HOUSE BILL REPORT
SSB 6070
As Reported By House Committee On:
State Government
Title: An act relating to public records preservation, maintenance, and disposition by agencies of local government and the secretary of state.
Brief Description: Managing certain public records.
Sponsors: Senate Committee on Government Operations (originally sponsored by Senators Loveland, Winsley and M. Rasmussen; by request of Secretary of State).
Brief History:
Reported by House Committee on:
State Government, February 24, 1994, DPA.
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT
Majority Report: Do pass as amended. Signed by 9 members: Representatives Anderson, Chair; Veloria, Vice Chair; Reams, Ranking Minority Member; L. Thomas, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Campbell; Conway; Dyer; King and Pruitt.
Staff: Bonnie Austin (786-7135).
Background: The Division of Archives and Records Management was established in the Office of the Secretary of State to ensure the proper management and safeguarding of public records. The State Archivist is responsible for the administration of the division. The division is funded from fees charged to state agencies and deposited to the archives and records management account.
In addition to serving state agencies, the Archives and Records Management Division operates a local government archive program. However, local governments are not charged for these services. State agency fees subsidize the division's local government program.
According to the State Archivist, the demand for local government archives and records management services has grown significantly over the past 10 years, and the resources available to provide these services have not grown in proportion to the demand. As a result, the Archives and Records Management Division has fallen behind in a number of its basic local government archives and records management functions, including the development and maintenance of general records retention schedules, records storage media guidelines, and the processing of local government archives for public research use.
Superior court filing fees currently range from $2 to $110. The current tax warrant filing fee is $5.
Summary of Amended Bill: A $20 surcharge is assessed on superior court filings of warrants for unpaid taxes or liabilities filed by the state departments of Revenue, Employment Security, and Labor and Industries. The surcharge will be paid by the debtor. The revenue from the surcharge will be transmitted to the State Treasurer who will deposit it in the archives and records management account. The revenue may only be spent on the provision of public archives and records management services to local government agencies by the Division of Archives and Records Management. The Secretary of State will establish a committee with local government representatives to advise the State Archivist on the local government archives and records management program.
Amended Bill Compared to Substitute Bill: Language is deleted that required the filing agencies to collect the revenue. Instead, procedures for collecting the revenue will be cooperatively established between the filing agencies and Superior Court. The effective date is moved from May 1 to July 1 to allow time for these procedures to be developed.