HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SSB 5066

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                      State Government

Title:  An act relating to reports to the legislature.

Brief Description:  Imposing a penalty for state agencies that fail to meet legislative reporting requirements.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on State & Local Government (originally sponsored by Senators Fairley, Hargrove, Benton and Kohl‑Welles).

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

State Government:  3/26/99, 3/30/99 [DP].

           Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

$Allows the Joint Administrative Rules Review Committee (JARRC) to request the Governor and head of the agency to give a written report as to the reasons why a report to be prepared for the Legislature was not completed on time or was not sufficiently responsive.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 7 members:  Representatives McMorris, Republican Co-Chair; Romero, Democratic Co-Chair; Campbell, Republican Vice Chair; Miloscia, Democratic Vice Chair; Haigh; Lambert and D. Schmidt.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.  Signed by 1 member:  Representative Dunshee.

Staff:  Steve Lundin (786-7127).

Background:

A number of agencies are required to make reports to the Legislature or legislative committees.

The Joint Administrative Rules Review Committee (JARRC) consists of eight members: four members of the House of Representatives and four members of the Senate from different political parties.  No more than two members from either house may be from the same political party.

JARRC reviews existing and proposed agency rules to determine if they are within the intent of the Legislature or were adopted following the procedures specified in law.  JARRC may also review agency policy or interpretive statements to determine if the policy or interpretive statement is being used as a rule. JARRC may recommend the suspension of a rule, and the Governor may approve or disapprove of this recommendation.  Provisions are made to include a note in the administrative rules of the JARRC finding if the rule is not altered or adopted following the required procedure.

Summary of Bill:

JARRC may review a requirement for a state agency to report to the Legislature or a committee of the Legislature, if requested by a member of the Legislature.  If JARRC finds by a majority vote of its membership that the agency failed to report by the specified time, or failed to provide a sufficiently responsive report, JARRC may request the Governor and head of the agency to give a written report within five working days of the date of the request as to the reasons why the requirement was not met and the date certain when the requirement will be met.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For: None.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  None.