SENATE BILL REPORT

                            SB 5560

                    AS OF FEBRUARY 15, 1993

Brief Description:  Auditing public sector use of private consultants.

SPONSORS: Senators Prince, Vognild, Wojahn, Amondson and Roach

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

Staff:  Barbara Howard (786‑7410)

Hearing Dates: February 17, 1993

BACKGROUND:

State agencies and units of local government may contract with independent consultants for a variety of professional and technical services.  Personal services contracts are normally used to address a short term need, to complete a special project, or to provide a specialized skill for which the agency is not permanently staffed.

Such contracts must be awarded on a competitive basis.  For state agencies, a process has been developed whereby contracts for more than $2500, or where they involve a sole source, an emergency, or an expert witness, must be filed with the Office of Financial Management (OFM) and the Legislative Budget Committee (LBC). 

There is no central source of information on personal services contracts entered into by local governments.

SUMMARY:

Every city, town, county and special district must include a statement of all expenditures for consultants, identifying each consultant, the compensation, and the terms of each contract in the annual financial reports which must be filed with the Division of Municipal Corporations in the State Auditor's Office.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  requested February 8, 1993