FINAL BILL REPORT

                 SHB 1733

                     Synopsis as Enacted

                         C 467 L 93

Brief Description:  Clarifying productivity awards programs.

By House Committee on State Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Linville, Reams, Brumsickle, Anderson, Pruitt, Kremen, Wolfe, Sommers, Ballard, Peery, Jones, King, Basich, Roland, G. Fisher, L. Johnson, Romero, Lemmon, Ogden, Karahalios, Eide and H. Myers; by request of Productivity Board).

House Committee on State Government

Senate Committee on Government Operations

Background:  The Washington State Productivity Board was created in 1982 to implement employee suggestion programs.  The Productivity Board oversees the Teamwork Incentive Program and the Brainstorm Employee Suggestion Program.  Under the Brainstorm Employee Suggestion Program, state employee ideas to streamline agency operations and improve services are evaluated by agencies.  If the idea is accepted, the employee may receive an award of up to $10,000.  Under the Teamwork Incentive Program, groups of state employees work together to come up with these ideas.  Awards are made on a team basis and consist of 25 percent of the savings.

According to the Productivity Board, over the past decade employee suggestions have saved the state nearly $24 million.  In one case, a Department of Social and Health Services third-party cost recovery team saved the state over $6 million.

Elective officers of the state and their confidential secretaries and administrative assistants are currently prohibited from receiving awards under these programs.

Summary:  Interagency teams may participate in the Teamwork Incentive Program  (TIP).  In addition to lower costs, increased revenues may be used as a measure of TIP project success.  Awards up to 25 percent of the savings or revenue increases resulting from TIP projects will be granted.  Revenue adjustments may be made to take into account the effects of external influences.  The provision that TIP projects be for a term of one year is repealed.  The Office of Financial Management is required to distribute the awards for TIP projects that generate revenue.

The Productivity Board is directed to annually compile a topical list of productivity awards and distribute the list to state agencies.  The provision that prevents the confidential secretaries and administrative assistants of elected officers from receiving productivity awards is repealed.

Votes on Final Passage:

House  97 0

Senate 44 0 (Senate amended)

House  96 1 (House concurred)

Effective:  July 1, 1993