Old, redundant rules on state agency credit card use have been repealed
The Department of Enterprise Services (DES) has repealed rules that governed state agency use of credit, charge, or purchasing cards established under state law (RCW 43.19).
The original laws governing the state use of credit cards were put in place during the 1980s, before state procedures and policies had been fully developed. While the original laws required rules, this requirement was repealed as part of the state's 2012 comprehensive procurement reform statute (RCW 39.26).
The rules now are considered redundant to established systems and policies and only serve to create unnecessary bureaucracy. They are no longer needed because current state policies set standards, controls and accountability for agencies' use of credit cards.
Streamlined process
Repealing the old rules means state agencies no longer have to get DES approval when setting purchase card limits. This gives agencies needing to increase credit card limits, such as during emergency incident response, the ability to take action in a timelier manner.
Contact
If you have questions, please contact Jack Zeigler, DES Policy and Rules Manager, (360) 407-9209.