BILL REQ. #:  Z-0407.1 

Read first time 01/20/2003.   Referred to Committee on State Government.

     AN ACT Relating to funding of the archives division; amending RCW 40.14.025, 40.14.027, and 36.22.175; and adding new sections to chapter 40.14 RCW.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 40.14.025 and 1996 c 245 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The secretary of state and the director of financial management shall jointly establish a procedure and formula for allocating the costs of services provided by the division of archives and records management to state agencies. The total amount allotted for services to state agencies shall not exceed the appropriation to the archives and records management account during any allotment period.
     (([(2)])) (2) There is created the archives and records management account in the state treasury which shall consist of all fees and charges collected under this section((, RCW 36.22.175, and 40.14.027)). The account shall be appropriated exclusively for the payment of costs and expenses incurred in the operation of the division of archives and records management as specified by law.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 40.14 RCW to read as follows:
     The imaging account is created in the state treasury to consist of all fees and charges collected under RCW 40.14.020(8) for contract imaging, micrographics, reproduction, and duplication services provided by the division of archives for state agencies, local governments, and private customers. The account must be managed by the secretary of state and allotted exclusively for the payment of costs and expenses incurred in providing the contracted imaging, micrographic, reproduction, and duplication services. An appropriation is not required for expenditures, but the account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   A new section is added to chapter 40.14 RCW to read as follows:
     The local government archives account is created in the state treasury to consist of all fees and charges collected by the county auditors under RCW 40.14.027 and 36.22.175 for local government services such as 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 of archives and records management. The account must be managed by the secretary of state and allotted exclusively for the payment of costs and expenses incurred in providing those services. An appropriation is not required for expenditures, but the account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW. However, all fees collected under RCW 36.22.175(3) may be spent only by appropriation.

Sec. 4   RCW 40.14.027 and 2001 c 146 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
     State agencies shall collect a surcharge of twenty dollars from the judgment debtor upon the satisfaction of a warrant filed in superior court for unpaid taxes or liabilities. The surcharge is imposed on the judgment debtor in the form of a penalty in addition to the filing fee provided in RCW 36.18.012(10). The surcharge revenue shall be transmitted to the state treasurer for deposit in the archives and records management account.
     Surcharge revenue deposited in the local government archives ((and records management)) account under section 3 of this act shall be expended by the secretary of state exclusively for disaster recovery, essential records protection services, and records management training for local government agencies by the division of archives and records management. The secretary of state shall, with local government representatives, establish a committee to advise the state archivist on the local government archives and records management program.

Sec. 5   RCW 36.22.175 and 2001 2nd sp.s. c 13 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) In addition to any other charge authorized by law, the county auditor shall charge a surcharge of one dollar per instrument for each document recorded. Revenue generated through this surcharge shall be transmitted monthly to the state treasurer for deposit in the local government archives ((and records management)) account under section 3 of this act. These funds shall be used solely 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 of archives and records management.
     The division of archives and records management within the office of the secretary of state shall provide records management training for local governments and shall establish a competitive grant program to solicit and prioritize project proposals from local governments for potential funding to be paid for by funds from the auditor surcharge and tax warrant surcharge revenues. Application for specific projects may be made by local government agencies only. The state archivist in consultation with the advisory committee established under RCW 40.14.027 shall adopt rules governing project eligibility, evaluation, awarding of grants, and other criteria including requirements for records management training for grant recipients.
     (2) The advisory committee established under RCW 40.14.027 shall review grant proposals and establish a prioritized list of projects to be considered for funding by January 1st of each even-numbered year, beginning in 2002. The evaluation of proposals and development of the prioritized list must be developed through open public meetings. Funding for projects shall be granted according to the ranking of each application on the prioritized list and projects will be funded only to the extent that funds are available. A grant award may have an effective date other than the date the project is placed on the prioritized list.
     (3) In addition to any other surcharge authorized by law, the county auditor shall charge a surcharge of one dollar per instrument for every document recorded after January 1, 2002. Revenue generated through this surcharge shall be transmitted to the state treasurer monthly for deposit in the local government archives ((and records management)) account under section 3 of this act to be used exclusively for the construction and improvement of a specialized regional facility located in eastern Washington designed to serve the archives, records management, and digital data management needs of local government.
     To the extent the facilities are used for the storage and retrieval of state agency records and digital data, that portion of the construction of such facilities used for state government records and data shall be supported by other charges and fees paid by state agencies and shall not be supported by the surcharge authorized in this subsection.
     At such time that all debt service from construction on such facility has been paid, fifty percent of the surcharge authorized by this subsection shall be reverted to the centennial document preservation and modernization account as prescribed in RCW 36.22.170 and fifty percent of the surcharge authorized by this section shall be reverted to the state treasurer for deposit in the archives and records management account to serve the archives, records management, and digital data management needs of local government.