HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 2793

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                      State Government

Title:  An act relating to the citizens' alliance for government accountability.

Brief Description:  Creating the citizens' alliance for government accountability.

Sponsors:  Representatives Miloscia, D. Schmidt, Romero, McMorris, Kastama, H. Sommers, Campbell, Keiser, Skinner, Wolfe, Morris, Grant, Lambert, Mitchell, Haigh, Ogden, Dunshee, Pennington, Gombosky, Ballasiotes, Dickerson, Anderson, Conway, Stensen, O'Brien, Kenney, Edmonds, Cody, Schual‑Berke, Mulliken, Edwards, Lantz, Wood, Constantine, Cooper, Linville, Santos and McIntire.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

State Government:  2/4/00, 2/4/00 [DPS].

           Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

$Creates the Citizens' Alliance for Government Accountability to make recommendations on increasing and improving state government efficiency, effectiveness, organization, operations, and accountability and to achieve cost savings.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 8 members:  Representatives McMorris, Republican Co-Chair; Romero, Democratic Co-Chair; Campbell, Republican Vice Chair; Miloscia, Democratic Vice Chair; Dunshee; Haigh; Lambert and D. Schmidt.

Staff:  Steve Lundin (786-7127).

Background:

A number of programs have been instituted to improve government efficiency and accountability.

The Governor issued Executive Order 97-03 in 1997 requiring all state agencies to develop and implement programs to improve the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of public services they provide using quality improvement, business process redesign, employee involvement, and other quality improvement techniques.

The Governor issued Executive Order 97-02 in 1997 establishing a rules review process for state agencies to periodically review their rules to determine if the rules should be retained, modified, or repealed.

The productivity board was established to administer the employee suggestion program and the teamwork incentive program.  State agencies are authorized to make employee recognition awards.

The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee conducts performance audits.  The state auditor conducts performance audits if the legislature appropriates moneys for specific performance audits in the state budget.

Summary of Substitute Bill:

The Citizens' Alliance for Government Accountability is established to make reports and recommendations to increase and improve state government efficiency, effectiveness, organization, operations, and accountability and to achieve cost savings.

The alliance is a panel composed of six members as follows: (a) the Governor, or his designee; (b) the state auditor, or auditor=s designee; and (c) four citizen members, one of whom is appointed by the leader of each of the two major party caucuses in each house.   One of the citizen members is chosen as the chair of the alliance.  Members do not receive compensation, but have their travel expenses reimbursed.

The alliance may appoint task forces as needed that reflect the state=s economic, social, ethnic, and political diversity, including private sector, for-profit, corporate chief executive officers, state employees, labor organization representatives, management experts, local government managers and administrators, and the general citizenry.

The alliance presents the Governor and Legislature with a strategic work plan by December 31, 2000, to accomplish its purposes.  The alliance makes annual reports to the Governor and Legislature.

The Citizens' Alliance for Government Accountability account is created in the custody of the state treasurer to finance the activities of the alliance.  Expenditures must be authorized by the director of the Office of Financial Management.  Moneys in the account are not subject to appropriation or allotment procedures.  Two hundred thousand dollars is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 2001, from the state general fund to this account.  The alliance may solicit charitable gifts, grants, and donations that are placed into this account.

The alliance is placed under the sunset review process and terminates on June 30, 2007.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  Reduced the size of the alliance from 19 to six members.  Allows the alliance to appoint task forces.  Alters the reporting requirement.  Puts the alliance statutes into the sunset review process.

Appropriation:  The sum of $200,000.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill:  The bill contains an emergency clause and  takes effect immediately.

Testimony For:  Performance achievement can be achieved.  This is an ongoing process to restore accountability and trust.  Listen to the public and repair the disconnect between the citizens and government.  This is about accountability.  This will reawaken confidence in public officials.  The goal of continuous improvement is never ended.  This is a forum for discussing ongoing reform.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Representative Mark Miloscia, prime sponsor; Brian Sonntag, State Auditor; Kelly Bushnell, Concerned Citizens of Shelton; Ed Story; Paul Guppy, Washington Institute Foundation; Dick Zimmerman, Weyerhauser; Robert Hill; Dick Spady, Forum Foundation; Glen Hudson, Washington State Realtors; Brian Minnich, Builder's Industry Association of Washington; Paul Telford, Reform Party; Amber Balch, Association of Washington Businesses; and Greg Devereux, Washington Federation of State Employees.