HOUSE BILL REPORT
ESHB 2327
As Amended by the Senate
BYHouse Committee on State Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Silver, H. Sommers, Schoon, Holland, McLean, Fuhrman and Smith; by request of Legislative Budget Committee)
Changing provisions relating to sunset review of programs and agencies.
House Committe on State Government
Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. (8)
Signed by Representatives Todd, Chair; Anderson, Vice Chair; McLean, Ranking Republican Member; R. Fisher, Hankins, Morris, O'Brien and Silver.
House Staff:Barbara McLain (786-7135)
AS PASSED HOUSE FEBRUARY 13, 1990
BACKGROUND:
When a state agency or program is scheduled for termination under the provisions of the Washington Sunset Act, the following process takes place:
oThe Legislative Budget Committee (LBC) conducts a program and fiscal review of the agency or program and submits a report of its findings to the Office of Financial Management (OFM) no later than June 30 of the year prior to the scheduled termination date.
oOFM may conduct its own review and return its findings to the LBC by September 30 of the same year. LBC then prepares a final report.
oThe appropriate standing committees of the Legislature hold public hearings on the recommendations of the LBC and OFM and then determine whether the agency or program should be terminated, continued, or modified.
In addition to conducting sunset reviews, the Legislative Budget Committee is also responsible for a number of other analyses, evaluations, and studies, many mandated by law. In the next four years, the LBC will be required to complete 23 sunset reviews and nine additional program evaluations or reports, not including a major study of the Family Independence Program.
SUMMARY:
The following state agencies or programs scheduled for termination between 1991 and 1994 under the Washington Sunset Act are removed from the schedule of agencies under sunset. Several termination dates are postponed by one year.
oNursing Home Advisory Council
New termination: June 30, 1992
oEmergency Medical Services Committee
New termination: June 30, 1992
oRegulation of Acupuncture Practice
New termination: June 30, 1992
oParimutuel Wagering on Horse Races at Satellite Facilities
New termination: June 30, 1992
oBusiness Assistance Center
New termination: June 30, 1993
oEconomic Development Board
Retain termination of June 30, 1993
oRegulation of Counselors, Social Workers, Mental Health Counselors, and Marriage and Family Counselors
New termination: June 30, 1994
oRegulation of Naturopaths
New termination: June 30, 1994
oMigratory Waterfowl Art Committee
Retain termination of June 30, 1994
oExamining Board of Psychology
New termination: June 30, 1995
oWashington Council for Child Abuse and Neglect
Retain termination of June 30, 1994
oExport Trading Companies
Retain termination of June 30, 1994
The following agencies or programs are removed from the schedule of agencies under sunset and their termination dates are repealed:
oPublic Works Board
oCareer Executive Program
oPublic Disclosure Commission
oSmall Business Improvement Council
oWashington Sunrise Act
oWashington Ambassador Program
Statutory requirements for the Legislative Budget Committee (LBC) to conduct the following studies or analyses are repealed:
oState Employee Incentive Programs (a cost- benefit analysis due December 1, 1990)
oPhysical Therapists (an evaluation of a program of direct access in certain circumstances due January 1, 1991)
The termination dates and required LBC studies of the following are removed:
oRegulation of Motor Vehicle Warranties ("Lemon Law")
oWashington State Lottery
A technical change is made to place provisions setting a 1998 termination date for the School Directors' Association in the section of the code containing the Sunset Act.
EFFECT OF SENATE AMENDMENTS: The amendments add language to clarify that the physical therapist direct access program will still terminate June 30, 1991, even if the LBC is no longer required to do a review of the program. The Washington Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect is removed from the list of agencies under sunset review and its termination date is repealed.
Fiscal Note: Requested February 1, 1990.
House Committee ‑ Testified For: (Three bills made into one substitute bill) Representative Jean Silver, Legislative Budget Committee; Fred Tilker, Legislative Budget Committee; Cheryle Broom, Legislative Auditor; and Becky Sisler, Career Executive Program, Department of Personnel.
House Committee - Testified Against: (Three bills made into one substitute bill) Fred Hellberg, Governor's Office; Kip Tokuda, Washington Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect; and Margo Smith, Horse Racing Commission.
House Committee - Testimony For: (Three bills made into one substitute bill) The purpose of the bills is to improve the effectiveness of the sunset process. The LBC needs to prioritize its workload; one solution is to eliminate jobs that are less substantive. The costs of staff time for reviews are high and there are many scheduling problems in conducting sunset reviews. Overscheduling results in delay of other priority projects.
House Committee - Testimony Against: (Three bills made into one substitute bill) While the reasons for removing boards or programs from sunset or other review are understandable and the LBC has a need to manage its workload, transferring review responsibilities to the governor's office is a questionable response. If the programs do not warrant LBC review, what benefit would there be to a review by the governor? The Council for Child Abuse has been reviewed twice and should be removed from review altogether. The parimutuel wagering program at satellite facilities run by the Horse Racing Commission is quite successful and does not need review.
VOTE ON FINAL PASSAGE:
Yeas 97; Absent 1
Absent: Mr. Speaker.