S-1761.1          _______________________________________________

                                 SENATE BILL 5902

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1991 Regular Session

By Senator Conner.

Read first time March 1, 1991.  Referred to Committee on Governmental Operations.Creating the public debt collections task force.

     AN ACT Relating to the efficient collection of public debts; adding a new section to chapter 19.16 RCW; and creating new sections.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.      It is the intent of the legislature to promote the efficient collection of public debts owed to the state of Washington, its judiciary, and its political subdivisions, thus accomplishing a substantial increase in government revenues without an increase in taxation.  This is done by creating a public debt collections task force, and by granting public bodies the authority to assess as collection costs the moneys paid for renumeration for services or charges paid to collection agencies employed for the collection of public debts.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.      The public debt collections task force is hereby created, consisting of one member each representing the attorney general, the treasurer, the department of revenue, and the office of financial management, for the purpose of:  (1) Reviewing existing policies and procedures for the collection of public debts in the state of Washington and other jurisdictions; (2) developing model policies and procedures for the fair, efficient, timely, and cost-effective collection of public debts throughout the state of Washington; (3) considering the advisability of requiring state agencies and subdivisions to contract with collection agencies under chapter 19.16 RCW; and (4) preparing a report containing recommendations for a comprehensive state public debt collections strategy, to be submitted to the legislature by January 15, 1992.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 19.16 RCW to read as follows:

     Agencies, departments, taxing districts, political subdivisions of the state, counties, and incorporated municipalities are authorized to assess as collection costs the moneys paid for renumeration for services or charges paid to collection agencies for purposes of collecting public debts.