Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - December 1, 2000
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

State agencies tear up 2,000 pages of rules, Locke announces

OLYMPIA - State agencies have repealed 6,550 administrative rules and torn up more than 2,000 pages after reviewing almost 24,000 regulations since 1997, Gov. Gary Locke announced today.

He issued an executive order in 1997 requiring the review.

"I came to office committed to improving state government for the people of Washington. This report means citizens will face less red tape. Remaining regulations will be in plain language so average citizens as well as lawyers can understand them," Locke said.

The executive order also established a Sub-cabinet on Management Improvement and Results to ensure rules are necessary, written in plain language and developed in partnership with business, labor, environmentalists, local governments and others.

For example, the first part of one regulation used to say: "When the division of child support (DCS) or its representatives believe an applicant/recipient (also called 'the client') is not cooperating as defined in WAC 388-14-201 . . . ."

It now says, "What happens if I don't cooperate with DCS ...?"

Locke also said he wanted state regulations to be fair, effective and achieve maximum public protection with reasonable requirements.

For example, the governor reported as of Oct. 15 the state Department of Social and Health Services had reviewed 2,970 rule sections, repealed 1,787 and amended 769. As a result, an estimated 556 pages of the Washington Administrative Code have been eliminated, Locke said.

The Department of Labor and Industries reviewed 4,487 sections and was able to eliminate 435 pages of the WAC, he added.

Other agencies include: Department of Health, eliminated 268 pages; Department of Ecology, 93 pages; Department of Agriculture, 133 pages; Department of Licensing, 47 pages and 27 policy statements.

Locke noted his order requires the agencies to continue reviewing their rules.

Copies of the report are available in the Governor's Executive Policy Office at 360-902-0666.

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