OLYMPIA – Yesterday the House considered two government efficiency measures sponsored by Rep. Roger Goodman (D-Kirkland), and both bills were approved with strong bipartisan support.
Rep. Goodman’s Small Claims Court bill, HB 1196, simplifies the process in Small Claims Court for collecting judgments. Although Small Claims Court is supposed to offer a low-cost option to settle legal disputes, the current process in Washington state is cumbersome and difficult to understand, requiring excessive paperwork and needless fees. Goodman’s bill makes Small Claims Court more user-friendly for those who file while also reducing the associated fees, and it further reduces administration costs for the court.
In addition to simplifying Small Claims Court, Rep. Goodman has advocated for cost savings in the state Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS). As part of the many social service programs it operates across the state, the DSHS is currently required to send many notices by certified mail. A significant number of those notices are not time-sensitive, however, resulting in wasted postage costs. Rep. Goodman’s bill, HB 1814, changes the requirements for serving notices for many DSHS programs, saving the department more than $250,000 annually.
“These are small, but important bills,” said Goodman after their passage. “They make necessary changes to cut out waste and increase government efficiency.”
Both bills now go to the Senate for further consideration.