Sponsors: By House Committee on State Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Haigh, Armstrong, Morris, Hatfield, Linville, Ruderman and Rockefeller; by request of Governor Locke).

Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

• Eliminates a number of state boards, councils, and commissions and some related responsibilities of these entities.

• Declares an emergency.

Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. Signed by 9 members: Representatives Haigh, Chair; Miloscia, Vice Chair; Armstrong, Ranking Minority Member; Shabro, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Hunt, McDermott, Nixon, Tom and Wallace.

The Governor and the Office of Financial Management are required to review state boards and commissions, and in every odd-numbered year submit to the Legislature a recommended list of boards and commissions to be terminated or consolidated. During the 1995-1997 biennium, Washington had 381 boards and commissions, down from a high of 569 during the 1991-1993 biennium. Legislation was enacted in 1999 abolishing 33 boards, commissions, and committees and in the 2001 legislative session seven boards, commissions and committees were abolished.

The following boards, councils, or commissions are abolished and related responsibilities of these entities are terminated:

• Health Care Policy Technical Advisory Committee (Health Care Authority): Advises the Health Care Authority on effective approaches to cost control, quality assurance, and access to health care.

• Governor's Small Business Improvement Council (Office of the Governor): Identifies regulatory, administrative, and legislative proposals that will improve the entrepreneurial environment for small businesses.

• Rebuilding Families Advisory Committee (Department of Corrections): Provides community involvement in the planning, development, and implementation of programs at the Washington Corrections Center for Women.

• Independent Living Advisory Committee (Department of Services for the Blind): Provides guidance and direction to the Department of Services for the Blind's Independent Living Program.

• Ocean Spot Shrimp Emerging Fishery Advisory Board (Department of Fish and Wildlife): Helps construct options for limiting fishery participation/efforts and provides recommendations.

• Firearms Range Advisory Committee (Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation): Establishes and reviews Firearm and Archery Range Recreation Program Policy.

• Water Trail Advisory Committee (Parks and Recreation Commission): Assists and advises the Parks and Recreation Commission in the development of water trail facilities and programs.

• Community Outdoor Athletic Fields Advisory Council (Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation): Provides information and make recommendations to the Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation on the award of funds from the Youth Athletic Facility grant account.

• Arthritis Advisory Group (Department of Health): Required as part of a two-year arthritis planning grant funded by the Center for Disease Control. Develops and helps implement a Washington arthritis action plan.

• Committee on Taxation and Advisory Group to the Committee on Taxation (Legislature):Determined how well the current tax system functions. Presented final report of its findings and alternatives to the Ways and Means Committee in the Senate and the Finance Committee in the House on November 30, 2002.

Reinstates the Firearms Range Advisory Committee (within the Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation), which establishes and reviews Firearm and Archery Range Recreation Program policies.

Effective Date: The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect on July 1, 2003.

Testimony For: This bill eliminates groups that have stopped functioning. The Governor's Executive Order on Quality Improvement is saving more funds and running more efficiently than the Productivity Board. The Quality Improvement Program had a $21 million savings the first year while the number of inquires to the Productivity Board declined.

Testimony Against: State agencies are not always happy to hear suggestions from "front line" workers. The Productivity Board is a very successful and popular program because it is independent and neutral. Productivity Board programs have saved the state over $46 million. Some suggestions that have been killed by state agencies were reviewed by the Productivity Board, found to be effective, and later implemented.

James Butcher had a suggestion that was not taken seriously by either his employer or the Governor's Quality Improvement Program. However, the Productivity Board found value in Mr. Butcher's idea and implemented it. His idea saved the Washington State Liquor Control Board over $40,000 a year.

(Opposed) James Butcher, Washington State Liquor Control Board; Bev Hermanson, Washington Federation of State Employees; Tracy Workman and Sam Reed, Office of the Secretary of State; Brian Sonntag, State Auditor; and Lynn Maier, Washington Public Employees Association.