S-1285.2                   _______________________________________________

                                            SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5315

                              _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              53rd Legislature                             1993 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Government Operations (originally sponsored by Senators Erwin, Haugen, M. Rasmussen, Amondson, Hargrove, Sheldon, L. Smith, Prince and Deccio)

Read first time 02/08/93.

Regulating cellular communication use by state employees.

          AN ACT Relating to cellular communication expenses of state employees; and adding new sections to chapter 43.03 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 43.03 RCW to read as follows:

          The legislature finds that, with the growth of cellular telephone technology, many more state employees are using cellular telephones for state business, either from vehicles or from land stations.  While the availability of cellular telephones can expedite the conduct of state business, there are currently no clear fiscal controls on their use by state employees.  It is the intent of the legislature to regulate expenditures for cellular telecommunications to prevent potential abuses and incurring excessive costs.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 43.03 RCW to read as follows:

          The director of the office of financial management, in consultation with the director of the department of information services, shall develop regulations for the use of cellular telecommunications by state employees in conducting public business.  In developing such regulations, the following criteria shall be taken into account:

          (1) Responsible agency heads retain determination of which employees of the agency require assignment of cellular telephones for performing their assigned tasks;

          (2) Allowable expenditures for cellular telephone use shall be specified in the accounting procedures manual issued by the office of financial management pursuant to RCW 43.88.160;

          (3) Reasonable limitations shall be set for reimbursement of employees who use their own cellular telephones on state business; and

          (4) The special needs of law enforcement and other field personnel who require cellular telephones for emergency situations or for their own protection shall be taken into account.

                                                           --- END ---