HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 2568

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                  Government Administration

Title:  An act relating to motor vehicle management.

Brief Description:  Terminating state motor vehicle management programs.

Sponsors:  Representatives Smith, D. Schmidt, Gardner, Doumit and Thompson; by request of Department of General Administration.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Government Administration:  1/30/98, 2/5/98 [DP].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 13 members:  Representatives D. Schmidt, Chairman; D. Sommers, Vice Chairman; Scott, Ranking Minority Member; Gardner, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Doumit; Dunn; Dunshee; Murray; Reams; Smith; L. Thomas; Wensman and Wolfe.

Staff:  Steve Lundin (786-7127).

Background:  The Department of General Administration furnishes motor vehicle transportation services to all state agencies, including providing motor vehicles on a temporary or permanent basis and operating a motor pool in Olympia, Seattle, and other locations.  An agency that receives this service pays a rental or mileage charge to the Department of General Administration.

Institutions of higher education are authorized to acquire and maintain passenger motor vehicles following guidelines established by the Department of General Administration.

An operational unit of the Department of General Administration is authorized to: (1) Adopt a statewide information system on the acquisition, maintenance, and disposal of state-owned passenger motor vehicles; (2) develop a statewide system to purchase and distribute motor vehicle fuel for state employees operating state-owned passenger motor vehicles; (3) develop a plan, in conjunction with the Department of Ecology, to inspect and replace state-owned fuel storage tanks, if necessary; and (4) develop standards for replacing passenger motor vehicles.

The director of the Office of Financial Management establishes overall policies governing the acquisition, operating management, maintenance, repair, and disposal of all passenger motor vehicles owned or operated by all state agencies.

Summary of Bill:  Statutes are revised relating to some of the Department of General Administration=s authority over state-owned passenger motor vehicles.

Statutes are repealed relating to the Department of General Administration=s authority to: (1) Adopt a statewide information system on state-owned passenger motor vehicles; (2) establish a statewide system to purchase and distribute motor vehicle fuel for state employees operating state-owned passenger motor vehicles; (3) develop a plan to inspect and replace state-owned fuel storage tanks, if necessary; and (4) develop standards for replacing passenger motor vehicles.

New statutory provisions are added clarifying the authority of the Department of General Administration to adopt guidelines, procedures, and standards for fleet operations for other state agencies and institutions of higher education authorized to provide their own passenger motor vehicles.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  These changes get rid of obsolete laws.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Representative Smith, prime sponsor; and Linda Bremer, Department of General Administration.