S-4898.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 6601

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      53rd Legislature     1994 Regular Session

By Senators Gaspard, Sellar, Quigley, Rinehart, Oke, Winsley, Ludwig, Drew, Franklin, Skratek and M. Rasmussen

Read first time 02/07/94.  Referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

Providing for government performance and accountability.

    AN ACT Relating to government performance and accountability; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that the effective delivery of state services is essential as the state faces increasing constraints on revenue and expenditures.  At the same time, the public expects and deserves quality services and improved accountability.  It is therefore prudent for the state to identify strategies to include customers and empower agencies and their employees to more effectively deliver services.  The state should also determine whether a more flexible and understandable budget process, and systems to identify expected results for state programs and measure performance towards achieving those results, will improve service delivery.

    The legislature declares its commitment to identify and eliminate barriers to innovation and improvement, and to create incentives for performance in state government.

    Through the work of the governor, the office of financial management, and statutory and standing committees of the senate and house of representatives, strategies will be jointly developed to allow state agencies greater freedom in the allocation of their financial and human resources to achieve improved performance, accountability, and service delivery.  State agency personnel, and particularly front-line employees, will play a vital role in identifying workable strategies.  Where appropriate, expertise from business and industry shall also be employed.  These strategies, which may be initially implemented through pilot projects or other trial processes, shall incorporate methodologies to evaluate their effectiveness.

    The legislature shall work with the governor, the state auditor, and the office of financial management to incorporate existing efforts of state agencies, the governor's commission on efficiency and accountability, and the state productivity board into this coordinated effort.

                            --- END ---