies as previously approved by the legislature. The authority and responsibility to conduct such an examination shall be vested in the legislative budget committee as prescribed in RCW 44.28.085 as now or hereafter amended.

(d) Be empowered to take exception to specific expenditures that have been incurred by any agency or to take exception to other practices related in any way to the agency's financial transactions and to cause such exceptions to be made a matter of public record, including disclosure to the agency concerned and to the director of financial management. It shall be the duty of the director of financial management to cause corrective action to be taken promptly, such action to include, as appropriate, the withholding of funds as provided in RCW 43.88.110.

(e) Promptly report any irregularities to the attorney general.

(4) The legislative budget committee may:

(a) Make post audits of the financial transactions of any agency and management surveys and program reviews as provided for in RCW 44.28.085 as now or hereafter amended. To this end the committee may in its discretion examine the books, accounts, and other records of any agency, official, or employee.

(b) Give information to the legislature or any legislative committee whenever required upon any subject relating to the performance and management of state agencies.

(i) Determinations as to the extent to which agencies in making expenditures have complied with the will of the legislature and in this connection, may take exception to specific expenditures or financial practices of any agencies; and

(ii) Such plans as it deems expedient for the support of the state's credit, for lessening expenditures, for promoting frugality and economy in agency affairs and generally for an improved level of fiscal management.