SENATE BILL REPORT

HB 1154

As Reported By Senate Committee On:

Government Operations & Elections, April 4, 2003

Title: An act relating to funding and expenditures of the secretary of state.

Brief Description: Funding oral history and archives activities.

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

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Government Operations & Elections: 3/28/03, 4/4/03 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS & ELECTIONS

Majority Report: Do pass.

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

Staff: Ronda Larson (786-7429)

Background: Among the programs under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of State are the Division of Archives and Records Management (Archives Division), the Oral History Program, and the State Library. The Archives Division manages, stores, and preserves historical and public records and allows the public to access the records. The Oral History Program records the state's political history by recording and publishing the recollections of legislators, officials, and citizens. The State Library serves as the corporate library for Washington government and works with libraries around the state to provide public access to information.

Currently, state law allows the Secretary of State to accept gifts, grants, and conveyances and to spend the proceeds from such gifts subject to the donor's intent and the rules that the Secretary of State has adopted.

A separate statutory law prohibits state officials, employees, and legislators from soliciting or accepting contributions 30 days before and after regular legislative session and during special session, where such contributions would be used for a public office fund, for a candidate committee, or for retiring a campaign debt.

Summary of Bill: An account is created in the state treasury called the oral history, state library, and archives account. The Secretary of State may solicit gifts, grants, and conveyances and sell, lease, exchange, invest, or expend these donations or their income, subject to the donor's intent. The donation proceeds must be deposited into the new account.

Upon authorization from the Secretary of State, money from the account may only go toward the Oral History Program, the Archives Program, and the State Library Program. An appropriation is not required for expenditure, but the account is subject to allotment procedures.

Persons soliciting or accepting contributions for these programs are exempt from the limitation on soliciting or accepting contributions 30 days before and after regular legislative session and during special session. Also, to solicit and accept gifts in such circumstances is not considered a violation of state ethics laws.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

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

Testimony For: The funds are received as unanticipated receipts and there is a specific allocation procedure for them. Therefore, they may not be used for purposes other than in the bill. This bill is very important especially for the oral history project because funding for it has been cut in the supplemental budget.

Testimony Against: None.

Testified: PRO: Anne Kilgannin, Secretary of State, Oral History; Warren Bishoe, citizen; Jeff Wise, Secretary of State.