H-4732.3  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 3136

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      56th Legislature     2000 Regular Session

By Representatives Mitchell, Fisher, Ericksen, Hankins, Edwards and Cooper

Read first time 02/15/2000.  Referred to Committee on Transportation.

Updating distribution of communication network charges.

    AN ACT Relating to communication network charges; and amending RCW 43.89.010.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 43.89.010 and 1993 sp.s. c 23 s 63 are each amended to read as follows:

    The chief of the Washington state patrol ((is hereby authorized to)) may establish a ((teletypewriter)) communications network ((which)) that will inter-connect the law enforcement agencies of the state and its political subdivisions into a unified ((written)) communications system.  The chief of the Washington state patrol ((is authorized to)) may lease or purchase such facilities and equipment as may be necessary to establish and maintain ((such teletypewriter)) the communications network.

    (1) The communications network shall be used exclusively for the official business of the state, and the official business of any city, county, city and county, or other public agency.

    (2) This section does not prohibit the occasional use of the state's communications network by any other state or public agency thereof when the messages transmitted relate to the enforcement of the criminal laws of the state.

    (3) The chief of the Washington state patrol shall fix the monthly operational charge to be paid by any department or agency of state government, or any city, county, city and county, or other public agency participating in the communications network((:  PROVIDED, That)).  In computing charges to be made against a city, county, or city and county the state shall bear at least fifty percent of the costs of ((such)) the service as its share in providing a modern unified communications network to the law enforcement agencies of the state.  ((Of)) The fees collected pursuant to this section((, one-half shall be deposited in the motor vehicle fund and one-half shall be deposited in the transportation fund)) will be deposited into the state patrol highway account.

    (4) The chief of the Washington state patrol ((is authorized to)) may arrange for the connection of the communications network with the law enforcement communications system of any adjacent state, or the province of British Columbia, Canada.

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