HB 2768 - DIGEST

(DIGEST AS PASSED LEGISLATURE)

     Directs the department of social and health services to review all legislatively imposed requirements for the department to submit reports to the legislature and recommend the continuance or elimination of the required reports.

     Requires the department to develop criteria to assess the required reports.  The criteria shall include, but are not limited to, the cost of preparation and the relevance to departmental needs for management information.  The department shall submit a report to the appropriate committees of the legislature on the criteria, the review process, and the recommendations by December 1, 2002.

     Expires December 31, 2002.

VETO MESSAGE ON HB 2768

                   April 3, 2002

To the Honorable Speaker and Members,

  The House of Representatives of the State of Washington

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     I am returning herewith, without my approval, House Bill No. 2768 entitled:

"AN ACT Relating to reports to the legislature by the department of social and health services;"

     House Bill No. 2768 would have required the Department of Social and Health Services to review all of the reports currently required of DSHS by the legislature and to prepare another report by December 1, 2002 to recommend which of the currently required reports might be eliminated.  The goal of this bill is to reduce unnecessary paperwork so that during this time of scarce resources, DSHS may focus on higher priority activities.  I support that goal.

     However, this bill would have had the opposite effect, and instead contributed to the paperwork it aims to eliminate.  My administration is already in the practice of preparing and submitting to the legislature an annual listing of reports and obsolete statutory references we believe are appropriate candidates for elimination.  These are legislatively required reports; it is incumbent on the legislature to review them and determine if they are still desired or necessary.

     For these reasons, I have vetoed House Bill No. 2768 in its entirety.

                   Respectfully submitted,

                   Gary Locke

                   Governor