AN ACT Relating to the legislative systems committee; adding a new section to chapter 43.105 RCW; adding a new chapter to Title 44 RCW; creating a new section; repealing RCW 1.08.100; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.

(1) "Administrative committee" means the legislative systems administrative committee created under section 3 of this act.

(2) "Center" means the joint legislative service center established under section 6 of this act.

(3) "Coordinator" means the legislative systems coordinator employed under section 4 of this act.

(4) "Systems committee" means the joint legislative systems committee created under section 2 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) The joint legislative systems committee is created to oversee the direction of the information processing and communications systems of the legislature and to enforce the policies, procedures, and standards established under this chapter. The systems committee consists of eight members as follows:

(a) The speaker of the house of representatives;

(b) The minority leader of the house of representatives;

(c) A member from each of the two largest caucuses in the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;

(d) The majority leader of the senate;

(e) The minority leader of the senate; and

(f) A member from each of the two largest caucuses in the senate, appointed by the majority leader of the senate.

(2) The initial members of the systems committee shall be appointed within five days after the effective date of this act, and shall serve until their successors are appointed and qualified in the 1987 regular legislative session. After the initial terms, members shall serve two-year terms, beginning with their appointment in the regular legislative session held in an odd-numbered year and continuing until their successors are appointed and qualified. In case of a vacancy, the original appointing authority shall appoint another member of the same party as the vacating member.

(3) The systems committee shall choose its own presiding officer and other necessary officers from among its membership, and shall make rules for orderly procedure.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) The legislative systems administrative committee is created to manage the information processing and communications systems of the legislature. The administrative committee consists of five members appointed as follows:

(a) The secretary of the senate, and another senate staff person appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the secretary;

(b) The chief clerk of the house of representatives, and another house of representatives staff person appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the chief clerk; and

(2) The coordinator shall serve as the secretary of the administrative committee.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. (1) The systems committee, after consultation with the administrative committee, shall employ a legislative systems coordinator. The coordinator shall serve at the pleasure of the systems committee, which shall fix the coordinator's salary.

(2) The coordinator shall serve as the executive and administrative head of the center, and shall assist the administrative committee in managing the information processing and communications systems of the legislature as directed by the administrative committee.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The administrative committee shall, subject to the approval of the systems committee:

(1) Adopt policies, procedures, and standards regarding the information processing and communications systems of the legislature;

(2) Establish appropriate charges for services, equipment, and publications provided by the legislative information processing and communications systems, applicable to legislative and nonlegislative users as determined by the administrative committee;

(3) Employ or engage and fix the compensation for personnel required to carry out the purposes of this chapter;

(4) Enter into contracts for (a) the sale, exchange, or acquisition of equipment, supplies, services, and facilities required to carry out the purposes of this chapter and (b) the distribution of legislative information;

(5) Generally assist the systems committee in carrying out its responsibilities under this chapter, as directed by the systems committee.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The administrative committee, subject to the approval of the systems committee, shall establish a joint legislative service center. The center shall provide automatic data processing services, equipment, training, and support to the legislature and legislative agencies. The center may also, by agreement, provide services to agencies of the judicial and executive branch. All operations of the center shall be subject to the general supervision of the administrative committee in accordance with the policies, procedures, and standards established under section 5 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. The legislative systems revolving fund is established in the custody of the state treasurer. All moneys received by the systems committee, the administrative committee, and the center shall be deposited in the fund. Moneys in the fund may be spent only for expenses approved by the systems committee for the purposes of this chapter. Disbursements from the fund shall be on vouchers signed by both the presiding officer of the systems committee and the coordinator. No appropriation is required for disbursements from the fund. The senate and house of representatives may transfer moneys appropriated for legislative expenses to the fund, in addition to charges made under section 5(2) of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. The information and communications functions of the legislature and legislative agencies are subject to the requirements of this chapter, and the standards, policies, and procedures established under this chapter.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. Members of the systems committee and of the administrative committee shall be reimbursed for travel expenses under RCW 44.04.120 or 43.03.050 and 43.03.060, as appropriate, while attending meetings of their respective committees or on other official business authorized by their respective committees.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 10. A new section is added to chapter 43.105 RCW to read as follows:

The senate, the house of representatives, legislative agencies, and the statute law committee are exempt from the provisions of this chapter. However, the authority may provide its services to the senate, the house of representatives, legislative agencies, or the statute law committee at the request of the systems committee created by section 1 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 11. All powers, duties, and functions of the statute law committee performed through the legislative information system are transferred to the legislative systems administrative committee to be performed through the joint legislative service center. All reports, documents, books, records, files, papers, data, media, and other materials in the possession of the legislative information system shall be transferred to the joint legislative service center. All cabinets, furniture, equipment, and other property used by the legislative information system shall be made available to the joint legislative service center. All existing contracts and obligations of the statute law committee for the legislative information system shall remain in full force and shall be performed by the administrative committee through the joint legislative service center. All employees of the statute law committee assigned to the legislative information system are transferred to the jurisdiction of the legislative systems administrative committee to perform their usual duties upon the same terms as before the transfer. The transfer of powers, duties, and functions under this section shall not affect the validity of any act performed by any employee of the statute law committee before the effective date of this act. All moneys appropriated to the statute law committee for the operation of the legislative information system that remain unspent on the effective date of this act, shall be transferred to the legislative systems revolving fund created in section 7 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 12. Sections 1 through 9 of this act shall constitute a new chapter in Title 44 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 13. Section 5, chapter 212, Laws of 1969 ex. sess. and RCW 1.08.100 are each repealed.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 14. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, the support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.