BILL REQ. #:  H-1664.3 

Read first time 02/15/2007.   Referred to Committee on State Government & Tribal Affairs.

     AN ACT Relating to public legislative hearings for fiscal audits of the department of social and health services; and adding a new chapter to Title 44 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The legislature finds that the department of social and health services is the largest agency in state government and that it provides some of the most essential public services to the most vulnerable segments of society; that it distributes significant amounts of federal and state dollars and administers numerous federal and state programs; that successfully managing these dollars and services is a task of great complexity; and the fiscal performance of an agency necessarily both dictates and reflects overall policy.
     (2) In order for the legislature to deliberate the fiscal performance processes of the department of social and health services, and allow the public the opportunity to comment, there is created in the legislature a joint committee for audit review of the department of social and health services.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1) The executive committee of the joint committee for audit review of the department of social and health services shall consist of the chairs and ranking members of the house of representatives appropriations committee, the senate ways and means committee, and the chairs and ranking members of the relevant house of representatives and senate health services committees, or successor committees. The chairs of the house of representatives appropriations committee and the senate ways and means committee shall serve as cochairs. All members of the house of representatives appropriations committee, the senate ways and means committee, and the house of representatives and senate health services committees are eligible for membership in the joint committee, and shall serve when appointed by the executive committee. The executive committee shall adopt rules and procedures for its operations.
     (2) The joint committee for audit review of the department of social and health services shall meet at least once each interim, within at least four months of the commencement of the legislative session, to hold a public hearing on the state auditor's annual audit of the department of social and health services and the audit resolution report by the office of financial management.
     (3) Membership of the joint committee may vary depending on the scope of the state auditor's annual audit.
     (4) The joint committee for audit review may make recommendations for action on audit findings, or recommend further fiscal or performance audits to the state auditor or the joint legislative audit review committee.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   (1) The members of the joint committee for audit review of the department of social and health services will receive allowances while attending meetings of the committee or subcommittee and while engaged in other authorized business of the committee as provided in RCW 44.04.120. Subject to RCW 44.04.260, all expenses incurred by the committee must be paid upon voucher forms as provided by the office of financial management and signed by the cochairs of the joint committee, or their authorized designees, and the authority of the chair or vice-chair to sign vouchers continues until their successors are selected. Vouchers may be drawn upon funds appropriated for the expenses of the committee.
     (2) The expenses of the committee must be paid jointly by the senate and the house of representatives. Committee expenditures are subject to approval by the house of representatives executive rules committee and the senate facilities and operations committee, or their successor committees.
     (3) Staff support for the joint committee for audit review of the department of social and health services must be provided by the house or representatives office of program research and the senate committee services.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   Sections 1 through 3 of this act constitute a new chapter in Title 44 RCW.