HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1413

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                      State Government

Title:  An act relating to the terms of members of the Washington citizens' commission on salaries for elected officials.

Brief Description:  Staggering the terms of the members of the Washington citizens' commission on salaries for elected officials.

Sponsors:  Representatives McMorris, Romero, Dunshee, Campbell, Haigh, D. Schmidt, Miloscia and Lambert; by request of Washington Citizens' Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

State Government: 2/3/99, 2/19/99 [DP].

                 Brief Summary of Bill

$Staggers the terms of office of members of the Washington Citizens' Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT

Majority Report: Do pass.  Signed by 8 members: Representatives McMorris, Republican Co-Chair; Romero, Democratic Co-Chair; Campbell, Republican Vice Chair; Miloscia, Democratic Vice Chair; Dunshee; Haigh; Lambert and D. Schmidt.

Staff: Steve Lundin ( 786-7127).

Background:

State voters approved Amendment 78 to the state constitution in 1986 providing for an independent commission to set salaries for members of the Legislature, elected officials of the executive branch of state government, and judges of the supreme court, court of appeals, superior courts, and district courts.  After the initial enactment of legislation establishing this independent salary commission, any amendment altering the composition of that commission must be approved by the favorable vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house of the Legislature.

Legislation creating the Washington Citizens' Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials provides for a 16-member commission composed of one registered voter from each of the nine congressional districts in the state, each of whom is selected at random, and seven members selected jointly by the speaker of the House of Representatives and president of the Senate with the requirement that all of these persons selected by the speaker and president have personnel management experience.  Of the persons selected by the chief clerk and president of the Senate, one member must be selected from each of the following five sectors: private institutions of higher education; business; professional management; legal profession; and organized labor.  In addition, one member selected by the speaker and president must be a person recommended by the chair of the Washington Personnel Resources Board and another person must be recommended by majority vote of the presidents of the state's four-year institutions of higher education.  The names of all 16 persons who are so selected are forwarded to the Governor who appoints these persons to the commission.

All 16 members serve four year terms of office with each term ending at the same time.

Summary of Bill:

The terms of members of the state salary commission are staggered so that every two years eight terms expire.  This staggering is accomplished by terminating the terms of members who were appointed in 1999, effective July 1, 2002.  New commission members are appointed by the Governor using the existing appointment process and the Governor by lot selects four of the nine registered voters who are selected at random, and four of the appointees who were selected by the chief clerk and president of the Senate, to serve four-year terms.  The other eight appointees serve two-year terms.  Thereafter appointments are for four-year terms.

The names of persons who are selected using this process are forwarded to the Governor by no later than July 1 every two years.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

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

Testimony For: This will really help to have some experienced members always on the commission.  The July starting date will allow new members to get training before they are forced to make decisions.

Testimony Against: None.

Testified: Carol Sayer, Citizens Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials; and David Elliott, Office of the Secretary of State.