SENATE RESOLUTION

                         1996-8712

By Senators Deccio, McCaslin, Hochstatter, Schow, Moyer, Sellar, Prince, McDonald, Hargrove, Strannigan, Zarelli, Long, Johnson, Oke, Cantu, Morton, Anderson, Swecker, Finkbeiner, Newhouse, Roach, Winsley, Wood, Hale, West and Owen

     WHEREAS, The Legislature has a biennial session with a one hundred five-day session the first year of the biennium and a sixty-day session the second year of the biennium; and

     WHEREAS, The Legislature adopts biennial general fund, capital, and transportation budgets in the first year of the biennium as well as other policy bills; and

     WHEREAS, The Legislature adopts supplemental budgets and other policy bills in the second year of the biennium; and

     WHEREAS, The Revised Code of Washington, the laws of the state, now fill nine volumes of statutes; and

     WHEREAS, The Washington Administrative Code now fills thirteen volumes; and

     WHEREAS, The citizens of the State of Washington must comply with the multitude of laws and regulations contained in the twenty-two volumes of statutes and regulations; and

     WHEREAS, The Legislature does not have any methodical and effective system for reviewing laws and regulations currently enacted and adopted to review for duplication, relevance, and necessity;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Senate shall:

     (1) Focus its efforts for the second year of each biennium on reviewing laws and regulations already on the books; and

     (2) Establish a task force of six senators, three from each of the two largest caucuses, to consult with the House of Representatives, to make recommendations regarding how best to effectuate this review, and to report to the Legislature in December of 1996.