NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that state agencies often do not have comprehensive electronic access to many peer-reviewed journals. As a result, state employees often must purchase specific manuscripts, outsource searches to other entities, or physically visit a university library in order to access many peer-reviewed journals. Locating a specific manuscript can take hours of staff time and is neither an efficient nor a cost-effective use of state resources. Other states have created statewide collectives for providing access to peer-reviewed journals, resulting in both increased access to peer-reviewed journals as well as significant cost savings. In light of the benefits that other states have experienced in connection with statewide subscriptions to peer-reviewed journals, the legislature seeks to learn whether such a subscription model would be beneficial in Washington.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) The Washington state institute for public policy shall conduct a study that identifies the extent to which state employees, or students at postsecondary institutions as defined in RCW 28B.10.016, or both, have access to peer-reviewed journals in other states. When applicable, the Washington state institute for public policy must identify the funding, organizational structures, and policy mechanisms used in other states where relevant public employees or students at postsecondary institutions have comprehensive electronic access to peer-reviewed journals, and potential barriers to similar access in Washington state. For the purposes of this section, "peer-reviewed journal" means any academic, scholarly, or scientific peer-reviewed journal.

(2) The study must be completed by December 1, 2021, and submitted in accordance with RCW 43.01.036 to the standing committees of the house of representatives and the senate with jurisdiction over environmental or natural resource issues.