SENATE BILL REPORT

SHB 1926

As of June 19, 2001

Title:  An act relating to local government records.

Brief Description:  Increasing the surcharge on county auditor recording fees.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Sehlin, H. Sommers, Romero and Wood; by request of Secretary of State).

Brief History:

Staff:  Eugene Green (786-7405)

Background:  The Secretary of State, through the Division of Archives and Records Management, provides for the preservation and storage of the official records of state agencies and local governments.

There is a main archives and five regional branch archive facilities located in Bellevue, Bellingham, Cheney, Ellensburg, and Olympia.

State funding for archives and records management activities comes from two sources.  One source is an assessment per employee that all state agencies pay to support archive activities.  The other source is a box fee paid by state agencies that store boxes in the state records center.

Local funding for archives and records management activities also come from two sources.  One source is a $20 surcharge that applies to the filing of unpaid tax warrants in superior courts.  The other source is a $1 surcharge that applies to each document filed with county auditors.  This $1 surcharge is scheduled to sunset on June 30, 2001.

A committee of local government officials advises the Secretary of State on the local government archives and records management program.

Each county has a centennial document preservation and modernization account.  Counties use funds in their centennial accounts to acquire document preservation equipment and to preserve historical documents in possession of the county auditors.

Summary of Bill:  The existing $1 surcharge applied to each document filed with county auditors is made permanent.

Permitted expenditures from revenues generated by the existing $1 surcharge are expanded to allow expenditures for local government digital data services, local government records training, and a competitive grants program for local governments.  The committee of local government officials that advises the Secretary of State on the local government archives and records management program is to work with the state archivist to develop rules for the competitive grants program.

Beginning on January 1, 2002, a second $1 surcharge applies to each document filed with county auditors.  Revenue from this surcharge is to be used exclusively to pay for the construction of a new Eastern Washington Regional Archives.  However, to the extent that state agencies will use a portion of the new Eastern Regional Archives, state funds must pay for that portion of construction costs.

Once all debt on the new Eastern Washington Regional Archives is retired, half of the revenue from the second $1 surcharge will go to counties for their centennial document funds, and the other half will be retained by the Secretary of State to support local government archive and records activities.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect on June 30, 2001.