[atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to the transportation accountability board; adding new sections to chapter 47.01 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 44.48 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 43.105 RCW; creating a new section; 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 47.01 RCW to read as follows:

It is the intent of the legislature to create an independent and objective transportation accountability board to establish performance measures and benchmarks to ensure transportation system performance at all levels of government.

The mission of the transportation accountability board is to implement the recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation regarding the adoption of transportation benchmarks as a cornerstone of government accountability at the state, city, county, and transit district levels. The legislature embraces that recommendation. Monitoring performance of the system and measuring results will be the basis for all transportation strategies.

The transportation accountability board shall develop a strategy and implement a plan for a performance measurement system. The system must include data gathering, analysis, development of recommendations, monitoring the implementation of recommendations, and a process for reporting transportation system performance to the governor's office, the legislature, and the public.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 47.01 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The transportation accountability board is created.

(2) The board is composed of five members, appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate for terms of four years, except that two members initially will be appointed for terms of two years. Members should have transportation experience in management, operations, planning, budgeting, project management, or performance measurement.

(3) The governor may not remove members from the board before the expiration of their terms unless for cause based upon a determination of incapacity, incompetence, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office by the Thurston county superior court, upon petition and show cause proceedings brought for that purpose in that court and directed to the board member in question.

(4) No member may be appointed for more than three consecutive terms.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 47.01 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The board shall meet periodically upon the call of its chair. It may adopt its own rules and may establish its own procedures. It shall act collectively in harmony with recorded resolutions or motions adopted by a majority vote of the members.

(2) The board shall elect one of its members as the chair for a term of two years. The chair may vote on all matters before the board.

(3) Each member of the board will be compensated in accordance with RCW 43.03.250 and reimbursed for actual necessary traveling and other expenses in going to, attending, and returning from meetings of the board or that are incurred in the discharge of duties requested by the chair. However, in no event may a board member be compensated in any year for more than one hundred twenty days, except the chair of the board may be compensated for not more than one hundred fifty days. Service on the board does not qualify as a service credit for the purposes of a public retirement system.

(4) The board shall keep proper records and is subject to audit by the state auditor.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 47.01 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The board, at its option, may either appoint a professional administrator, who will serve at its pleasure and whose salary will be set by the board, or make provisions ensuring these responsibilities are carried out by the legislative evaluation and accountability program personnel. Staff support to the board must be provided by the legislative evaluation and accountability program, which shall provide professional support for the duties, functions, responsibilities, and activities of the board, including but not limited to information technology systems; data collection, processing, analysis, and reporting; project management; and office space, equipment, and secretarial support.

(2) The board may from time to time retain planners, consultants, and other technical personnel to advise it in the performance of its duties.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. A new section is added to chapter 47.01 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The transportation accountability board shall serve as a single, independent, statewide point of accountability for reporting, analyzing, and monitoring the performance of an integrated transportation system. The board has the following responsibilities:

(a) Develop performance measures for the transportation system for the purposes enumerated in section 1 of this act;

(b) Implement and oversee the attainment of benchmarks and performance measures that have been adopted by the board;

(c) Report biennially to the governor and the legislature on progress toward achieving recommended reforms and efficiencies, and make policy recommendations for furthering progress toward achieving optimal transportation system performance;

(d) Monitor and report the efforts at the state, city, county, and transit district levels on adopting leading edge transportation strategies.

(2) The board must be given timely access, upon written request of the administrator, to all machine readable, printed, and other data of state agencies relative to transportation expenditures, budgets, and related fiscal matters.

(3) In developing the benchmarks and performance measures, the board shall solicit input from cities, counties, transit districts, state agencies, transportation stakeholders, and the public. The board shall report back to the legislature on the adopted benchmarks and performance measures by December 15, 2001.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. A new section is added to chapter 47.01 RCW to read as follows:

By December 15th of each even-numbered year, the transportation accountability board shall prepare and submit to the house and senate standing committees on transportation and the office of financial management, a comprehensive statewide report on transportation systems at the state, county, city, and transit district levels, measuring each system's performance and progress in achieving the benchmarks and performance measures adopted by the board under section 5 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. A new section is added to chapter 47.01 RCW to read as follows:

The board shall cooperate, act, and function with Washington state legislative committees and may cooperate with the councils or committees of other states similar to this board and with other interstate research organizations.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. A new section is added to chapter 44.48 RCW to read as follows:

To carry out section 5 of this act, the legislative evaluation and accountability program shall provide staff support to the transportation accountability board for:

(1) Automated data bases and application systems in support of board requirements to monitor, evaluate, analyze, report, and review;

(2) Maintenance of computer software, application programs, data bases, and related documentation;

(3) Education, training, and programming services;

(4) Procedural documentation support;

(5) Consulting assistance on special projects; and

(6) Any other staff assistance or use of facilities and equipment that is necessary for the board to carry out its duties.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. A new section is added to chapter 43.105 RCW to read as follows:

The transportation accountability board is expressly exempt from this chapter.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 10. This act shall be known as the Transportation Accountability Act of 2001.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 11. 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.