In 1977, the Washington State Legislature created the Legislative Evaluation and Accountability Program (LEAP) Committee to be the Legislature's independent source of information and technology for developing budgets, communicating budget decisions, and tracking revenue, expenditure, and staffing activity. LEAP also provides consulting to legislative committees and staffs, and provides analysis and reporting on special issues at legislative request.

LEAP's enabling legislation (RCW 44.48)

During legislative sessions, LEAP provides round-the-clock support to the staffs of the budget-writing committees of the Legislature (Senate Ways and Means, House Appropriations, Senate Transportation, House Transportation, and House Capital Committees). These staffs use LEAP systems to analyze budget requests, to prepare budget proposals, and to record and communicate budget assumptions. Throughout the Legislature, LEAP Fiscal Reporting Systems are used to provide detail and statewide fiscal reports and to compare budget versions.

LEAP is a bipartisan committee of four senators and four representatives with a current staff of ten and a budget of $4.5 million for the 2009-11 biennium.

Video file Discussion on the creation of LEAP circa 1977 (see #17)