H-4381.1 _______________________________________________
HOUSE BILL 2882
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 55th Legislature 1998 Regular Session
By Representatives Clements, Dickerson, Backlund, Parlette, Gardner, Gombosky and Delvin
Read first time 01/21/98. Referred to Committee on Select Vendor Committee.
AN ACT Relating to providing technical assistance and training to agency personnel and state contractors; adding new sections to chapter 43.07 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 39.29 RCW; and making an appropriation.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 43.07 RCW to read as follows:
(1) The secretary of state mentoring grant is established. The secretary of state shall distribute grant funds for the benefit of nonprofit entities that provide social services under contract to state agencies.
(2) To receive a mentoring grant, an appropriate state agency including, but not limited to, contracting agencies and the state auditor, must submit to the secretary of state a recommendation indicating that a nonprofit entity needs actuarial, technical, managerial, or organizational assistance. A recommendation must also indicate whether the assistance is crucial for the entity to maintain adequate financial records, to comply with state or federal law, to continue operations, or to avoid other impediments to the nonprofit entity's proper use of funds to achieve the purposes set by state contract. A recommendation must further indicate the importance of the entity to the provision of services by the contracting agency.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 43.07 RCW to read as follows:
(1) Upon recommendation, the secretary of state may use appropriated funds to make grants to any state agency, county, city, public entity, or private individual to provide training or technical assistance to nonprofit entities that contract with the state. The training or assistance should be administered to help the nonprofit entity provide more effective services to the state agency with which it contracts and to facilitate the nonprofit entity's self-sufficiency and successful operation. The technical assistance may include, but is not limited to, instruction on accounting methods, legal advice, grants for the purchase of accounting or management software, organizational instruction, and compliance information.
(2) A grant should not be administered to benefit the same nonprofit entity more than twice, unless the grant is of nominal amount, to be defined by the secretary of state.
(3) The secretary of state may adopt rules to govern the use of the grants in accordance with the purpose of chapter . . ., Laws of 1998 (this act).
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 39.29 RCW to read as follows:
(1) The office of financial management may offer technical assistance to agencies for improved management and administration of agency contracting. The training may include, but is not limited to, the following subjects:
(a) Types and methods of contracting;
(b) Consultant selection;
(c) Performance standards and benchmarks, and performance audits of such;
(d) Financial recordkeeping and appropriate accounting measures;
(e) Any other subject related to effective contract management.
(2) The cost of technical services may be charged to the agency served and must be paid to the office of financial management in the same manner that other claims against the agency are paid.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The sum of one hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1998, from the general fund to the office of the secretary of state for the purposes of this act.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.
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