State agencies required to list fees online

OLYMPIA - State agency fees will now be required to be listed online as part of a government transparency bill signed into law Wednesday.

Senate Bill 5751 was sponsored by Sen. Mark Schoesler and had previously received unanimous support from both the Senate and the House.

State agencies must maintain an inventory of fees, something the state Office of Financial Management did voluntarily in 2008, the last year it was updated.

"I thought it was a great idea when the state Office of Financial Management voluntarily created a database of state fees several years ago; unfortunately the agency hasn't kept the list up to date," said Schoesler, R-Ritzville. "My bill would make maintaining and updating the fee inventory an official duty."

Schoesler, who is the Senate Republican Leader, said the bill is in line with the Senate's priority of holding government accountable.

"It's a lot easier to hold state government accountable - which is one of our Majority Coalition Caucus goals - when things are transparent," Schoesler said.

More than 40 state agencies collect fees for a wide range of activities. Requiring the agencies to list the fees would let the public know who is collecting the fee, the purpose and current amount of the fee. People will also be able to view the five-year history of the costs of fees. The law takes effect in late July.