FINAL BILL REPORT

                  SSB 6575

                           C 21 L 98

                      Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Extending the powers of the joint administrative rules review committee.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Government Operations (originally sponsored by Senators Hale, T. Sheldon, McCaslin, Snyder, Horn, McDonald, Sellar, Newhouse, Schow, Strannigan, Benton, Zarelli, Stevens, Roach, Heavey and Oke).

Senate Committee on Government Operations

House Committee on Government Reform & Land Use

Background:  The Joint Administrative Rules Review Committee (JARRC) has statutory authority to review selectively all agency policy and interpretive statements.  This has been interpreted as applying only to those agency issuances that are entitled Apolicy statement@ or Ainterpretive statement@ and not applying to any other guideline or document of general applicability issued by an agency.

Summary:  JARRC is permitted to review selectively proposed or existing guidelines and documents of general applicability or their equivalents in addition to policy and interpretive statements, to determine whether the agency is using them in such a manner that the document constitutes a rule not adopted in accordance with all applicable provisions of law.  JARRC may advise the Governor if an agency refuses to replace the document with a rule.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate 47 0

House     94 0

Effective:  June 11, 1998