HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  SB 6219

                 As Passed House - Amended:

                      February 27, 1998

Title:  An act relating to reports to the legislature.

Brief Description:  Making technical corrections to the Revised Code of Washington concerning reports to the legislature that are no longer necessary.

Sponsors:  Senators McDonald, McCaslin, Patterson, West and Hale; by request of Office of Financial Management.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Government Administration:  2/18/98, 2/24/98 [DPA].

Floor Activity:

Passed House - Amended:  2/27/98, 95-0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.  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:  John Carmichael (786-7093).

Background:  Many reports to the Legislature are required.  Many of the required reports are non-recurring reports due at a certain date.  Other reports are required annually, biennially, or on an occasional basis.

Summary of Bill:  More than 200 reports to the Legislature are deleted.  Roughly half of the deleted reports are non-recurring reports that were due at a past date.  The other deleted reports are recurring reports.  The frequency of one report is reduced from semi-annual to annual.

Several technical corrections are made in sections being amended.

The Small Business Improvement Council retains the authority to make occasional reports and recommendations to the Governor and Legislature.  The Department of  Social and Health Services continues to be responsible for annual reports on disparities in processing and disposing of cases involving juvenile offenders.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  Many of these reports made sense at the time but are no longer needed. 

Testimony Against:  As originally drafted, the bill appears to remove the Small Business Improvement Council's authority to make any recommendations to the Governor or Legislature.

Testified:  Senator McDonald, prime sponsor (pro); Dick Thompson, Office of Financial Management (pro); and Gary Smith, Independent Business Association (pro with amendment).