New programs

AN ACT Relating to the identification and review of new programs; 1
amending RCW 43.88.090; and adding new sections to chapter 43.09 RCW.2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:3
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. For the purposes of sections 2 and 3 of 4
this act and RCW 43.88.090, "new program" means:5
(1) A newly created agency; 6
(2) Services not supported in the previous biennium by the state;7
(3) Services to a population or other entity not served by the 8
state in the previous biennium; or 9
(4) Any activity not undertaken by the state in the previous 10
biennium. "Activity" means a discrete work element carried out by 11
state government agencies. 12
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) On July 1st of each calendar year, the 13
state auditor shall publish a draft list on its website of all new 14
programs funded by any appropriation or allotment of state funds 15
during the previous fiscal year. The state auditor shall provide 16
written notice of publication to the appropriate fiscal committees of 17
the house of representatives and senate and to the office of 18
financial management.19
(2) The list shall include: 20
H-1960.1
HOUSE BILL 2057
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Couture, Barnard, and Stuebe
Read first time 03/25/25. Referred to Committee on State Government
& Tribal Relations.
p. 1 HB 2057
(a) The name of the program; 1
(b) A brief description of the program and the expected result;2
(c) The name of the agencies receiving the funding; and3
(d) The amounts appropriated, by fund or account.4
(3) Within 30 days of the publication of the draft list of new 5
programs, the legislature and the office of financial management may 6
provide any comments it may have on the draft list to the state 7
auditor's office. 8
(4) Within 60 days after the publication of the draft list, the 9
state auditor shall publish a final list of new programs on its 10
website. The state auditor shall provide written notice of the final 11
publication to the appropriate fiscal committees of the house of 12
representatives and the senate and to the office of financial 13
management. 14
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) Three years after the initial funding 15
of any new program, as defined in section 1 of this act, the state 16
auditor shall conduct a fiscal and performance audit of each new 17
program.18
(2) The audit shall: 19
(a) Identify the original objective or objectives of the new 20
program; 21
(b) Identify the extent to which the program is constitutionally 22
or statutorily required; 23
(c) Identify the data collected by the program and the 24
performance measures; 25
(d) Assess how effective the program was at meeting the objective 26
or objectives; 27
(e) Determine how efficiently the resources were used; and28
(f) Suggest changes to the program to increase effectiveness and 29
efficiency, including alternative approaches or termination of the 30
program. 31
(3) The state auditor shall provide a final copy of the audit to 32
the appropriate fiscal committees of the house of representatives and 33
the senate and to the office of financial management by December 31st 34
of the calendar year for that audit period. 35
Sec. 4. RCW 43.88.090 and 2024 c 54 s 47 are each amended to 36
read as follows: 37
p. 2 HB 2057
(1) For purposes of developing budget proposals to the 1
legislature, the governor shall have the power, and it shall be the 2
governor's duty, to require from proper agency officials such 3
detailed estimates and other information in such form and at such 4
times as the governor shall direct. The governor shall communicate 5
statewide priorities to agencies for use in developing biennial 6
budget recommendations for their agency and shall seek public 7
involvement and input on these priorities. The estimates for the 8
legislature and the judiciary shall be transmitted to the governor 9
and shall be included in the budget without revision. The estimates 10
for state pension contributions shall be based on the rates provided 11
in chapter 41.45 RCW. Copies of all such estimates shall be 12
transmitted to the standing committees on ways and means of the house 13
and senate at the same time as they are filed with the governor and 14
the office of financial management. 15
The estimates shall include statements or tables which indicate, 16
by agency, the state funds which are required for the receipt of 17
federal matching revenues. The budget document must also include a 18
listing of all new programs funded in the previous two years. For 19
each new program, the list shall include: Program name; program 20
objective; a brief description of the program; performance measures; 21
current annual funding levels by agency; and the funding level 22
proposed in the governor's biennial budget request. The list shall 23
include all new programs funded in the previous two years regardless 24
of whether the governor proposes funding those programs for the 25
ensuing biennium. The estimates shall be revised as necessary to 26
reflect legislative enactments and adopted appropriations and shall 27
be included with the initial biennial allotment submitted under RCW 28
43.88.110. The estimates must reflect that the agency considered any 29
alternatives to reduce costs or improve service delivery identified 30
in the findings of a performance audit of the agency by the joint 31
legislative audit and review committee. Nothing in this subsection 32
requires performance audit findings to be published as part of the 33
budget. 34
(2) Each state agency shall define its mission and establish 35
measurable goals for achieving desirable results for those who 36
receive its services and the taxpayers who pay for those services. 37
Each agency shall also develop clear strategies and timelines to 38
achieve its goals. This section does not require an agency to develop 39
a new mission or goals in place of identifiable missions or goals 40
p. 3 HB 2057
that meet the intent of this section. The mission and goals of each 1
agency must conform to statutory direction and limitations.2
(3) For the purpose of assessing activity performance, each state 3
agency shall establish quality and productivity objectives for each 4
major activity in its budget. The objectives must be consistent with 5
the missions and goals developed under this section. The objectives 6
must be expressed to the extent practicable in outcome-based, 7
objective, and measurable form unless an exception to adopt a 8
different standard is granted by the office of financial management 9
and approved by the legislative committee on performance review. 10
Objectives must specifically address the statutory purpose or intent 11
of the program or activity and focus on data that measure whether the 12
agency is achieving or making progress toward the purpose of the 13
activity and toward statewide priorities. The office of financial 14
management shall provide necessary professional and technical 15
assistance to assist state agencies in the development of strategic 16
plans that include the mission of the agency and its programs, 17
measurable goals, strategies, and performance measurement systems.18
(4) Each state agency shall adopt procedures for and perform 19
continuous self-assessment of each activity, using the mission, 20
goals, objectives, and measurements required under subsections (2) 21
and (3) of this section. The assessment of the activity must also 22
include an evaluation of major information technology systems or 23
projects that may assist the agency in achieving or making progress 24
toward the activity purpose and statewide priorities. The evaluation 25
of proposed major information technology systems or projects shall be 26
in accordance with the standards and policies established by the 27
technology services board. Agencies' progress toward the mission, 28
goals, objectives, and measurements required by subsections (2) and 29
(3) of this section is subject to review as set forth in this 30
subsection. 31
(a) The office of financial management shall regularly conduct 32
reviews of selected activities to analyze whether the objectives and 33
measurements submitted by agencies demonstrate progress toward 34
statewide results. 35
(b) The office of financial management shall consult with: (i) 36
The four-year institutions of higher education in those reviews that 37
involve four-year institutions of higher education; and (ii) the 38
state board for community and technical colleges in those reviews 39
that involve two-year institutions of higher education.40
p. 4 HB 2057
(c) The goal is for all major activities to receive at least one 1
review each year. 2
(d) Washington technology solutions shall review major 3
information technology systems in use by state agencies periodically.4
(5) It is the policy of the legislature that each agency's budget 5
recommendations must be directly linked to the agency's stated 6
mission and program, quality, and productivity goals and objectives. 7
Consistent with this policy, agency budget proposals must include 8
integration of performance measures that allow objective 9
determination of an activity's success in achieving its goals. When a 10
review under subsection (4) of this section or other analysis 11
determines that the agency's objectives demonstrate that the agency 12
is making insufficient progress toward the goals of any particular 13
program or is otherwise underachieving or inefficient, the agency's 14
budget request shall contain proposals to remedy or improve the 15
selected programs. The office of financial management shall develop a 16
plan to merge the budget development process with agency performance 17
assessment procedures. The plan must include a schedule to integrate 18
agency strategic plans and performance measures into agency budget 19
requests and the governor's budget proposal over three fiscal 20
biennia. The plan must identify those agencies that will implement 21
the revised budget process in the 1997-1999 biennium, the 1999-2001 22
biennium, and the 2001-2003 biennium. In consultation with the 23
legislative fiscal committees, the office of financial management 24
shall recommend statutory and procedural modifications to the state's 25
budget, accounting, and reporting systems to facilitate the 26
performance assessment procedures and the merger of those procedures 27
with the state budget process. The plan and recommended statutory and 28
procedural modifications must be submitted to the legislative fiscal 29
committees by September 30, 1996. 30
(6) In reviewing agency budget requests in order to prepare the 31
governor's biennial budget request, the office of financial 32
management shall consider the extent to which the agency's activities 33
demonstrate progress toward the statewide budgeting priorities, along 34
with any specific review conducted under subsection (4) of this 35
section. 36
(7) In the year of the gubernatorial election, the governor shall 37
invite the governor-elect or the governor-elect's designee to attend 38
all hearings provided in RCW 43.88.100; and the governor shall 39
furnish the governor-elect or the governor-elect's designee with such 40
p. 5 HB 2057
information as will enable the governor-elect or the governor-elect's 1
designee to gain an understanding of the state's budget requirements. 2
The governor-elect or the governor-elect's designee may ask such 3
questions during the hearings and require such information as the 4
governor-elect or the governor-elect's designee deems necessary and 5
may make recommendations in connection with any item of the budget 6
which, with the governor-elect's reasons therefor, shall be presented 7
to the legislature in writing with the budget document. Copies of all 8
such estimates and other required information shall also be submitted 9
to the standing committees on ways and means of the house and senate.10
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. Sections 1 through 3 of this act are each 11
added to chapter 43.09 RCW.12
--- END ---
p. 6 HB 2057