H-3056

AN ACT Relating to the efficient use of general fund moneys; adding new sections to chapter 43.79 RCW; making an appropriation; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 43.79 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The savings incentive account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. The account shall consist of all moneys appropriated to the account by the legislature. The account is subject to the allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for expenditures from the account.

(2) Within the savings incentive account, the state treasurer may create subaccounts to be credited with moneys attributable to individual state agencies, as determined by the office of financial management in consultation with the legislative fiscal committees. Moneys deposited in the subaccounts may be expended only on the authorization of the agency's executive head or designee and only for the purpose of one-time expenditures to improve the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of services to customers of the state, such as one-time expenditures for employee training, employee incentives, technology improvements, new work processes, or performance measurement. Funds may not be expended from the account to establish new programs or services, expand existing programs or services, or incur ongoing costs that would require future expenditures.

(3) For purposes of this section, "incentive savings" means state general fund appropriations that are unspent as of June 30th of a fiscal year, excluding any amounts included in across-the-board reductions under RCW 43.88.110 and excluding unspent appropriations for (a) caseload and enrollment changes in entitlement programs, (b) caseload and population changes in the department of corrections and the juvenile rehabilitation administration of the department of social and health services, (c) enrollments in state institutions of higher education, (d) a specific amount contained in a condition of or limitation to an appropriation in the biennial appropriations act, if the agency did not achieve the purpose of the condition or limitation, (e) debt service on state obligations, and (f) state retirement system obligations. The office of financial management, after consulting with the legislative fiscal committees, shall report to the treasurer the amount of savings incentives received.

(4) By December 1, 1998, and each December 1st thereafter, the office of financial management shall submit a report to the fiscal committees of the legislature on the implementation of this section. The report shall (a) evaluate the impact of this section on agency reversions and end-of-biennium expenditure patterns, and (b) itemize agency expenditures from the savings incentive account.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 43.79 RCW to read as follows:

The education savings account is created in the state treasury. The account shall consist of all moneys appropriated to the account by the legislature. Moneys in the account may be spent only after appropriation. Expenditures from the account may be used only for (1) common school construction projects that are eligible for funding from the common school construction account; and (2) technology improvements in the common schools.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The sum of seventy-five million dollars, or so much thereof as may be available on June 30, 1997, from the total amount of unspent fiscal year 1997 state general fund appropriations, is appropriated for the purposes of sections 1 and 2 of this act in the manner provided in this section.

(1) Of the total appropriated amount, one-half of that portion that is attributable to incentive savings under section 1 of this act, not to exceed twenty-five million dollars, is appropriated to the savings incentive account, for the purpose of improving the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of agency services.

(2) The remainder of the total amount, not to exceed seventy million dollars, is appropriated to the education savings account for the purpose of common school construction projects.

(3) For purposes of this section, the total amount of unspent state general fund appropriations does not include the appropriations made in this section or any amounts included in across-the-board allotment reductions under RCW 43.88.110.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately.