HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1926

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                      State Government

Title:  An act relating to the sale and distribution of state publications.

Brief Description:  Regulating the sale and distribution of state publications.

Sponsors:  Representatives Anderson and Reams.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

State Government, March 3, 1993, DPS.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 9 members:  Representatives Anderson, Chair; Veloria, Vice Chair; Reams, Ranking Minority Member; Vance, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Campbell; Conway; Dyer; King; and Pruitt.

Staff:  Kenneth Hirst (786-7105).

Background:  State law directs the state law librarian to distribute sets of the House and Senate journals to: the secretary of the Senate and each assistant secretary; the chief clerk of the House of Representatives and each assistant to the chief clerk; each minute clerk and sergeant-at-arms of the Legislature; each official whose office is created in the constitution; each director of a State Department; and numerous libraries and law libraries in the state.

Journals from the previous regular session and intervening special sessions of the Legislature must be provided for the use of legislators in such numbers as directed by the chief clerk and secretary.

Surplus sets must be sold at $30 plus postage for the journals of a regular session and at a price set by the state printer for separate journals of other sessions.

The state law librarian is authorized to retain sets for the use of the Law Library, to exchange sets for those of other states, and to make other distributions as the librarian deems proper.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  Two copies of the journals are to be provided, without charge, to the State Library.  State elected officials and directors of state departments are to be provided sets of the journals only upon their request.

The state law librarian may canvass those entitled to receive copies of the journals of the House and Senate and may reduce or eliminate the number of copies distributed to anyone who so concurs.

The prices of all of the journals sold by the law librarian are to be set by the chief clerk of the House and the secretary of the Senate in consultation with the state printer.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The substitute bill requires two copies of the journals to be sent to the State Library without charge.  It authorizes the chief clerk and the secretary of the Senate to set the price of the journals; the original bill authorizes the state printer to set the price of the journals.  The original bill authorizes the state librarian to canvass persons to determine whether they wish to receive journals to which they are entitled; the substitute bill authorizes the law librarian to conduct the canvass.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  None.

Testimony Against:  All county law libraries should be provided free copies of the journals.  The cost of journals should be set by statute at $15 per volume; their true cost is too hard to determine.

Witnesses:  Mary Klinkosz, State Law Library.