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House votes to authorize
performance audits
The state House of
Representatives today approved a bill that would authorize performance
audits of state government agencies. Performance audits have been a
major item on the House Republican accountability agenda for several
years.
State
Rep. Mike
Armstrong,
a staunch advocate of performance audits, says the provisions of House
Bill 1064 aren’t as strong as he would like to see, but they represent a
good step in making government more efficient.
“The important thing is
that we start a process of finding ways to deliver state services more
effectively,” said Armstrong, R-Wenatchee. “The bill I’ve sponsored the
last two years would get us there a little quicker. I would like to see
a more earnest plan for getting these audits under way so we can
identify efficiencies in state government. But this bill is a good
starting point and I’d be pleased if we got this measure through the
Legislature this year.”
HB 1064 would authorize the state auditor to contract out performance
audits of state agencies in consultation with a citizen’s advisory
panel. The auditor would then issue a scorecard on the agencies’
performance, along with recommendations for improvement. Armstrong
offered as an amendment his stronger version of the bill that would have
given the auditor greater authority to set the scope of audits. His
amendment was narrowly defeated, however, and the bill, as it passed the
House, leaves a larger share of authority with the advisory board.
“This is a long-term
commitment that we could perfect along the way,” Armstrong said. “My
biggest concern is that lawmakers will use this performance audit bill
to justify tax increases to balance the budget. This vote on one bill
does not give the Legislature a green light to raise taxes. We have a
long way to go to earn the public’s confidence and prove state
government is making the best use of the taxpayers’ money.”
The bill authorizes audits
for the following purposes:
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Identification of
programs that can be eliminated, reduced, consolidated, or enhanced.
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Analysis of gaps and
overlaps in programs and recommendations to correct them.
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Analysis and
recommendations about the roles and functions of the state agency.
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Identification of
potential cost savings.
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Identification and
recognition of best practices.
House 1064 passed by a
vote of 74-22 and now goes to the Senate for consideration.
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For more information, contact:
John
Sattgast, Public Information Officer: (360) 786-7257
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