H-3750              _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 1758

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1988 Regular Session

By Representatives Valle, B. Williams, Pruitt, Kremen, Grant, Meyers, Heavey, P. King, Jacobsen, Amondson and May

Read first time 1/25/88 and referred to Committee on State Government.

AN ACT Relating to state government; adding a new section to chapter 39.29 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 35.22 RCW; and adding a new section to chapter 36.01 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 39.29 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) No agency may contract for consultant services unless the specialized skills, knowledge, and resources are unavailable in the agency, unless the work cannot be done in a reasonable time within the agency's own work force, or unless it is less expensive to contract for the work.  No such contract may be entered into unless the work contracted for is directly necessary to carry out duties of the agency as established by the legislature.

          (2) The office of financial management may adopt rules to carry out this section and to further establish procedures to restrict the use of personal service contracts to those instances contemplated by law so that expenditures are lessened, frugality promoted, and fiscal management of state government improved.  The legislative budget committee shall notify the office of financial management on contracts submitted to the committee under this chapter where it questions compliance of the agency with the intent and requirements of this chapter.

          (3) The office of financial management and the legislative budget committee shall carry out their duties under this section within existing staff levels.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 35.22 RCW to read as follows:

          No city with a population over one hundred thousand may contract for consultant services unless the specialized skills, knowledge, and resources are unavailable in the city, unless the work cannot be done in a reasonable time within the city's own work force, or unless it is less expensive to contract for the work.  No such contract may be entered into unless the work contracted for is directly necessary to carry out duties of the city.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 36.01 RCW to read as follows:

          No county may contract for consultant services unless the specialized skills, knowledge, and resources are unavailable in the county, unless the work cannot be done in a reasonable time within the county's own work force, or unless it is less expensive to contract for the work.  No such contract may be entered into unless the work contracted for is directly necessary to carry out duties of the county.