HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1521

                       As Passed House

                       March 11, 1993

Title:  An act relating to funding for the state auditor's office.

Brief Description:  Funding the state auditor municipal corporation division.

Sponsors:  Representative Valle; by request of Office of Financial Management.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Appropriations, February 25, 1993, DP;

  Passed House, March 11, 1993, 96-0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 24 members:  Representatives Locke, Chair; Valle, Vice Chair; Silver, Ranking Minority Member; Carlson, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Appelwick; Basich; Cooke; Dellwo; Dorn; Dunshee; G. Fisher; Jacobsen; Lemmon; Linville; Morton; Peery; Rust; Sehlin; Sheahan; Sommers; Stevens; Talcott; Wang; and Wolfe.

Staff:  Beth Redfield (786-7130).

Background:  The Municipal Corporations Division of the State Auditor's Office performs audits of local governments and special districts.  The division is funded by the Municipal Revolving Fund, as currently authorized by the 1991-93 Omnibus Operating Budget.  The revolving fund mechanism provides the state auditor with the authority to bill the local governments for the auditing services they receive.

The state auditor, his direct support staff, and local government comparative statistics are currently funded by a biennial general fund appropriation of $600,000.  Current law specifies general fund support of the local government comparative statistics function.

Summary of Bill:  HB 1521 codifies the funding of the Municipal Corporations Division by the Municipal Revolving Fund and deletes the requirement that comparative local government statistics be funded at the expense of the state.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  The bill takes effect July 1, 1993.

Testimony For:  None.

Testimony Against:  Local government comparative statistics should not be paid for by local governments.  The fund shift will increase hourly rates to local governments by 84 cents per hour.

Witnesses:  Linda Sheler, State Auditor's Office (opposed).