Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

Education Appropriations & Oversight Committee

HB 1703

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Description: Addressing fiscal notes for legislation that uniquely affects school districts.

Sponsors: Representatives Dammeier, Haigh, Anderson, Probst, Parker, Alexander, Zeiger and Smith.

Brief Summary of Bill

  • Directs the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to prepare school district fiscal notes for legislation that uniquely affects school districts.

Hearing Date: 2/10/11

Staff: Kristen Fraser (786-7148).

Background:

Fiscal Notes

A fiscal note is an estimate of the fiscal impact of proposed legislation. Fiscal notes are prepared by the executive branch for use during the legislative process. For legislation that has a fiscal impact on state agencies, fiscal notes are prepared under a process coordinated by the Office of Financial Management (OFM). Pursuant to instructions issued by the OFM, affected agencies estimate the bill's impacts on state revenues and expenditures and work with the OFM to produce the fiscal note. For legislation that affects counties, cities, and other units of local government, the Department of Commerce produces local government fiscal notes, which are also subject to coordination by the OFM.

School Districts

Washington has 295 school districts, each governed by a locally elected school board. School districts deliver the state's K-12 educational program and receive 67.1 percent of their funding from the state (statewide basis, 2009-10 school year). In addition to providing educational services, school districts are municipal corporations subject to many of the various laws that apply to local governments generally.

Summary of Bill:

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction must prepare school district fiscal notes for proposed legislation that uniquely affects school districts. Where practicable, the school district fiscal note must show the fiscal impact of the proposed legislation on each school district. Where it is not practicable to show the impact on each school district, the school district fiscal note must show the fiscal impact of the legislation on a range of representative school districts. The school district fiscal note must set forth any assumptions used in selecting the representative districts and in the fiscal note generally.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.