(1) As used in this section:

(a) "Special purpose district" means every municipal and quasi-municipal corporation other than counties, cities, and towns. Such special purpose districts include, but are not limited to, water-sewer districts, fire protection districts, port districts, public utility districts, special districts as defined in RCW 85.38.010, lake and beach management districts, conservation districts, and irrigation districts.

(b) "Unauditable" means a special purpose district that the state auditor has determined to be incapable of being audited because the special purpose district has improperly maintained, failed to maintain, or failed to submit adequate accounts, records, files, or reports for an audit to be completed.

(2) The state auditor shall require from every local government financial reports covering the full period of each fiscal year, in accordance with the forms and methods prescribed by the state auditor, which shall be uniform for all accounts of the same class.

Such reports shall be prepared, certified, and filed with the state auditor within one hundred fifty days after the close of each fiscal year. The state auditor may allow local governments a thirty-day extension for filing annual fiscal reports if the governor has declared an emergency pursuant to RCW 43.06.210.

The reports shall contain accurate statements, in summarized form, of all collections made, or receipts received, by the officers from all sources; all accounts due the public treasury, but not collected; and all expenditures for every purpose, and by what authority authorized; and also: (a) A statement of all costs of ownership and operation, and of all income, of each and every public service industry owned and operated by a local government; (b) a statement of the entire public debt of every local government, to which power has been delegated by the state to create a public debt, showing the purpose for which each item of the debt was created, and the provisions made for the payment thereof; and (c) a classified statement of all receipts and expenditures by any public institution together with such other information as may be required by the state auditor.

The reports shall be certified as to their correctness by the state auditor, the state auditor's deputies, or other person legally authorized to make such certification.

Their substance shall be published in an annual volume of comparative statistics at the expense of the state as a public document.

(3)(a)(i) On or before December 31, 2020, and on or before December 31st of each year thereafter, the state auditor must search available records and notify the legislative authority of a county if any special purpose districts, located wholly or partially within the county, have been determined to be unauditable. If the boundaries of the special purpose district are located within more than one county, the state auditor must notify all legislative authorities of the counties within which the boundaries of the special purpose district lie.

(ii) If a county has been notified as provided in (a)(i) of this subsection (3), the special purpose district and the county auditor, acting on behalf of the special purpose district, are prohibited from issuing any warrants against the funds of the special purpose district until the district has had its report certified by the state auditor.

(iii) Notwithstanding (a)(ii) of this subsection (3), a county may authorize the special purpose district and the county auditor to issue warrants against the funds of the special purpose district:

(A) In order to prevent the discontinuation or interruption of any district services;

(B) For emergency or public health purposes; or

(C) To allow the district to carry out any district duties or responsibilities.

(b)(i) On or before December 31, 2020, and on or before December 31st of each year thereafter, the state auditor must search available records and notify the state treasurer if any special purpose districts have been determined to be unauditable.

(ii) If the state treasurer has been notified as provided in (b)(i) of this subsection (3), the state treasurer may not distribute any local sales and use taxes imposed by a special purpose district to the district until the district has had its report certified by the state auditor.

Finding—Intent—2021 c 122: See note following RCW 2.32.050.

Finding—Purpose—1993 c 18: "The legislature finds and declares that the use of outside consultants is an increasing element in public sector labor relations. The public has a right to be kept informed about the role of outside consultants in public sector labor relations. The purpose of this act is to help ensure that public information is available." [ 1993 c 18 s 1.]