HOUSE BILL REPORT
SHB 1868
BYHouse Committee on Human Services (originally sponsored by Representatives Brekke, Moyer, Holm, Pruitt, Rayburn, Fox, Rasmussen, Cantwell, Scott, H. Sommers, Valle, Dorn, P. King, Winsley, Silver, Walker, Holland, May, D. Sommers, Zellinsky, Miller, Anderson, Todd, Cooper and Brough)
Establishing a temporary commission on organization of social and health services.
House Committe on Human Services
Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. (9)
Signed by Representatives Brekke, Chair; Scott, Vice Chair; Anderson, Leonard, Moyer, Padden, H. Sommers, Sutherland and Winsley.
House Staff:Jean Wessman (786-7132)
Rereferred House Committee on Ways & Means/Appropriations
Majority Report: The substitute bill by Committee on Human Services be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. (18)
Signed by Representatives Locke, Chair; Braddock, Brekke, Bristow, Butterfield, Ebersole, Grant, Grimm, Hine, Holland, McLean, Nealey, Peery, Silver, Sommers, Spanel, Sprenkle and B. Williams.
Minority Report: Do not pass. (2)
Signed by Representatives Belcher and Wang
House Staff: Maureen Morris (786-7152)
AS PASSED HOUSE FEBRUARY 13, 1988
BACKGROUND:
Since the creation of the Department of Social and Health Services in 1970, there have been repeated and largely unsuccessful attempts to reorganize the Department to meet the original goals of integrated and coordinated service delivery. There continues to be sentiment to examine the delivery of social and health services to achieve the most efficient and effective delivery of quality services.
SUMMARY:
A temporary commission is established to examine the Legislature's goal of delivering quality social and health services in an effective, efficient and economical manner. Specific standards are set in meeting that goal including avoiding duplication, elimination of barriers to effective delivery, integration, coordination, communication, accountability, flexibility, innovation, clear goals and missions, and accessibility of structure to the general public.
The commission shall consist of sixteen members, eight from the Legislature and eight chosen by the Governor. One nonlegislative member shall be a member of the Washington State Commission on Efficiency and Accountability. Reimbursement for the members of the commission shall be paid.
The duties of the commission are listed including: 1) examining the organization and structure of state agencies providing social and health services; 2) examining the structure and process for cross-agency planning, program outcome and need evaluations, and determination of basic goals; 3) examining various funding alternatives including the role of different levels of government; 4) service delivery systems in other states; 5) researching legal barriers affecting changes in the organization, structure and delivery of services; 6) coordinating research with other ongoing efforts; 7)conducting public hearings and soliciting advice from concerned parties; 8) determining the advantages or disadvantages of changing the structure and organization; 9) determining if changes will be effective in improving service delivery 10) making reports to the Governor, Efficiency Commission and Legislature; and 11) submitting recommendations, plans and enabling legislation to the Governor and Legislature.
The Governor shall submit any comments and revisions to the Legislature by January 1, 1990 and the Legislature shall either approve or disapprove the legislation and or revisions during the first thirty days of the 1990 legislative session. If the plans and enabling legislation are rejected, the Legislature shall act upon other reorganization proposals during the remainder of the session.
A moratorium on structural changes to the Department of Social and Health Services is declared, lasting until June 30, 1990.
Administrative support services will be through the Office of Financial Management. The commission may contract with or appoint research staff to assist in the completion of its duties.
Gifts, grants and endowments from public and private sources will be expended through the Efficiency Commission. Loaned executives and other in kind services available to the Efficiency Commission may be utilized by the commission.
A total of $150,000 is earmarked for the commission from existing appropriations to participating agencies. Specific amounts are: $37,500 from the Senate's appropriation, $37,500 from the House of Representatives' appropriation and $75,000 from the Department of Social and Health Services' appropriation.
The act shall expire on June 30, 1990.
Appropriation: $75,000 to Department of Social and Health Services. Appropriations are earmarked within existing appropriations.
Fiscal Note: Requested February 3, 1988.
House Committee ‑ Testified For: (Human Services) Mr. Jule Sugarman, Secretary, Department of Social and Health Services; Russ Lidman, Institute for Public Policy; Dr. Rino Patti, University of Washington, School of Social Work; Pat Thibaudeau, Washington Women United; Yvonne Spies, Planned Parenthood; Marty Curry, City of Seattle; Mary Selecky, Public Health, Colville; and Larry Fehr, Washington Council on Crime and Delinquency.
(Ways & Means/Appropriations) None Presented.
House Committee - Testified Against: (Human Services) Gary Moore, Washington Federation of State Employees.
(Ways & Means/Appropriations) None Presented.
House Committee - Testimony For: (Human Services) After multiple studies of the Department of Social and Health Services without great effect, it is time to establish a high level commission with bipartisan representation from both the legislature and the public to fully examine the organization and structure of those agencies who deliver social and health services to the State of Washington. The public needs to be assured that their tax dollars are being spent wisely to meet the needs of those who require such services. The Legislature needs to know that its human service goals are being met through evaluation of program outcomes and definition of human service needs. All parties need to feel that the recommendations of the commission will be acted upon by the Legislature. It is appropriate that an attempt be made to at last realize the original goals of establishing an umbrella human services agency to integrate and coordinate the many programs to effectively address the concerns of the recipients of these services. For too long have legislators, service providers, recipients, and the general public been frustrated by the Department's fragmentation, unresponsiveness, lack of client-orientation, perceived waste of taxpayer dollars, lack of coordination and lack of accountability.
(Ways & Means/Appropriations) None Presented.
House Committee - Testimony Against: (Human Services) Study after study of the Department serves only to destroy the morale of employees. Change for the sake of change is not only unnecessary but often destructive. The Department should have all the effort that goes into studying it, put into making it work the way it currently is. Employees should be consulted about potential restructuring. They often have the best and most knowledgeable ideas about how to make the service delivery system function better. The Legislature is so frustrated by their inability to cause changes to occur in the Department that they want to ensure action on any recommendations proposed by a joint select committee or commission by mandating that the Department be broken up if the recommendations are not acted upon. It is necessary to have some method of making the Legislature take action so that we don't study this area over and over again without effect. We have wasted too much time studying the Department and not meeting the needs of the people it serves especially children. We should break a Children's Department out of the agency now instead of studying it any longer.
(Ways & Means/Appropriations) None Presented.