SENATE BILL REPORT

ESB 5764

BYSenators Talmadge, McCaslin, Zimmerman and Halsan

Adopting the Washington sunrise act.

Senate Committee on Governmental Operations

Senate Hearing Date(s):February 24, 1987

Majority Report:  Do pass.

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

Senate Staff:Eugene Green (786-7405); Sam Thompson (786-7754)

                  April 15, 1987

AS PASSED SENATE, MARCH 10, 1987

BACKGROUND:

Presently, the state of Washington lacks a uniform and coordinated procedure for determining the need for new boards and commissions and new types of special purpose districts.

SUMMARY:

The Office of Financial Management and the Department of Community Development, in cooperation with the Legislature, shall establish a procedure for the provision of sunrise notes.  Sunrise notes shall deal with expected impact of bills authorizing new boards, commissions, and new types of special purpose districts.  The sunrise notes shall focus on duplication of efforts and indicate the creation of potentially divided authority.  OFM shall prepare sunrise notes for new boards and commissions.  DCD shall prepare sunrise notes for new types of special purpose districts.  "Special purpose district" excludes city, town, county, or school district.

Distribution and request procedures for sunrise notes are the same as for state and local fiscal notes.

The lack of a sunrise note or errors in a sunrise note shall not affect the validity of any measure duly passed by the Legislature.

Fiscal Note:      available

Senate Committee - Testified: Chuck Sauvage, Common Cause

HOUSE AMENDMENTS:

"Board" is defined very broadly to include boards, commissions, councils, committees, or task forces. (Sec.2)

Sunrise notes are made mandatory for executive and agency request bills creating new entities. (Sec.5)

Sunrise notes must also be sent to the Senate Committee on Governmental Operations and the House Committee on State Government. (Sec. 6)  Legislative standing committees must notify these two committees whenever a bill providing for the creation of a new "board" or special purpose district is voted out of a standing committee. (Sec. 7)

A sunset provision is added, providing for an expiration date of June 30, 1992. (Sec. 10)