2226-S AMH .... H5086.2 [atlas:amendment]

2226-S AMH .... H5086.2

SHB 2226 - H AMD 218 FAILED 2-10-96

By Representatives Tokuda, Costa, and others

Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:

"NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that the department of social and health services is required to meet a large number of responsibilities. It is the purpose of this act to establish a process to determine whether the department is too large and needs to be divided in order to better serve the people of the state, and if so, then recommend how best the reorganization should be done. The legislature finds that both a bipartisan task force to both develop policy recommendations concerning possible restructuring of the department and a performance review of the department and social service programs presently administered by the state are warranted. The legislature recognizes that pending changes in federal law may impact the organization and the delivery of services by the department of social and health services. It is the intent of the legislature to require the task force to oversee a performance review specifically designed to assess the costs and benefits of potential revision to the existing structure and management of the department of social and health services. The legislature recognizes that many recipients of services from the department of social and health services receive services from more than one division of the agency as well as from other state agencies. The legislature intends that proper linkage between the existing agencies of government be established so clients will be served through effective and efficient means.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) A bipartisan task force is created that shall have twenty-five members, twelve of whom are legislative members. Three members shall be from each caucus in the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and three members shall be from each caucus in the senate, appointed by the president of the senate. The governor shall appoint thirteen remaining members, one of whom shall be designated chair with approval of the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the senate. The gubernatorial appointees shall include, but not be limited to, individuals served by the department of social and health services as clients and individuals within the department of social and health services performing caseworker or first-level supervisory functions as well as private and nonprofit contractors and vendors, and experts in the field of child development.

(2) Task force members shall serve without pay. Nonlegislative members shall be paid travel expenses incurred in their travel to and from meetings of the task force and while attending meetings of the task force in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060. Legislative members shall be paid travel expenses incurred in their travel to and from meetings of the task force and while attending meetings of the task force in accordance with RCW 44.04.120.

(3) The task force shall:

(a) Examine the existing division of children and family services and determine if its functions are best kept within the existing department of social and health services or if the people of Washington state will be better served if the division is transferred to a new, separate department;

(b) Examine other existing functions and responsibilities of the department of social and health services and recommend their possible transfer into three new departments of medical assistance, transitional services, and long-term care and health;

(c) Examine health care functions within the department of social and health services together with related health care functions elsewhere in state government including the department of health and the state health care authority; consider integration of those functions into a single or separate agencies or other alternatives;

(d) Examine the juvenile rehabilitation administration functions; consider whether to transfer them to a new department of children and family services, or to a new independent department of juvenile rehabilitation and a new department of children and family services;

(e) Examine child protective service functions; recommend structures that would transfer them to a new department of children and family services, or require a separate independent agency, or other alternatives;

(f) Review the department of social and health services economic services administration; recommend transferring those functions to a new agency, or combine it with the employment security department or other alternatives;

(g) Examine the restructuring of the department of social and health services in this act and recommendations of the task force as to their impact upon more effective local service delivery systems; recommend how to continue and make more effective the interrelationship between the state and local nonprofit organizations;

(h) Examine the licensing and placement functions within the children's administration; recommend alternative structures to eliminate conflicting pressure of ensuring a child's health and safety, and the placement requirements for abused and neglected children;

(i) Direct the objective performance review of the department of social and health services required by section 1 of this act; and

(j) Examine other related issues as appropriate when determined by the task force.

(4) By November 1, 1997, the task force shall submit to the legislature recommendations for proposed legislation implementing the task force recommendations of the committee.

(5) The task force shall terminate November 2, 1997, unless further extended by legislative act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) To provide a rational and deliberative basis for reviewing the department of social and health services, the legislature requires a comprehensive, objective performance review of the structure and delivery of services to families and children by Washington state government.

The purpose of the review is to provide the task force and the legislature an evaluation of the planning and management capacity, business practices, and culture of the department of social and health services for the purpose of determining whether: (a) There is a need to create a separate agency for the delivery of services to families and children; if so, what structure will provide the maximum opportunities for the delivery of services to succeed; and if a separate agency is not appropriate, what alternative reforms within the department will significantly improve service delivery; (b) the mission of the department is commonly understood by its management, employees, the legislature, and the public; (c) whether there is consistency between the department's mission, strategic plan, goals, and objectives;(d) the department adheres to its long-term planning and priorities; (e) the existence of performance benchmarks against which the delivery of services are measured; and (f) whether these benchmarks adequately measure the effectiveness of services delivered. The performance review shall examine programs operated by, or offered through, the department to determine the appropriateness for continuation, revision, or termination. In the program analysis the review shall assess the circumstances which gave rise to the program; whether programs comport with statutory constraints; if the programs are duplicated in other agencies within state government; whether viable alternatives to a program exist; whether the program has been prioritized by the department relative to other programs and, if so, whether program priorities reflect legislative direction.

(2) The school of public affairs at the University of Washington shall conduct the performance review required under this section. The results of the performance review shall be presented by the task force to the legislature and governor not later than November 1, 1997."

SHB 2226 - H AMD

By Representative

On page 1, line 1 of the title, after "reorganization;" strike the remainder of the title and insert "and creating new sections."

EFFECT: It is the purpose of this legislation to establish a process to determine whether the department of social and health services is too large and needs to be divided in order to better serve the people of the state.