SENATE BILL REPORT

EHB 1152

As Reported By Senate Committee On:

Government Operations & Elections, April 2, 2003

Title: An act relating to funding of the archives division.

Brief Description: Revising funding of the archives division.

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

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Government Operations & Elections: 4/2/03 [DPA].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS & ELECTIONS

Majority Report: Do pass as amended.

      Signed by Senators Roach, Chair; Stevens, Vice Chair; Horn, Kastama and McCaslin.

Staff: Ronda Larson (786-7429)

Background: In 1981, the Legislature created the Division of Archives and Records Management in the Office of the Secretary of State. The division's job is to manage and safeguard public records. The State Archivist administers the division. The division collects and preserves historical state government records at the division's main Olympia office. The division collects and preserves local government records at five regional branch archive facilities, which are in Bellevue, Bellingham, Cheney, Ellensburg, and Olympia.

The funding for operation of the division comes from the archives and records management account in the state treasury. This account, in turn, receives its funds from three sources: (1) charges for storing, copying, microfilming, and other services that the division collects from its public and private users; (2) a $20 surcharge that judgment debtors pay in superior court when they satisfy warrants for unpaid taxes or liabilities; and (3) two $1 surcharges that the county auditors collect for each instrument they record, including such things as deeds and debt.

Under a specific allotment procedure, the judgment debtor revenue that comes into the account funds the division's costs regarding disaster recovery, essential records protection, and training of local governments in recordkeeping. Under the same allotment procedure, the revenue from one of the recorded instruments surcharge funds myriad services such as microfilm inspection, storage, and archival preservation. The revenue from the other recorded instruments surcharge funds construction of an eastern Washington regional archives facility.

Summary of Amended Bill: The imaging account is created. The account collects fees from the division's services regarding copying and imaging (e.g., scanning). The revenue then exclusively funds the division's costs for providing such services. The account is not subject to appropriation, but the account is subject to allotment procedure.

The local government archives account is created. It receives the money that previously came to the archives and records management account from the judgment debtor surcharge and the county auditor recording surcharges. The division's services that were previously funded from such revenues are still funded from such revenues. Likewise, the fees collected from such services also go into this new account. The account is not subject to appropriation, but the account is subject to allotment procedure.

Amended Bill Compared to Original Bill: In the original Engrossed House bill, both new accounts were unappropriated. In the amended bill, the new local government archives account is an appropriated account.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

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

Testimony For: It is just a logical thing to have the money that is charged for services in a county go back to the county without requiring appropriation. The Archives Division serves an important purpose by safeguarding valuable public records.

Testimony Against: None.

Testified: PRO: Representative Haigh, prime sponsor; Robert Hill, citizen of Seattle.