HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  SB 6219

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                  Government Administration

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].

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 Amended 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.

Amended Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The Small Business Improvement Council retains the authority to make occasional reports and recommendations to the Governor and Legislature.

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).