HOUSE BILL REPORT

SSB 6459

BYSenate Committee on Governmental Operations (originally sponsored by Senators Patrick, DeJarnatt, Nelson and Rasmussen)

Establishing a state recording officer.

House Committe on Local Government

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.  (14)

      Signed by Representatives Haugen, Chair; Cooper, Vice Chair; Ferguson, Ranking Republican Member; Horn, Kirby, Nealey, Nelson, Nutley, Phillips, Raiter, Rayburn, Wolfe, Wood and Zellinsky.

House Staff:Steve Lundin (786-7127)

Rereferred House Committee on Appropriations

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended by Committee on Local Government.  (30)

      Signed by Representatives Locke, Chair; Grant, Vice Chair; H. Sommers, Vice Chair; Silver, Ranking Republican Member; Youngsman, Assistant Ranking Republican Member; Appelwick, Belcher, Bowman, Braddock, Brekke, Brough, Dorn, Doty, Ebersole, Ferguson, Hine, Holland, Inslee, May, McLean, Nealey, Padden, Peery, Rust, Sayan, Spanel, Sprenkle, Valle, Wang and Wineberry.

House Staff:      Karl Herzog (786-7271)

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS FEBRUARY 23, 1990

BACKGROUND:

Various government officials are authorized to receive and hold records.  County auditors hold various records, including records relating to property located within the county, and at least for a limited time records relating to marriages, deaths, and births within the county.  The Department of Health provides a central depository for various records relating to birth, death, and marriages.  The division of Archives and Records Management of the Secretary of State's office maintains an archive for state public records.

SUMMARY:

BILL AS AMENDED:  The Secretary of State, through the division of Archives and Records Management, is designated as the state recording officer.

An eight member state advisory committee on recording systems is established consisting of: (1) the state recording officer, who serves as chairperson; (2) the state archivist, or the archivist's designee; (3) a designee of the attorney general; (4) four county auditors appointed by the Washington State Association of County Auditors, with one being from a class AA county, one being from a class A through first class county, one being from a second through fifth class county, and one being from a sixth through ninth class county; and (5) one representative of a land title insurance company or land title company.

The advisory committee is authorized to: (1) review statutes and determine what changes would simplify recording processes, improve access to recorded documents, and eliminate conflicting recording laws; (2) investigate the feasibility of both standardizing recording forms and procedures, and consolidating or linking general indexes of participating counties; (3) make recommendations to the state recording officer; and (4) recommend changes in state laws to the Legislature at any time, and in addition, by no later than January 1, 1992.

The state recording officer must: (1) consider and adopt rules that are proposed by the state advisory committee on recording systems; (2) develop and distribute guidelines and recommendations on efficient and uniform recording system operations; (3) review and approve new procedures proposed by county auditors to conform with these guidelines and recommendations; (4) monitor developments in recording, indexing and duplicating documents; and (5) exchange information with county auditors on recording laws and procedures.

AMENDED BILL COMPARED TO SUBSTITUTE:  It is clarified that the Secretary of State appoints the representative of title companies from nominees made by title companies.

CHANGES PROPOSED BY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS:  None.

Fiscal Note:      Available.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    (Local Government)  Sam Reed, County Auditors Association; and Sid McAlpin, Office of the Secretary of State.

(Appropriations):  No one.

House Committee - Testified Against:      (Local Government)  No one.

(Appropriations):  No one.

House Committee - Testimony For:    (Local Government)  This will permit our archaic record keeping systems to be stored and retrieved using modern technologies.

(Appropriations)  None.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      (Local Government) None.

(Appropriations)  None.