HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1991

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                       Appropriations

Title:  An act relating to reimbursement of the legislative budget committee for program and fiscal reviews.

Brief Description:  Reimbursing the legislative budget committee.

Sponsors:  Representatives Silver, Ogden, Sommers, Valle, Chandler, Stevens and Fuhrman; by request of Legislative Budget Committee.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Appropriations:  3/2/95, 3/3/95 [DP].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 30 members:  Representatives Silver, Chairman; Clements, Vice Chairman; Huff, Vice Chairman; Pelesky, Vice Chairman; Sommers, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Valle, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Basich; Beeksma; Brumsickle; Carlson; Chappell; Cooke; Crouse; G. Fisher; Foreman; Grant; Hargrove; Hickel; Jacobsen; Lambert; Lisk; McMorris; Poulsen; Reams; Rust; Sehlin; Sheahan; Talcott; Thibaudeau and Wolfe.

Staff:  Nancy Stevenson (786-7137).

Background:  The Washington Sunset Act was passed in 1977 to establish a system for the review, termination, continuation, or modification of state agencies.  Under the Sunset Act, the Legislative Budget Committee  (LBC) is required to conduct a program and fiscal review of any state agency or program scheduled for termination.  An agency or program termination can be established as a part of the original enabling legislation or subsequent legislative action.

Since 1985 the LBC has conducted 38 sunset reviews, an average of eight sunset reviews per biennium, at a cost of $360,000 a biennium.  During 1995, three program and fiscal reviews are scheduled under the Sunset Act.

Summary of Bill:  A section is added to the Washington Sunset Act specifying that the Legislative Budget Committee be reimbursed for the full cost of a sunset review by the agency under review.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested March 1, 1995.

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

Testimony For:  This measure allows the LBC greater flexibility in allocating existing resources for other mandated or member request studies.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Representative Val Ogden, prime sponsor.