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SECOND SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5698
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AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
Passed Legislature - 1994 Regular Session
State of Washington 53rd Legislature 1994
Regular Session
By
Read first time 01/27/94.
Assisting companies to adopt
ISO-9000 quality standards.
AN ACT Relating to
assisting companies to adopt ISO-9000 standards; adding a new section to
chapter 43.31 RCW; creating new sections; and providing an effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF
WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec.
1. The legislature finds
that since the publication by the international organization for
standardization of its ISO-9000 series of quality systems standards, more than
twenty thousand facilities in the United Kingdom and several thousand in Europe
have become registered in the standards. By comparison, currently only about
four hundred United States companies have adopted the standards. The
international organization for standardization is a Geneva-based organization
founded in 1947 to promote standardization with a view to facilitating trade.
The legislature further
finds that the growing world-wide acceptance by over sixty nations of the
ISO-9000 series of quality systems standards, including adoption by the twelve
nations of the European Community, means that more Washington companies will
need to look at the adoption of ISO-9000 to remain competitive in global
markets. Adoption of ISO-9000, as well as other quality systems, may also help
Washington companies improve quality. However, many small businesses know
little about the standards or how registration is achieved.
It is the intent of the
legislature that the department of community, trade, and economic development
encourage and assist state businesses to adopt ISO-9000 and other quality
systems as part of the state's strategy for global industrial competitiveness.
NEW SECTION. Sec.
2. A new section is added
to chapter 43.31 RCW to read as follows:
(1) The department,
through its business assistance center, shall assist companies seeking to adopt
ISO-9000 quality standards. The department shall:
(a) Prepare and
disseminate information regarding ISO-9000;
(b) Assemble and
maintain information on public and private sector individuals, organizations,
educational institutions, and advanced technology centers that can provide
technical assistance to firms that wish to become ISO-registered;
(c) Assemble and
maintain information on Washington firms which have received ISO registration;
(d) Undertake other
activities it deems necessary to execute this section;
(e) Survey appropriate
sectors to determine the level of interest in receiving ISO-9000 certification
and coordinate with the program;
(f) Establish a
mechanism for businesses to make self-assessments of relative need to become
ISO-9000 certified;
(g) Assist and support
nonprofit organizations, and other organizations, currently providing
education, screening, and certification training; and
(h) Coordinate the
Washington program with other similar state, regional, and federal programs.
(2) For the purposes of
this section, "ISO-9000" means the series of standards published in
1987, and subsequent revisions, by the international organization for
standardization for quality assurance in design, development, production, final
inspection and testing, and installation and servicing of products, processes,
and services.
(3) For the purposes of
this section, registration to the American national standards
institute/American society for quality control Q90 series shall be considered
ISO-9000 registration.
NEW SECTION. Sec.
3. If specific funding for
the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill number, is not provided
by June 30, 1994, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act is null and void.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 4. This act shall take
effect July 1, 1994.
