SENATE BILL REPORT

                   HB 2945

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

                 Transportation, March 2, 1998

Title:  An act relating to notifications regarding transportation funding and planning.

Brief Description:  Notifying the legislature regarding transportation funding and planning.

Sponsors:  Representatives McCune and Cairnes.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Transportation:  2/26/98, 3/2/98 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators Prince, Chair; Benton, Vice Chair; Wood, Vice Chair; Haugen, Goings, Heavey, Horn, Jacobsen, Morton, Oke, Patterson, Prentice, Rasmussen and Sellar.

Staff:  Reema Shawa (786-7301)

Background: Unanticipated Receipts.  Under current law, when an agency receives funding which was not anticipated in its current budget but the agency wants to use the funds upon receipt for a specific purpose, it is required that the head of the agency submit a request for an allotment amendment to the Governor.  A copy of the amendment request must also be simultaneously submitted to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC), Senate Ways and Means Committee and House Appropriations Committee.  Under these provisions, when an agency that receives funding from a transportation fund or account experiences an unanticipated receipt, neither the House and Senate standing committees on transportation nor the Legislative Transportation Committee (LTC) are provided notice of the request for an allotment amendment.

If the Governor approves the request for an allotment amendment, his or her approval statement is transmitted simultaneously to the head of the agency, JLARC, the Senate Ways and Means, and House Appropriations Committees.  If the approved amendment request impacts any transportation funds or accounts, there is no notification provided to the House and Senate standing committees on transportation or LTC.

Information Technology Reports.  Under current law, the Department of Information Services (DIS) prepares a state strategic information technology plan which establishes a statewide mission, goals and objectives for the use of information technology.  Upon approval by the Information Services Board (ISB), copies of the plan are sent to the Governor and the chairs and ranking minority members of the appropriations committees of the Senate and House.

Additionally, DIS prepares a biennial state performance report on information technology projects.  This report is distributed biennially to the Governor and the chairs and ranking minority members of the appropriations committees of the Senate and House.

In providing the oversight of agency information technology projects, DIS evaluates projects at different stages and provides copies of its evaluations to the Office of Financial Management and the chairs, ranking minority members and staff coordinators of the appropriations committees of the Senate and House.

It is not statutorily required that any of the above-mentioned reports be submitted to either the House or Senate standing committees on transportation or LTC.

Summary of Bill: Unanticipated Receipts.  Whenever an agency which receives funding from a transportation fund or account experiences an unanticipated receipt, the head of the agency must submit to the Governor a request for an allotment amendment, setting forth the facts constituting the need for the expenditure and the estimated amount to be expended.  The request for an allotment amendment must be simultaneously transmitted to the House and Senate standing committees on transportation, if the Legislature is in session.  During the legislative interim, the amendment request must be submitted to LTC.

During a legislative session, if the Governor approves a request for an allotment amendment which has transportation funding implications, a copy of his or her approval statement must be transmitted simultaneously to the head of the agency, and to the House and Senate standing committees on transportation.  During the legislative interim, the Governor's approval statement must be transmitted simultaneously to the head of the agency and to LTC.

Information Technology Reports.  DIS is required, during the legislative session, to submit copies of the approved state strategic information technology plan to the chairs and ranking minority members of the transportation committees of the Senate and House.  During the legislative interim, the department must submit its state strategic plan to LTC.

DIS is required to submit, during the legislative session, copies of its biennial state performance report on information technology projects to the chairs and ranking minority members of the transportation committees of the Senate and House.  During the legislative interim, the department must submit its biennial performance report to LTC.

Regarding DIS project evaluations, if a project receives funding from a transportation fund or account, copies of those projects' evaluations must be submitted, during the legislative session, to the chairs and ranking minority members of the transportation committees of the Senate and House.  During the legislative interim, the project evaluations must be submitted to LTC.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  None.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  No one.