BILL REQ. #:  H-3847.2 

Read first time 01/18/08.   Referred to Committee on State Government & Tribal Affairs.

     AN ACT Relating to the grants, contracts, and loan management system; and adding a new section to chapter 43.41 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 43.41 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The office shall develop and maintain a grants, contracts, and loan management system for use by all state agencies. State agencies must use the grants, contracts, and loan management system developed by the office. Beginning July 1, 2008, the department of ecology and the department of community, trade, and economic development must use the system. By July 1, 2012, all other state agencies shall use the system.
     (2) The legislative evaluation and accountability program shall have access to the grants, contracts, and loan management system put in place by the office.     
     (3) As part of the grants, contracts, and loan management system, the office must develop a single searchable web site accessible by the public, at no cost to access information, on awards of state grants, contracts, and loans.
     (a) At a minimum, the searchable web site shall contain a link to the public disclosure commission's searchable campaign finance database and shall include the following information on awards:
     (i) The name of the entity receiving the award, as well as the names of any parent company or affiliations;
     (ii) The amount of the award;
     (iii) The amount paid by fiscal year;
     (iv) Information on the award, including purpose of the award, funding agency, program, and division; and award title descriptive of the purpose of each funding action;
     (v) The location of the entity receiving the award and the primary location of performance under the award, including the city and county; and
     (vi) Any other relevant information specified by the office.
     (b) Beginning July 1, 2008, awards of grants, contracts, and loans made by the department of ecology and the department of community, trade, and economic development must be posted on the web site. By July 1, 2010, awards of grants, contracts, and loans made by all state agencies shall be posted on the web site.
     (c) The director is authorized to designate one or more state agencies to participate in the development, establishment, operation, and support of the web site.
     (d) The web site shall include a comment section that will allow the public to provide input about the utility of the web site and recommendations for improvements.
     (e) Information shall be displayed on the web site immediately after an award is made. Any changes to the original award must be listed on the web site.
     (4) For purposes of this section:
     (a) "Award" means state financial assistance and expenditures including grants, subgrants, loans, awards, cooperative agreements, contracts, subcontracts, purchase orders, task orders, and delivery orders.
     (b) "Entity" means any corporation, association, partnership, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, sole proprietorship, legal business, or person in receipt of a grant, contract, loan, award, or any other financial award or assistance from an agency of the state.
     (c) "Searchable web site" means a web site that allows the public to search and aggregate state funding of grants, contracts, and loans in order to determine the total amount of state funding awarded and paid to an entity through a state award by fiscal year, and download data from searches.