6010-S

AN ACT Relating to scientific review; adding a new chapter to Title 43 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature finds that:

(a) Scientific research and findings are a necessary part of the identification of public health and environmental quality problems and the development of responses by governmental agencies to those problems;

(b) State and local agencies have limited funding available to conduct basic scientific research relating to public health and environmental problems, and therefore must rely extensively upon scientific information available from other sources, such as research conducted by colleges and universities, the private sector, and the federal government; and

(c) Existing mechanisms for the sharing of scientific information and peer review of scientific findings could be strengthened by adopting model procedures that state agencies, local governments, and the legislature may use to access scientific expertise within the public universities and colleges in the state.

(2) Therefore it is the intent of the legislature by this chapter to require the establishment of a procedure for sharing scientific views and information between academic institutions and government agencies, and to investigate further measures to integrate scientific information into the earliest stage of significant government action or policy development. It is further the intent of the legislature that such procedures shall be on an advisory basis only, and shall not affect the jurisdiction of agencies participating in these procedures within their statutory authority to adopt rules or take other actions.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) By July 1, 1995, the governor shall develop model procedures for the provision of scientific information and peer review by specialists at public higher education institutions to state agencies, the legislature, and local government. This process is to be considered as supplemental to other science information consultation mechanisms and shall not affect any such mechanisms except as each agency shall determine. The governor shall consult with the science information coordinators designated in section 3 of this act and relevant state and local jurisdictions in developing the model procedures for scientific information and peer review.

(2) The model should include:

(a) Methods for identifying persons at the universities with expertise in the subject being reviewed and obtaining their participation in the review and consultation;

(b) Methods by which state agencies may request assistance in obtaining existing scientific research data;

(d) Methods to strengthen existing information sharing systems in order to keep state agencies apprised of current research results relevant to their programs;

(e) The procedure by which local governments may request assistance in obtaining existing scientific research data; and

(f) Methods to include private scientific research institutions or other private sector sources of scientific expertise in the consultation procedures.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) The following colleges and universities shall appoint a science information coordinator to assist the governor in the development of model procedures under section 2 of this act:

(a) University of Washington;

(b) Washington State University;

(d) Eastern Washington University;

(e) Central Washington University; and

(f) The Evergreen State College.

(2) The coordinators shall assist agencies employing procedures for scientific information consultation in using the scientific resources of the higher education institution.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The house of representatives and the senate may use the scientific information consultation procedures developed under section 2 of this act, and the coordinators appointed by the higher education institutions under section 3 of this act shall provide assistance in requests made by the house of representatives and the senate for this purpose.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The governor's task force on regulatory reform, created by executive order 93-06, shall develop recommendations for procedures to ensure that accurate and available scientific information is obtained and considered as early as possible in the development of actions or rules with significant regulatory impact. The task force shall also identify the types of rules that would require scientific review, and the agencies that should employ such procedures. The report under this section shall be provided no later than December 1, 1994, and may be incorporated with any other reports provided under executive order 93-06.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. Sections 1 through 4 of this act shall constitute a new chapter in Title 43 RCW.