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State Affairs committee adopts introduction of bill requiring standard reporting for state agreements on comptroller website
Summary
Rep. Heather Scott presented RS 32,512 to put reporting standards for state agreements, MOUs and contracts into code; committee voted to introduce the RS after questions about definitions and fiscal impact.
Heather Scott (R- District 2) told the committee RS 32,512 would codify reporting standards the State Comptroller’s office has been using and would require consistent fields such as title, date, participating entities, a summary of purpose, contact person and monetary value. “At this point there's actually 40,550 contracts online that are currently visible, but no consistency,” Scott said, describing the need for standardized reporting.
Why it matters: The proposal aims to make state agreements and contracts easier to find and review by requiring consistent reporting fields in statute rather than relying solely on policy guidance. Scott said putting the format into code should reduce confusion about what agencies must report.
Questions and fiscal note: Representative Barbieri asked why new definitions were required; Scott said the language came from the State Comptroller’s office to provide clarity. Representative Mickelson asked whether non-monetary memoranda of understanding would still be reported; Scott said memoranda and agreements would be included whether or not money changed hands. Representative Mickelson also suggested the fiscal note might understate administrative costs; Scott responded she had worked with the comptroller and believed the fiscal note was correct because the comptroller already holds digital copies of contracts.
Committee action: Representative Achilles moved to introduce RS 32,512; the motion carried. The measure was introduced for further consideration.
