SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 5398

                As Passed Senate, March 3, 1995

Title:  An act relating to reporting of personal service contracts.

Brief Description:  Removing the filing requirement for expert witness personal service contracts.

Sponsors:  Senators Franklin, Pelz and Wojahn; by request of Department of Labor & Industries.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Government Operations:  2/8/95, 2/14/95 [DP].

Passed Senate, 3/3/95, 45-1.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators Haugen, Chair; Sheldon, Vice Chair; Drew, Hale, Heavey, McCaslin and Winsley.

Staff:  Diane Smith (786-7410)

Background:  All personal service contracts are subject to competitive procurement requirements, except for those that fall under any of five categories.  One of those categories is emergency contracts.  These must be filed with the Office of Financial Management and Legislative Budget Committee within three working days following commencement of the work or of execution of the contract, whichever occurs first.

There are eight categories of contracts that are exempt from compliance with these requirements.  Contracts for the employment of expert witnesses are exempt, except they shall be filed within the same time period as emergency contracts.

Summary of Bill:  Contracts for the employment of expert witnesses for the purposes of litigation retain their exemption from compliance with the requirements for personal service contracts.  The filing requirements for emergency contracts are removed.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  The Department of Labor and Industries is relieved of an impossible statutory requirement.  No prejudice to the public interest results from this statutory change.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Mark Brown, Dusty Rhodes, Dept. of Labor and Industries.