SENATE BILL REPORT

                   HB 1066

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

             Government Operations, March 21, 1997

Title:  An act relating to the maintenance of state facilities.

Brief Description:  Providing for the maintenance of state facilities.

Sponsors:  Representatives Pennington, Chopp, Mason, Costa, Skinner, Hankins, Ogden and L. Thomas.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Government Operations:  3/21/97 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators McCaslin, Chair; Hale, Vice Chair; Anderson, Haugen, Horn, Patterson and Swanson.

Staff:  Eugene Green (786-7405)

Background:  The Office of Financial Management (OFM) provides central budget and accounting services for state agencies.  Each biennium, state agencies are required to prepare long-range capital plans displaying the estimated capital budget funding necessary to support their facilities program over a ten-year period.  OFM is responsible for adopting instructions for the preparation of these plans.

In 1993, OFM was directed to maintain an inventory system to account for the location, type, and size of each owned or leased facility utilized by state government.

In 1995, the House Capital Budget Maintenance Subcommittee and OFM's Capital Policy and Communications Committee jointly conducted a survey to collect information about state agency maintenance practices.  The survey revealed that maintenance definitions, practices, and budget and accounting systems varied widely among agencies. 

In 1996, OFM's Capital Policy and Communications Committee initiated several reforms to state agency maintenance planning, budgeting, and reporting practices to begin to address the issues identified in the maintenance survey.  These reforms include:  publication of standard definitions for preventive, predictive, and deferred maintenance in the 1997-99 capital budget instructions;  expansion of the statewide facility inventory system to include information about the condition of facilities; development of a prototype report for central reporting of facility and maintenance information on an annual basis; and preparation of multi-year Abacklog reduction@ plans within agency capital budget requests to address deferred preservation projects.

The Department of General Administration (GA) provides central construction management services to other agencies, and manages and operates facilities on the capitol campus and at other locations.  In 1996, GA established a voluntary program, known as the Plant Operations Support Program (POSP), to provide technical assistance, consultation, and clearing house support to state and local governments on plant operations and facility maintenance issues.  The POSP is funded by voluntary subscription fees, grants, and service fees.

Summary of Bill:  The recent reforms to state agency maintenance planning, budgeting, and reporting practices are codified to ensure that they are sustained into the future.

Information about the condition of facilities must be included in the statewide Facility Inventory System (FIS).  OFM must publish a report summarizing information in the FIS by October 1 each year, beginning in 1997.

GA must operate a plant operation and support program to provide information, technical assistance, and consultation on physical plant operation and maintenance issues to state and local governments.  The program must be funded by voluntary subscription charges and service fees.

Capital budget plans must include a strategic plan for reducing backlogs of maintenance and repair projects.  The plans must include a prioritized list of specific projects, project cost estimates and implementation schedules, and identification of normal maintenance activities to reduce future backlogs.

Maintenance terms and definitions are standardized within the budget and accounting act.

OFM must publish annual maintenance summary reports beginning in October, 1997.  State agencies must prepare separate reports for each major campus or site.  The reports must include information about: the number, size, and condition of state-owned facilities; facility maintenance, repair, and operating expenses paid from state operating and capital budgets; maintenance staffing levels; the condition of major infrastructure systems; and maintenance management initiatives undertaken by the agencies.  Agencies must submit their reports to OFM by September 1 each year.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

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

Testimony For:  This bill supports good management practices and continues our very successful voluntarily-funded program designated to assist public facility managers and operators.  This program is especially helpful to local units of government.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Grant Fredericks, Deputy Director, General Administration; Marsha Tadano Long, General Administration (pro).