HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 2902

As Reported by House Committee On:

General Government Appropriations

Title: An act relating to the combined fund drive.

Brief Description: Transferring the combined fund drive from the department of personnel to the secretary of state.

Sponsors: Representatives Hunt, Roach, Taylor, Appleton, Armstrong, Alexander, Johnson and Hurst; by request of Secretary of State and Department of Personnel.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

General Government Appropriations: 1/26/10, 2/4/10 [DP].

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 13 members: Representatives Darneille, Chair; Takko, Vice Chair; McCune, Ranking Minority Member; Armstrong, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Blake, Crouse, Hudgins, Kenney, Klippert, Pedersen, Sells, Short and Van De Wege.

Minority Report: Do not pass. Signed by 2 members: Representatives Dunshee and Williams.

Staff: Alex MacBain (786-7288).

Background:

The Combined Fund Drive operated by the Department of Personnel (DOP) raises money for charity primarily from state employees in a fashion designed to reduce the disruption that might be caused by multiple fund drives. The Combined Fund Drive is the only organization authorized to make charitable solicitation of state employees in the workplace on behalf of participating not-for-profit organizations and federations.

The Combined Fund Drive engages in a variety of activities to establish a network of agency employees that lead workplace charitable giving campaigns, engage in appropriate fund raising and advertising activities to support fund-raising, and establish the network of local and international charities as beneficiaries of the Combined Fund Drive.

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Summary of Bill:

The Combined Fund Drive is transferred from the DOP to the the Office of the Secretary of State (Secretary of State). All materials held by the DOP related to the operation of the Combined Fund Drive are transferred to the custody of the Secretary of State, and all employees of the DOP whose positions are funded from the administrative fee generated by the Combined Fund Drive are transferred to the Secretary of State without any loss of rights or duties, subject thereafter to the civil service rules.

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Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) The Combined Fund Drive (CFD) is a tremendous program that allows state employees to use payroll deductions to contribute to charities. An essential role of the government is its ability to care for its people, and the CFD plays an important part of that process. It makes sense to transfer the responsibility for the operation and oversight of the CFD to the Office of the Secretary of State (OSOS) because of the oversight role that the OSOS plays with respect to charities. Organizations that apply to participate in the CFD at the Department of Personnel are also required to register as charitable nonprofit organizations with the Secretary of State. Moving the operation and oversight of the CFD may allow the application and registration processes to be consolidated and more streamlined. Transfer of the CFD program will help to enhance the ability to meet the goals of the CFD program. There is no cost for this transfer, and the transition will be easy. The transfer is supported by the Governor, the Director of the Department of Personnel, and the Secretary of State.

(Opposed) None.

Persons Testifying: Mike Sellers, Department of Personnel; and Sam Reed, Secretary of State.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.