Title: An act relating to the creation of a citizen oversight panel to measure performance of the state's transportation system.

Brief Description: Creating a citizen oversight panel to measure performance of the state's transportation system.

Sponsors: By Representatives Romero, Wallace, Murray, Hatfield, Kessler, Miloscia, Cooper, Simpson, Darneille, Lovick, O'Brien, Veloria, Moeller, Eickmeyer, Hunt, Kenney, Schual-Berke, Fromhold, Conway, Wood, Linville, Berkey, Sullivan, McDermott, Haigh, Rockefeller, McCoy, Upthegrove and Ruderman.

Brief Summary of Bill

• The Citizen Oversight Panel (Panel) is created to oversee the establishment and attainment of transportation performance measures.

• The Panel is comprised of seven citizen members appointed by the Governor who will serve four-year terms.

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 17 members: Representatives Murray, Chair; Rockefeller, 1st Vice Chair; Simpson, Vice Chair; Campbell, Clibborn, Cooper, Dickerson, Edwards, Flannigan, Hatfield, Hudgins, Lovick, Morris, Romero, Sullivan, Wallace and Wood.

Minority Report: Do not pass. Signed by 12 members: Representatives Ericksen, Ranking Minority Member; Jarrett, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Anderson, Armstrong, Bailey, Hankins, Kristiansen, Mielke, Nixon, Schindler, Shabro and Woods.

The public's opinion on how transportation dollars are being spent indicates there is a need to strengthen accountability for the performance of the state's transportation system. One approach to providing increased accountability would be to create an opportunity for citizens of the state to actually be a part of the state transportation accountability effort in which performance measures and benchmarks are being established and monitored.

House Bill 1120 creates a Citizen Oversight Panel (Panel) which will be comprised of seven members appointed by the Governor who will serve terms of four years. The members of the Panel must be chosen so that the Panel will have experience and expertise related to, but not limited to the following areas:

The Panel will oversee and review the establishment and attainment of transportation performance measures directed under current law. The Panel will also work with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) in establishing, reviewing and revising state transportation performance measures and benchmarks.

The Panel may make recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature on the need to revise or add policy goals to those currently in statute that will result in increased efficiencies, create savings, and improve the delivery of transportation services to the public. The Panel must issue an annual report to the Governor and the Legislature detailing the Panel's research activities, their findings and any recommendations, and a status report on the performance measures currently in use by WSDOT and the results of those measures.

The Panel is authorized to hire secretarial and professional staff to support them in executing their duties and responsibilities. Data and information technology support will be provided by the Legislative Evaluation and Accountability Program. The Panel will be compensated from the general appropriation for the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee. The Panel must keep proper records and is subject to audit by the State Auditor or other auditing entities.

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

Testimony For: Ensuring that performance measures are being monitored and reviewed on an ongoing basis is very important in achieving true accountability.

Testimony Against: Creating another state entity to do this is not the right approach because it is making state government bigger, when the Panel's mission could be accomplished within existing agencies.

Testified: (In support) Lisa Kuruvilla; Stephanie Bowman, Seattle Chamber; Daniel Mann, Shoreline Merchants Association; Randy Ferrell, Shoreline Merchants Association; Ken Cottingham, Cottingham Transportation Engineer Consultant; and Dennis Matson, Thurston County Economic Development Council.