HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                      Olympia, Washington

Bill Analysis      Bill No.  HB 1695

Creating the position of state procurement officer for recycled products.

Brief Title                       Hearing Date: Friday 2/19/99

Reps. Cooper, Linville                   Staff:  Scott MacColl

Sponsor(s)                          State Government Committee

                                              Phone:  786-7106

BACKGROUND:

Chapter 43.19A RCW was created in 1991 to increase the procurement of recycled content products by all state and local governmental agencies and public schools.  It designates the USEPA=s recycled product standards as the minimum Washington standards.

The Department of General Administration must prepare a strategy to increase purchases of recycled-content products by all state agencies, including higher education institutions.  General Administration is also required to develop a database of available products with recycled-content purchases, along with vendors that supply such products.

Local governments are required to review existing procurement policies, and must revise their policies to meet an established performance standard for recycled product procurement developed by the Department of General Administration.

SUMMARY:

The director of General Administration is authorized to designate a state procurement officer that monitors recycled product procurement by the department and state agencies.  Included in the officer=s responsibilities are:

CPreparing a biennial report to the Legislature on local governments= progress in implementing recycled product procurement standards, and the progress made by state agencies in recycled product purchasing.  The first report is due January 1, 2001, and the last is due July 1, 2011.

CResearching recycled products and recycled product performance, which is used to update the database of products and vendors with recycled-content products

CContacting the local procurement officers and assisting to review and revise local recycled product purchasing standards, and goals to meet or exceed those standards.

The time line for local governments (with expenditures for supplies exceeding $500,000 for fiscal year 1989) to review their existing procurement policies and specifications is by January 1, 2001. 

The fiscal year in which local governments must adopt a minimum purchasing goal for recycled content is fiscal year 2002.  However, the deadline for local governments to adopt a strategy to achieve minimum purchasing goals which must be submitted to the state procurement officer is by January 1, 2001.

Altering these effective dates effectively requires new reports to be submitted for all local governments that qualify under the supply expenditure limit.

FISCAL NOTE:  Not requested.

EFFECTIVE DATE:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.