HOUSE BILL REPORT
SB 6615
As Passed House:
February 28, 1996
Title: An act relating to protection of certain business information.
Brief Description: Protecting certain business information.
Sponsors: Senators Hale, Sheldon and Haugen.
Brief History:
Committee Activity:
Government Operations: 2/21/96, 2/23/96 [DP].
Floor Activity:
Passed House: 2/28/96, 96-0.
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 15 members: Representatives Reams, Chairman; Cairnes, Vice Chairman; Goldsmith, Vice Chairman; Rust, Ranking Minority Member; Scott, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Conway; R. Fisher; Hargrove; Honeyford; Hymes; Mulliken; Scheuerman; D. Schmidt; Van Luven and Wolfe.
Staff: Charlie Murphy (786-7135).
Background: The regulatory reform provisions of 1995 included requirements for the keeping of official rule-making files by each state agency for each rule proposed through the state register publication or if actually adopted. Factual information, data, and studies identifiable to a particular business that were received while developing a small business economic impact statement, as required by the regulatory fairness law (Chapter 19.85 RCW), need not be included. However, the rule-making file requirements made no reference to information about particular businesses gathered by agencies in processing significant legislative rules. Further, no reference was made to exemptions from public disclosure requirements for certain information identifiable to a particular business.
Summary of Bill: Information identifiable to a particular business which a state agency gathers in developing small business economic impact statements or in processing significant legislative rules is exempted from mandatory placement in the rule-making file and from public disclosure and copying.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Testimony For: None.
Testimony Against: None.
Testified: None.