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Armstrong makes another
effort to
break DSHS into smaller agencies
Speaker pro tempore rules against amendment
When
House Bill 2295 to reorganize the Department of Social and Health
Services (DSHS) came to the House floor today for a vote,
Rep. Mike Armstrong
saw an opportunity to add language to the measure from his
prime-sponsored bill.
Armstrong proposed
Amendment 275, which called for the elimination of DSHS by July 1,
2011. Under the amendment, the powers, duties and functions of DSHS
would be transferred to the Department of Economic Services, Department
of Medical Assistance, Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services,
and the Department of Children's Services. It was the identical language
that had been contained in Armstrong's
House Bill 2197, a measure that died earlier this year in the House
Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee.
On the House floor,
Armstrong, R-Wenatchee, said DSHS has become too large and needs to be
reined in.
"There are nine separate
departments inside DSHS. Of those nine departments, four of those are
larger than any other state agency. DSHS has 20 thousand employees and a
budget of close to 20 billion dollars. That's 34 percent of our state's
total operating budget. That is amazing," said Armstrong. "This agency
is so large, the Legislature cannot get its arms around it. By breaking
it up into four smaller agencies, we feel not only can we save a lot in
administrative fees and costs, but it will make the organizations more
accountable to the citizens of Washington."
HB 2295 seeks to create
new regional support network boundaries for DSHS. Armstrong argued that
his original bill's language was a good fit for the measure.
"The title of this bill
says 'an act relating to the organization of the Department of Social
and Health Services.' I believe restructuring this department into four
agencies fully fits into the title of this bill," said Armstrong.
A ruling was requested to
determine if Armstrong's language was within the "scope and object" of
the bill's title. The House speaker pro tempore ruled against the
amendment, saying "while proponents may argue that it is necessary to
streamline service delivery to achieve administrative efficiency, the
speaker finds that the amendment greatly exceeds the limited structural
change contemplated by the underlying bill, and therefore exceeds its
scope and object."
Although disappointed,
Armstrong said he will continue to seek opportunities where possible to
reduce the size of DSHS, and hold it accountable to the citizens it
serves.
HB 2295, without
Armstrong's amendment, passed the House 57-35.
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For more information, contact:
John
Sattgast, Senior Information Officer: (360) 786-7257
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