HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 2858

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                      State Government

Title:  An act relating to reports to the legislature.

Brief Description:  Eliminating certain reports to the legislature.

Sponsors:  Representatives D. Schmidt, Dunshee, Ruderman and Edwards; by request of Governor Locke.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

State Government:  2/1/00, 2/4/00 [DPS].

           Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

$Eliminates or alters requirements for various reports to be made, including the elimination of obsolete one-time reports.

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 laws have been enacted requiring state agencies to prepare reports.  Some of these reports were one-time reports, while other reports are on-going reports.

Legislation was enacted in 1998 eliminating obsolete requirements for over 240 reports to be prepared by state agencies.  Legislation was enacted in 1999 eliminating a number of obsolete requirements for one-time reports to the Legislature, a number of on-going reports to the Legislature, and a number of other reports that were required to be made.

Summary of Substitute Bill:

Requirements are eliminated or altered for a number of reports and studies by state agencies.

Obsolete requirements are eliminated for the following one-time reports to the Legislature:

$the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) submitting a plan for providing services to at risk mothers who have delivered a drug or alcohol exposed infant;

$the Department of Health and Public Works Board reporting on the status of the safe drinking water program;

$the DSHS reporting on its review of training standards for administrators and resident care-giving staff of boarding homes; and

$the DSHS reporting on training standards for administrators, residential managers, and care-giving staff of adult family homes.

Requirements are eliminated for the following on-going reports:

$annual reports by the DSHS to the Legislature on economic, gender, geographic, or racial disproportionality in the rates of arrest, detention, trial, treatment, and disposition in the juvenile justice system;

$annual reports by the DSHS to the Legislature on its risk assessment process when investigating alleged child abuse and neglect referrals;

$annual reports by the Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development to the governor and Legislature on the accomplishments of its employee ownership program;

$annual reports by the DSHS to the Governor and Legislature on its success with regard to adoptive and foster home placements;

$annual reports by the DSHS to the Legislature on the number of times it declined to accept custody of a child from a law enforcement agency under the family reconciliation act;

$annual reports by the DSHS on transfers under the family preservation services program;

$annual reports by the Department of Fish and Wildlife to the Legislature on salmon and steelhead harvests; and

$annual reports by the Department of Transportation on public transportation systems, including their use of excise taxes.

The requirement is eliminated that the Department of Fish and Wildlife include the cost of running its all state-funded salmon production facilities at full capacity as part of its biennial budget request.

The one-time requirement is eliminated for the Fish and Wildlife Commission to submit a detailed salmon enhancement plan, along with the restriction that the Commission may not approve salmon enhancement projects replacing projects that existed prior to May 21, 1985, unless no other sources of funds are available.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  A number of reports were removed from the bill, including annual reports on the significant rule adoption process, annual reports on debts due to DSHS, birth control services provided to women receiving chemical dependency treatment, quality assurance in the children's service system, rate at which intensive family preservation services prevent out-of-home placements, license suspensions for persons not in compliance with child support orders, salmon and steelhead harvests, and mental health services provided to children.  The one time report on the use of private attorneys to provide paternity establishment services was removed from the bill.  The study on public transportation systems was added to the bill.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  (Original bill) This is a housecleaning bill.  No substantive reports are deleted.  Parties agree on adding the study on transportation systems to the bill.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Representative Schmidt, prime sponsor; Gary Robinson, Office of Financial Management; and Dan Snow, Washington State Transit Association.