2433-S AMS WM S5646.2

2433-S AMS WM S5646.2

SHB 2433 - S COMM AMD

By Committee on Ways & Means

Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:

"NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 43.08 RCW to read as follows:

INTENT. The legislature finds that increasing citizens' access to information about both the processes of state government, and the issues dealt with by state government, will strengthen the democratic process. Recent technological developments in the area of telecommunications offer efficient and effective ways to expand this access to information about state government.

It is the intent of the legislature, in a partnership with the private sector, to establish a mechanism to produce unedited televised coverage of state government deliberations and other public policy events of state-wide significance. Funding provided by the state is intended to cover the annual operating cost of the core services, which include gavel-to-gavel coverage of state government deliberations and other public policy events of state-wide significance. This service is intended to increase citizen access to government, and is a public purpose for which public funds may be expended. It is assumed that private contributions will be raised to purchase equipment, and to cover the cost of programming activities such as curriculum development for use in school classrooms.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 43.08 RCW to read as follows:

ESCROW ACCOUNT. (1) The state treasurer shall contract with a qualified public deposit protection commission bank for the establishment of an escrow account. The account shall hold moneys appropriated by the legislature to the state treasurer specifically for the purposes of televising unedited, gavel-to-gavel coverage of state government deliberations and other public policy events of state-wide significance.

The account may also be used to pay for the direct costs of producing interactive hearings over the Washington interactive teleconferencing system. These hearings shall be linked to the public television system provided for in this section to broadcast the hearings to the general public.

The contracted bank shall disburse funds to the nonprofit organization, determined to be qualified by the office of financial management, on a quarterly basis to cover the annual operating expenses of the nonprofit organization. No more than one million seven hundred fifty thousand dollars may be disbursed for this purpose in the first year. Disbursements for this purpose may be increased by three percent per year thereafter. Expenditures for the production of interactive hearings must be approved by the administrative committees of both the house of representatives and the senate and may not exceed a total of fifty thousand dollars in any single year.

(2) A qualified nonprofit organization is a nonprofit corporation formed solely for the purpose of providing unedited televised coverage of state government deliberations and other events of state-wide significance, and which has received a determination of a tax exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the federal internal revenue code.

(3) Interested qualified nonprofit organizations shall submit a four-year financial plan, a feasibility plan, and an engineering plan that includes a schedule of equipment needs and distribution plan to the office of financial management. The office of financial management may set criteria for these plans. The office of financial management shall review the submitted plans and, by May 2, 1994, select a qualified nonprofit organization to carry out sections 1 through 3 of this act from those nonprofit organizations whose plans indicate the ability to carry out sections 1 through 3 of this act.

(4) Beginning January 1995, the qualified nonprofit organization shall prepare an annual independent audit, an annual financial statement, an annual report, and operational benchmarks that measure the nonprofit organization's impact on success of this program in meeting the intent of sections 1 through 3 of this act.

(5) The initial selection award under this section shall be for a period of four years. The office of financial management shall by December 31, 1998, reopen the application process and select a qualified nonprofit organization.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 43.08 RCW to read as follows:

TERMS AND CONDITIONS. Placement and operation of equipment within legislative facilities are subject to terms and conditions between the qualified nonprofit organization and the respective houses of the legislature. Such terms and conditions may include but are not limited to: Programming standards requiring a fair and balanced presentation without regard to partisanship or ideology and a balance of possible subject matter and deliberating bodies.

The initial terms and conditions and any amendment to those terms and conditions shall be ratified by a two-thirds vote of each house of the legislature. Such ratification shall be made in the form of a concurrent resolution.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. CAPTIONS. Section captions as used in this act do not constitute any part of the law.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. APPROPRIATION. The sum of six million six hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1995, from the general fund to the state treasurer for the purposes of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately."

SHB 2433 - S COMM AMD

By Committee on Ways & Means

On page 1, line 2 of the title, after "proceedings;" strike the remainder of the title and insert "adding new sections to chapter 43.08 RCW; creating a new section; making an appropriation; and declaring an emergency."