Sponsors: Representatives Haigh, Woods, Miloscia, Armstrong, Hunt, Nixon, Shabro, Sehlin and Anderson; by request of Secretary of State.

Brief Summary of Bill

• Establishes two non-appropriated accounts for the Division of Archives and Records Management for the following purposes:

- costs and expenses associated with imaging, micrographic, reproduction, and duplication services; and

- costs and expenses associated with local government archive services provided for public archives and records management services.

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 8 members: Representatives Haigh, Chair; Armstrong, Ranking Minority Member; Shabro, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Hunt, McDermott, Nixon, Tom and Wallace.

The Division of Archives and Records Management (Division) was created in the Office of the Secretary of State (Secretary) in 1981 to ensure the proper management and safeguarding of public records. The State Archivist administers the Division. Historical records of state government are collected, preserved, and made available at the archives' main Olympia office. Historical records of local governments are collected, preserved, and made available at five regional branch archive facilities. The regional branch archive facilities are located in Bellevue, Bellingham, Cheney, Ellensburg, and Olympia.

A schedule of fees and charges governing the service provided by the Division to other state agencies, offices, departments, and other entities is established by the Secretary and the Director of the Office of Financial Management. All such fees and charges collected are deposited in the archives and records management account in the state treasury, and are appropriated exclusively for use by the Secretary for the payment of costs and expenses incurred in the operation of the Division.

In 1994 state agencies were authorized to collect a surcharge of $20 from the judgement debtor upon satisfaction of a warrant filed in superior court for unpaid taxes or liabilities. The surcharge revenue is deposited in the archives and records management account and is expended exclusively for disaster recovery, essential records protection services, and records management training for local government agencies by the Division.

County auditors are authorized to collect a surcharge of $1 per instrument for each document recorded. The surcharge revenue collected is deposited in the archives and records management account and is expended exclusively for providing records scheduling, security microfilm inspection and storage, archival preservation, cataloging, and indexing for local government records and digital data and access to those records and data through the regional branch archives of the Division.

Beginning on January 1, 2002, county auditors were authorized to collect a second $1 surcharge for each document recorded. Revenue from this surcharge is used exclusively to pay for the construction of a new Eastern Washington Regional Archives. Once all debt on the Eastern Washington Regional Archives is retired, half of the revenue from the second $1 surcharge goes to counties for their centennial document fund and half is retained by the Secretary to support local government archives and records activities.

The imaging account is created in the state treasury. The account is for fees collected and payment of costs and expenses incurred exclusively for microfilming, contract imaging, micrographics, reproduction, and duplication services provided by the Division. An appropriation is not required for expenditures, however the account is subject to allotment procedures.

The local government archives account is created in the state treasury. The account is for fees and charges collected and payment of costs and expenses incurred for records scheduling, security microfilm inspection and storage, archival preservation, cataloging, and indexing for local government records and digital data and access to those records and data through the regional branch archives of the Division. An appropriation is not required but the account is subject to allotment procedures. However, fees collected for the purpose of funding the Eastern Washington Regional Archives (RCW 36.22.175(3)) may be spent only by appropriation.

Monies currently collected by county auditors from judgment debtor surcharges are deposited in the local government archives account and used exclusively for disaster recovery, essential records protection services, and records management training and document copying surcharges.

Monies currently collected by county auditors for document recording are deposited in the local government archives account to be used exclusively for expenditures related to records scheduling, security microfilm inspection and storage, archival preservation, cataloging, and indexing for local government records and digital data and access.

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

Testimony For: This bill will allow for a better response to the needs of local governments. Training at the local government level is immediate and cannot wait until the Legislature appropriates money. Reproduction, imaging and duplication services can be completed without waiting for an appropriation.

Testified: Jerry Handfield, State Archivist; and Bob Terwilliger, Snohomish County Auditor, Chair, Archives Oversight Committee.