SENATE BILL REPORT

EHB 1593

BYRepresentatives Belcher, Prince, Locke, Ebersole, H. Sommers, Grimm, Scott, Brooks, Miller, Fisher, Sayan, Cole, Holm, Wineberry, B. Williams, Winsley, Brough, May, Todd, K. Wilson, Unsoeld and Butterfield; by request of Secretary of State

Establishing the Washington 20:20 commission.

House Committe on State Government

Rereferred House Committee on Ways & Means/Appropriations

Senate Committee on Governmental Operations

Senate Hearing Date(s):February 25, 1988

Senate Staff:Desley Brooks (786-7443)

AS OF FEBRUARY 19, 1988

BACKGROUND:

Historically, the state has made a number of efforts to engage in long range planning and to encourage citizen participation in decisions affecting the future of Washington State.

In 1967 the State Planning and Community Affairs Agency was created to identify long-range goals for the state and to assist state agencies and municipalities in comprehensive development planning.  These state planning duties were then transferred to the new Office of Planning and Financial Management in 1969, a time when public agencies across the nation began to combine their planning and budgeting functions.  The State Planning and Community Affairs Agency became the Department of Community Development in 1984, where most planning is now short-term program or issue specific, rather than long-term and comprehensive.

Citizen involvement in planning was the goal of Governor Evans' "Alternatives for Washington," a 150-member citizen task force charged in 1974 with identifying a series of possible future directions for state growth and development.  Some 4,000 citizens directly participated in the year-long process through area conferences, seminars, and questionnaires.  It was originally intended that these recommendations and policy preferences be used as a basis for state-level planning and budgeting.

SUMMARY:

The Washington 20:20 Commission is created within the Department of Community Development.  The Commission has 35 members, to be appointed as follows:  the Governor appoints 27 members, including the four past governors of the state if they wish to serve, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Majority Leader of the Senate each appoint 4 members. The chair of the Commission is appointed by the Governor.

The goal of the Commission is to develop the Washington 20:20 plan -- a set of public policy recommendations which would prepare the state and its citizens for the economic, social and environmental changes to be faced in entering the next century. The work of the Commission is to be accomplished in two phases.

Under Phase I, the Commission designs a planning process to involve a broad range of citizens, recommends additional citizen members to participate in the process, and identifies the major issues to be addressed in the plan.  A report on Phase I will be submitted to the Governor and the Legislature by November 1, 1988.

The Commission oversees the development of the Washington 20:20 plan under Phase II and its final report on the plan is to be submitted to the Governor and the Legislature by July 1, 1990.

The Commission will terminate on December 1, 1990.

Appropriation:    none

Revenue:    none

Fiscal Note:      available

Effective Date:The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.