1036-S2 AMH BACK H2168.2

2SHB 1036 - H AMD 135 WITHDRAWN 3/8/95

By Representatives Backlund and Talcott

    Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:

    "NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 43.88 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) The legislature finds that student learning in Washington state will increase if the organizations and individuals in the K-12 education system use available funds more economically and efficiently.  In order to increase economy and efficiency at the state level, the state auditor shall conduct a comprehensive performance audit of the office of the superintendent of public instruction.  It is the intent of the legislature to audit programs operated and/or implemented by the office of the superintendent of public instruction and that funds saved through increased economy and efficiency in the office of the superintendent of public instruction be directed to the classroom.

    (2) The audit must include:

    (a) An evaluation of the efficiency with which the office of the superintendent of public instruction operates the programs under its jurisdiction and fulfills the duties assigned to it by law;

    (b) A determination of methods to maximize the amount of federal funds received by the state in order to better ensure that the people of Washington receive a greater share of the taxes levied on them by the federal government;

    (c) Identification of potential cost savings and of any program or service now offered by the office of the superintendent of public instruction that can be eliminated or transferred to the private sector without injury to the public good and well-being;

    (d) Recommendations for the elimination of or reduction in funding to various agencies, programs, or services based on the results of the performance audit;

    (e) Analysis of gaps and overlaps in programs offered by the office of the superintendent of public instruction and recommendations for improving, dropping, blending, or separating functions to correct gaps or overlaps;

    (f) Which activities of the office of the superintendent of public instruction are a result of legal mandates; which activities are the result of legislative and/or client requests; and which activities do not serve a useful purpose; and

    (g) What fiscal savings could be achieved by the state or by districts by eliminating the programs that are determined to serve no useful purpose.

    (3) The state auditor may require any state agency to provide information required for completion of the audit, and each state agency shall fully and completely cooperate with the state auditor for the purposes of this section.

    (4) The office of the state auditor shall provide the staff necessary for the audit.  The state auditor shall involve private-sector professional and technical experts in conducting the audit, and may contract with private-sector professionals and technical experts for that purpose.

    (5) The state auditor shall solicit suggestions for purposes of this audit from legislators, the governor, school district and educational service district employees, parents, students, state-wide education and parent associations, and other appropriate interest groups.

    (6) The state auditor may require the superintendent of public instruction to provide information required for completion of the audit, and the superintendent shall fully and completely cooperate with the auditor for the purposes of this section.

    (7) The restriction on conducting  performance verifications by the state auditor in RCW 43.88.160(6)(c) does not apply to this section.

    (8) The state auditor shall report its findings to the legislature by November 15, 1995.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill number, is not provided by June 30, 1995, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act is null and void.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  This act shall expire December 31, 1995."

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