HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SHB 1497

                    As Passed Legislature

Title:  An act relating to the preservation of public electronic records.

Brief Description:  Facilitating electronic access to public records.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Government Operations (originally sponsored by Representatives B. Thomas and Dyer).

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Government Operations:  2/7/95, 2/10/95 [DPS].

Floor Activity:

Passed House:  3/13/95, 95-1.

Senate Amended.

House Concurred.

Passed Legislature.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 11 members:  Representatives Reams, Chairman; L. Thomas, Vice Chairman; Rust, Ranking Minority Member; Hargrove; Honeyford; Hymes; Mulliken; D. Schmidt; Sommers; Van Luven and Wolfe.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.  Signed by 3 members:  Representatives Scott; Chopp and R. Fisher.

Staff:  Steve Lundin (786-7127).

Background:  Public records are required to be preserved, stored, transferred, destroyed or disposed of, and managed in accordance with provisions of law.

The state archivist manages a division of archives and records management in the Office of the Secretary of State to insure the proper management and safeguarding of public records.  The state archivist manages the state archives, catalogs and arranges the retention of all state public records, insures the maintenance and security of all state public records, operates a microfilming bureau, and directly supervises the destruction of public records that are authorized to be destroyed.

The state archivist adopts rules for: (1) setting standards for the durability and permanence of state and local public records; and (2) establishing procedures to create, maintain, transmit, and reproduce photographic, optical, electronic, or other images used as public documents.

Summary of Bill:  The state archivist is required to:

oAdopt rules for cataloging, indexing, and storing photographic, optical, electronic, and other images of public records;

oAdopt rules facilitating access to photographic, optical, electronic, and other images used as public records; and

oAssist and train state and local agencies in the proper methods of creating, maintaining, cataloging, indexing, transmitting, storing, and reproducing photographic, optical, electronic, and other images used as public records.

A null and void provision is added requiring specific funding for this legislation in the omnibus appropriations act before it becomes effective.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on February 8, 1995.

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

Testimony For:  This will encourage the archivist to develop these protocols.  We are entering into an electronic age.  The sooner we start the better.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Representative Brian Thomas, prime sponsor; and Don Whiting, Office of Secretary of State.