Brief Description: Promoting transparency in state expenditures.

Sponsors: Senators Oemig, Brandland, Tom, Zarelli, Kastama, Weinstein, Kilmer, Keiser and Kohl-Welles.

Senate Committee on Ways & Means
House Committee on Appropriations

Background: Under the State Budget and Accounting Act, the Office of Financial Management (OFM) maintains a comprehensive financial accounting and reporting system for all agencies of state government. This system accounts for all state agency revenues, expenditures, receipts, and disbursements, as well as statewide budget information.

The Legislative Evaluation and Accountability Program Committee (LEAP Committee) provides a variety of fiscal information for the Legislature and the public.

Summary: By January 1, 2009, the LEAP Committee, in collaboration with OFM, is directed to make publicly available a state expenditure information web site that contains for the prior fiscal year: (1) state expenditures by fund or account; (2) expenditures by agency, program, and subprogram; (3) state revenues by source; (4) state expenditures by budget object and subobject; and (5) state agency workloads, caseloads, and performance measurements. The LEAP Committee must prepare and post on a public website, a presentation specific to K-12 education funding. The presentation will show examples of the type and level of educational programs and services supported by funding appropriated in the budget for the support of common schools. In addition, the web site must contain a link to an OFM web site on personal services' contracts required to be filed with OFM. The web site must also provide current and historical information.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate      48   0
House      94   0   (House amended)
Senate      47   0   (Senate concurred)

Effective: June 12, 2008

Partial Veto Summary: The requirement for a public web site on K-12 education funding is removed.