SENATE 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

Senate Committee on Governmental Operations

Senate Hearing Date(s):March 25, 1987

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.

      Signed by Senators Halsan, Chairman; Garrett, Vice Chairman; DeJarnatt, McCaslin, Talmadge, Zimmerman.

Senate Staff:Barbara Howard (786-7410); Eugene Green (786-7405)

                  March 26, 1987

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS, MARCH 25, 1987

BACKGROUND:

In 1977, as a result of its study of state agency public information activities, the Legislative Budget Committee recommended two bills, which were enacted, dealing with state agency publications.

The first measure, now Chapter 40.07 RCW, established a policy of "improving executive management and control of state publications".  The Governor was given explicit authority to "maximize the economy, efficiency and effectiveness" of state publications and the Office of Financial Management was directed to provide guidelines for the printing of state publications.

The second law modified or eliminated over 100 statutory reporting requirements.

In 1986 the LBC conducted a new review of current statutory state agency reporting requirements and noted that a substantial number have been enacted since 1977.  Subsequently, an LBC subcommittee directed 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 65 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 on a biennial basis and specifying that affected reports are subject to the statute which allows the Governor to consolidate state agency publications, and (4) limiting the duration of the reporting requirement for some state agency publications.

Fiscal Note:      requested

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED SENATE AMENDMENT:

The proposed striking amendment incorporates all of the provisions in ESHB 25, with the following exceptions:

The sections amending the biennial report of the Department of General Administration on energy conservation measures for state buildings and the annual report of the Board of Pilotage Commissioners are deleted.  The biennial report of the Energy Office is restored, but the specific requirements for its contents remain stricken.

Several energy-related reports are repealed.

The chairs of the committees with jurisdiction over state governmental affairs are added to those which receive the biennial report of the Risk Management Office.  The biennial report of the Council for Prevention of Child Abuse is continued indefinitely by removing the termination date of 1991.

The State Publications Center in the State Library is designated as the sole distributor of those state publications which must be made available by law to all state legislators.  The State Library regularly sends each legislator a listing of available publications.  State agencies may distribute publications directly to a legislator at his or her request.

The process does not apply to legislative publications distributed internally.

Senate Committee - Testified: Nancy Zussy, State Librarian