S-1409.1  _______________________________________________

                    SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5332

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Energy & Utilities (originally sponsored by Senators Finkbeiner, Strannigan, Schow and Benton)

Read first time 02/24/97.

Prohibiting the department of information services from spending funds for multimedia kiosks for the Washington information network except for maintenance and operation of existing kiosks.

    AN ACT Relating to multimedia kiosks of the Washington information network; amending RCW 43.105.290; adding a new section to chapter 43.105 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that the forty‑eight electronic kiosks throughout the state that comprise part of the Washington information network have played an important role in furthering the goals of RCW 43.105.250 by ensuring electronic access to government services and information to citizens who lack access to home computers or electronic network services, to citizens who lack technical or literacy skills to use computers, and to citizens with disabilities.  However, the legislature further finds that given the rapid advances in networking technology, these electronic kiosks may not be the most cost-effective, long-term technology through which to offer public electronic access.  The legislature recognizes the efforts of the department of information services in exploring and developing more cost-effective successor technologies and applications for the electronic delivery of government services and information.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 43.105 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) The department shall not expend any funds to increase the number of electronic kiosks in the Washington information network.  For the purposes of this section "electronic kiosks" means public electronic access terminals, similar to those deployed on the effective date of this section, that rely on dedicated circuits and that do not provide for internet connectivity or financial transactions.  This section does not prohibit the department from expending funds to maintain or operate the currently deployed kiosks on an interim basis as it develops electronic information access services through technologies that the department deems more efficient and cost‑effective.

    (2) The department shall report to the appropriate legislative committees by January 1, 1998, on developments in networking technology as they relate to the Washington information network, including the use of the home, library, and office-based work stations to provide public electronic access to government services and information, and on the department's efforts to develop and implement cost-effective alternative or successor technologies for the public electronic delivery of such services and information.

    Sec. 3.  RCW 43.105.290 and 1996 c 171 s 13 are each amended to read as follows:

    The state library, with the assistance of the department of information services and the state archives, shall establish a pilot project to design and test an electronic information locator system, allowing members of the public to locate and access electronic public records.  In designing the system, the following factors shall be considered:  (1) Ease of operation by citizens; (2) access through multiple technologies, such as direct dial and toll-free numbers, kiosks and successor technologies, and the internet; (3) compatibility with private on-line services; and (4) capability of expanding the electronic public records included in the system.  The pilot project may restrict the type and quality of electronic public records that are included in the system to test the feasibility of making electronic public records and information widely available to the public.

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