Z-709                 _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 5052

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Senators Lee, McCaslin, Barr, Saling, Rasmussen and Wojahn; by request of Legislative Budget Committee

Read first time 1/11/89 and referred to Committee on Governmental Operations.

AN ACT Relating to approval of legislative budget committee vouchers; and amending RCW 44.28.050.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 15, chapter 43, Laws of 1951 as amended by section 7, chapter 206, Laws of 1955 and RCW 44.28.050 are each amended to read as follows:

          All expenses incurred by the committee, including salaries and expenses of employees, shall be paid upon voucher forms as provided by the auditor ((and signed by the chairman or vice chairman of the committee and attested by the secretary of said committee, and the authority of said chairman and secretary to sign vouchers shall continue until their)).  The legislative auditor may be authorized by the legislative budget committee's executive committee to sign vouchers.  Such authorization shall specify a dollar limitation and be set out in writing.  A monthly report of such vouchers shall be submitted to the executive committee.  If authorization is not given to the legislative auditor then the chair, or the vice-chair in the chair's absence, is authorized to sign vouchers.  This authority shall continue until the chair's or vice-chair's successors are selected after each ensuing session of the legislature.  Vouchers may be drawn on funds appropriated generally by the legislature for legislative expenses or upon any special appropriation which may be provided by the legislature for the expenses of the committee or both.