HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SHB 1325

                  As Amended by the Senate

Title:  An act relating to giving local governments the option to acquire services or goods under purchasing arrangements made by state agencies.

Brief Description:  Giving local governments the option to acquire services or goods under arrangements by state agencies.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Local Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Bray, Edmondson, Orr, H. Myers, Long and Springer.)

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Local Government, February 16, 1993, DPS;

  Passed House, March 9, 1993, 98-0;

  Amended by Senate.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 12 members:  Representatives H. Myers, Chair; Bray, Vice Chair; Edmondson, Ranking Minority Member; Reams, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Dunshee; R. Fisher; Horn; Rayburn; Romero; Springer; Van Luven; and Zellinsky.

Staff:  Bill Lynch (786-7092).

Background:  The Department of General Administration is responsible for purchasing all materials, supplies, services, and equipment for all state institutions, institutions of higher education, and the offices of all elected and appointed state officers.

It has been suggested that local governments would benefit if they were able to participate in contracts entered into by the Department of General Administration for air service fares.

Summary of Bill:  The state must meet with local governments before soliciting bids for air service.  Local governments must be included within the invitation for bids, but if no airline is willing to include local governments in an air service contract, the state may solicit new bids without local government participation.  The Department of General Administration must report to the Senate Government Operations Committee and the House Local Government Committee the reasons why local governments are not included in the air service contract, if the airlines are unwilling to include local governments in the contract.

EFFECT OF SENATE AMENDMENT(S): The Department of General Administration is required to develop a proposal to offer contracts for air service fares to local government employees at the best available rates.  The department must consult with associations of local governments in the development of the proposal.

Elements that must be considered in the development of the proposal are:  guidelines for predicting and reporting the volume, frequency, and destinations of air travel of local government employees; a cost-effective system for aggregating bookings, accounting, and payments for local government employee air travel; the most appropriate means for preparing invitations to bid to encourage use of bulk rates; establishment of a clearinghouse that is available to local government managers in planning air travel; and other services that will assist local governments in planning air travel.

The results of the consultation and progress on the proposal must be reported to the House Local Government Committee and Senate Governmental Operations Committee on December 15, 1993.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Local governments should be given an opportunity to participate in the state air service contract.  This would significantly lower travel costs and save taxpayer money.  Many people are unable to attend meetings because of the cost.  Ridership on airlines would increase.

Testimony Against:  The state allows local governments to participate in the air service contract out of Olympia.  The original bill applied to all contracts by the Department of General Administration.  Local governments should have worked with higher echelon officials in the Department of General Administration.

Witnesses:  (Pro): Jim Justin, Association of Washington Cities; Randy Scott, Spokane County; Debbie Wilke, Washington Association of County Officials; Bill Vogler, and K.O. Rosenberg, Washington State Association of Counties; Greg Vigdor, Washington Hospital Association; Scott Taylor, Washington Public Ports Association; and Dave Arbaugh, Washington PUD Association.

(Con on original bill): Tim Arnold, Alan Momohara, and S. G. Heathers, Department of General Administration.

VOTE ON FINAL PASSAGE:

Yeas 98