S-491                 _______________________________________________

                                   SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 8404

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Senators Anderson, Lee and Saling

Read first time 1/27/89 and referred to Committee on Economic Development & Labor.

WHEREAS, The private sector business community is of vital importance to Washington providing job opportunities and contributing to a healthy state economy; and

          WHEREAS, The public sector agencies and their employees are also of vital importance to the state providing needed services to the state's citizens and contributing to the  high quality of life in Washington; and

          WHEREAS, It is in the interest of the state's citizens to have publicly funded services conducted in the most efficient, cost-effective, and publicly beneficial manner; and

          WHEREAS, The select committee on nonprofit competition in its 1988 report recommended that a joint select committee on public sector competition be established;

          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, By the Senate of the state of Washington, the House of Representatives concurring, That a joint select committee on public sector competition is established.  The committee will  consist of sixteen members appointed in the following manner:

          (1) Two members shall be from the senate, one from each major political party, and appointed by the president of the senate;

          (2) Two members shall be from the house of representatives, one from each major political party, and appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;

          (3) Four members representing government employees, one appointed by each caucus of the house of representatives and the senate;

          (4) Four representatives of the business community, one appointed by each caucus of the house of representatives and the senate;

          (5) Four ex officio nonvoting members representing government agencies, one appointed by each caucus of the house of representatives and the senate;

          (6) The members shall elect the chairperson by a majority vote of committee members; and

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That members of the committee shall receive no compensation for their service.  Members of the legislature appointed to the committee shall be reimbursed for travel expenses pursuant to RCW 44.04.120; and

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the joint select committee on public sector competition shall:

          (1) Identify those functions of government that compete with private enterprise;

          (2) Identify cost savings which could be realized if certain services now provided by government agencies were provided by private enterprise;

          (3) Identify the problems of private enterprise when faced with competition from government agencies;

          (4) Review cost accounting procedures to determine if government agency activities which could be performed by private enterprise reflect the true and complete costs to the state of each activity;

          (5) Identify possible increases in tax revenue to the state and local governments if certain government agency activity was shifted to private enterprise; and

          (6) Identify other issues related directly to the issue of public sector competition; and

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the joint select committee on public sector competition shall begin work no later than June 1, 1989.  The committee shall submit an initial report to the legislature and the governor on or before January 1, 1990.  The committee shall cease to exist on July 1, 1992.