HOUSE BILL REPORT

ESHB 25

BYHouse Committee on State Government (originally sponsored by Representatives H. Sommers, B. Williams, Sayan, Holland, Brekke and P. King; by request of  Legislative Budget Committee)

Revising provisions for state publications.

House Committe on State Government

Majority Report:     The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (7)

     Signed by Representatives H. Sommers, Chair; Peery, Vice Chair; Baugher, Hankins, O'Brien, Sayan and Walk.

House Staff:Pam Madson (786-7135)

AS PASSED HOUSE FEBRUARY 13, 1987

BACKGROUND:

In 1977, the Legislative Budget Committee as a result of its 1976 study of State Agency Public Information Activities, sponsored two bills (which were enacted) dealing with state agency publications.

The first bill (ESB 2121 which is now Chapter 40.07 RCW) was a policy bill with the intent of "improving executive management and control of state publications".  This bill provided the Governor explicit authority to "maximize the economy, efficiency and effectiveness" of state publications and also directed the Office of Financial Management to provide "guidelines" for the printing of state publications.

The second bill (ESB 2133) modified or eliminated over 100 statutory reporting requirements.

In 1986 the LBC conducted a review of current statutory state agency reporting requirements and noted that a substantial number have been enacted since 1977.  Subsequently, a LBC subcommittee directed LBC staff to develop draft legislation to modify and/or eliminate many of those requirements.

SUMMARY:

State agency information reporting requirements are changed by:  (1) eliminating 63 reports, (2) requiring dissemination of some reports to the chairs of the appropriate House of Representatives and Senate standing committees and their respective staffs (instead of to all legislators), (3) standardizing reporting periods to a biennial basis and specifying that these reports are subject to the authority of the Governor to consolidate state agency publications, and (4) limiting the duration of the reporting requirement for some state agency publications.

EFFECT OF SENATE AMENDMENT(S):  The following reports are deleted from statute:  (1)  Annual review of energy supply alert and energy emergency plans;  (2)  filing of separate consultant management audits of energy supply system;  (3)  USDOE research concerning the Hanford radioactive waste site; and (4)  Semiannual supply system progress report.  The Risk Management Office biennial report is amended to include distribution to committees on state governmental operations.  The following reports are restored:  (1)  GA report on energy conservation measures for state buildings;  (2)  Biennial Energy Office but with a smaller scope; and (3)  Pilotage Commission annual report.  The report of the Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse is continued indefinitely as a biennial report.  All state agency publications that must be made available to legislators shall be distributed through the State Library.  The library shall publish a list of publications that may be requested by a legislator.  Agencies may distribute directly to a legislator at his or her request.  The Office of Financial Management shall study the state's furniture acquisition and replacement process and report to the Legislature by January 1, 1988.

Fiscal Note:    Requested February 2, 1987.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:     Jack Heinricher, State Auditor's Office (for portions of the bill); Bob Wark, State Board for Community College Education; and John Cadoo, Office of Financial Management (informational testimony).

House Committee - Testified Against: Jack Heinricher, State Auditor's Office (opposed to a portion of the bill).

House Committee - Testimony For:     The Legislature receives a voluminous amount of information from state agencies.  Eliminating or diminishing the requirement that the agencies report to each member of the Legislature and directing distribution to appropriate committee chairs and staff will help reduce the amount of written material received by each legislator.  The annual report from the community colleges should be a biennial requirement.

House Committee - Testimony Against: The report of the State Auditor should remain an annual report.  The reporting done by the Auditor is geared to annual reporting and is used by a wide variety of governmental entities.