HOUSE BILL REPORT

ESSB 6426

As Reported by House Committee On:

State Government & Tribal Affairs

Title: An act relating to eliminating boards and commissions.

Brief Description: Eliminating certain boards and commissions.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Prentice and Tom; by request of Governor Gregoire).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

State Government & Tribal Affairs: 2/18/10 [DPA].

Majority Report: Do pass as amended. Signed by 8 members: Representatives Hunt, Chair; Appleton, Vice Chair; Armstrong, Ranking Minority Member; Alexander, Flannigan, Hurst, Miloscia and Taylor.

Staff: Pam Madson (786-7111).

Background:

In 1977 the Legislature directed the Office of Financial Management (OFM) to compile and revise, within 90 days after the beginning of each biennium, a list of all permanent and temporary, statutory and non-statutory boards, commissions, councils, committees, and other groups established by the executive, legislative, or judicial branches of state government and whose members are eligible to receive travel expenses for their meetings. For each board and commission, the OFM list must provide information about the legal authorization for creation of the group; the number of members and the appointing authority; the number of meetings in the previous biennium; a summary of the group’s primary responsibilities; and the source of funding for the group.

In 1994 the Legislature established new oversight roles for the Governor and the OFM. For existing boards and commissions, the Governor must review and submit to the Legislature every odd-numbered year a report recommending which boards and commissions should be terminated or consolidated. In making a recommendation, the Governor must consider the following:

• whether the entity completed its work and is no longer of critical significance to effective state government;

• whether the work of the group directly affects public safety, welfare, or health;

• whether the work can be done by another state agency;

• what impact termination will have on costs;

• whether the work can be done by a non-public entity;

• whether termination will result in significant loss of expertise to state government;

• whether termination will result in operational efficiencies other than fiscal; and

• whether the work can be done by an ad hoc committee.

In 2008 the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee issued a report requested by the Legislature that provided an inventory of some 470 boards and commissions. This inventory did not include groups that were temporary, judicial boards and commissions, and legislative groups.

In 2009 the Legislature eliminated 18 statutory boards, commissions, councils, and committees, and the Governor eliminated a number of non-statutory entities by executive order.

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Summary of Amended Bill:

Forty-nine statutory boards, commissions, committees, or councils are eliminated. Where appropriate, duties are transferred to the agency that the board, commission, committee, or council advises.

All tangible property in the possession of a terminated entity is transferred to the custody of the entity assuming the responsibilities. If the responsibilities of a terminated entity are also terminated, documents and papers shall be delivered to the State Archivist, and equipment or other tangible property to the Department of General Administration. Any contractual rights and duties of the eliminated board, committee, or council are assigned to the entity assuming the responsibilities.

Those boards, commissions, councils, or committees eliminated as of June 30, 2010, include the:

• Airport Impact Mitigation Advisory Board;

• Athletic Training Advisory Committee;

• Basic Health Advisory Committee;

• boards of law enforcement and correctional training standards (2);

• Chemical Dependency Professional Certification Advisory Committee;

• Citizen's Advisory Council on Alcoholism and Drug Addiction;

• Combined Fund Drive Committee;

• Committee on Agency Official's Salaries;

• Community Transition Coordination Networks Advisory Committee;

• Department of Information Services Customer Advisory Board;

• Driver Instructor Advisory Committee (Driver Training School Advisory Committee);

• Emergency Medical Services Licensing and Certification Advisory Committee;

• Employee Retirement Benefits Board;

• Environmental Land Use Hearings Board;

• Family Practice Education Advisory Board;

• Fire Protection Policy Board;

• Forest Fire Advisory Board;

• Hazardous Substance Mixed Waste Advisory Board;

• Health and Welfare Advisory Board and Property and Liability Advisory Board;

• Higher Education Coordinating Board Advisory Council;

• Higher Education Coordinating Board Research Advisory Group;

• Industry Cluster Advisory Committee;

• Integrated Justice Information Board;

• Interagency Integrated Pest Management Coordinating Committee;

• Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee;

• K-20 Educational Network Board;

• K-20 Network Technical Steering Committee;

• Land Bank Technical Advisory Committee;

• Mortgage Broker Commission;

• Oil Spill Advisory Committee;

• Olympic Natural Resources Center Policy Advisory Board;

• On-site Sewage Disposal Systems Alternative Systems Technical Review Committee;

• On-site Wastewater Technical Advisory Committee;

• Orthotics and Prosthetics Advisory Committee;

• Public Records Exemptions Accountability Committee;

• Regional Fisheries Enhancement Group Advisory Board;

• Revenue-Simplified Sales and Use Tax Administration Advisory Group;

• Solid Waste Advisory Committee;

• Special License Plate Review Board;

• State Board on Geographic Names;

• State Noxious Weed Control Board;

• Strategic Health Care Planning Office Technical Advisory Committee;

• Veteran's Innovation Program Board;

• Washington Main Street Advisory Committee;

• Water Supply Advisory Committee; and

• Women's History Consortium Board of Advisors.

The Vehicle Equipment Safety Commission and the Western States School Bus Safety Commission are eliminated as of June 30, 2011.

Amended Bill Compared to Engrossed Substitute Bill:

The Senate bill eliminates six boards, commissions, councils, or committees as of June 30, 2010; eliminates 28 boards, commissions, councils, or committees as of June 30, 2011; and suspends the activity of 58 boards, commissions, councils, or committees until June 30, 2012. The striking amendment removes all boards, commissions, councils, or committees from the bill, and eliminates 49 boards, commissions, councils, or committees: two as of June 30, 2011, and the remainder as of June 30, 2010.

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Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Requested on February 17, 2010.

Effective Date of Amended Bill: The bill takes effect on June 30, 2010, except for section 168 relating to recodifying the Council for Children and Families, which takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed; section 153 relating to the Vehicle Equipment Safety Commission, takes effect June 30, 2011; section 157 relating to the Western States School Bus Safety Commission, which takes effect June 30, 2011.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

No public hearing was held.

Persons Testifying: None.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.