Title: An act relating to the oral history program.

Brief Description: Transferring the oral history program from the secretary of state to the legislature.

Sponsors: House Committee on State Government & Tribal Affairs (originally sponsored by Representatives Hunt, Skinner and Conway).

Brief History: Passed House: 3/12/07, 95-0.

Committee Activity: Government Operations & Elections: 3/22/07, 3/26/07 [DPA, DNP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS & ELECTIONS

Majority Report: Do pass as amended.Signed by Senators Fairley, Chair; Oemig, Vice Chair; Kline, Pridemore and Swecker.

Minority Report: Do not pass.Signed by Senator Roach, Ranking Minority Member.

Staff: Sharon Swanson (786-7447)

Background: The Oral History Program (Program) is administered by the Secretary of State (Secretary) at the direction of an Oral History Advisory Committee (Committee). The purpose of the Program is to record and document oral histories of current and former members and staff of the Legislature, current and former state government officials and personnel, and other citizens who have participated in the political history of the state.

The Committee consists of four members of the House of Representatives, two from each major caucus; four members from the Senate, two from each major caucus; the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives; the Secretary of the Senate; and the Secretary of State. The Committee selects persons to be interviewed, decides which transcripts should be published, and advises the Secretary on various other processes and program administration. The Secretary must contract with independent oral historians and through the history departments of the state universities for conducting and recording the interviews. Transcripts and photographs may be published for distribution to libraries and for sale to the public.

The state archivist, as head of the division of archives and records management in the Office of the Secretary of State (OSOS), is responsible for managing the archives of the state of Washington. Public records that are not required in the current operation of the office where they are made are transferred to the state archives so that the historical records of the state may be centralized.

All written political advertising must include the sponsor's name and address. Sponsor is defined as the person paying for the advertising, or if a person is acting as an agent for another, then the sponsor is the original source of the payment.

Summary of Engrossed Substitute Bill: The bill as referred to committee not considered.

EFFECT OF CHANGES MADE BY RECOMMENDED AMENDMENT(S) AS PASSED COMMITTEE (Government Operations & Elections): The program is transferred to the Secretary of the Senate and the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives (Chief Clerk). The program is modified for the purpose of conducting oral histories of current and former members and staff of the Legislature and other citizens who have participated in the political history of the state. The Secretary of the Senate may conduct oral histories of current and former state government officials and personnel, and other citizens who have participated in the political history of the state. In the event a candidate for interview occupied positions in multiple branches of government, the interview must be conducted according to the last position held by the candidate, except that the person being interviewed may select for which entity he or she wishes to prepare his or her oral history.

The Committee maintains its current function of selecting persons to be interviewed, deciding which manuscripts should be published, and advising the Secretary of the Senate, the Chief Clerk, and the Secretary of State on various other program processes. Ex officio members may be appointed by a majority vote of the committee's members, and the chair of the committee must be elected by a majority vote of the committee members.

An Oral History Account (account) is created in the custody of the State Treasurer. Expenditures from the account may only be made for purposes of the Program and may only be authorized by the Secretary of the Senate and the Chief Clerk, or their designees. The Secretary of the Senate and the Chief Clerk may solicit and accept donations for purposes of conducting oral histories.

Within two working days after the date of a political advertising mailing, the sponsor of the advertising must file an example of the advertising with the Office of the Secretary of State for inclusion with the state archives and records.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

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

Staff Summary of Public Testimony: PRO: This is a good bill. The bill essentially allows the Legislature to have control over the oral history program for their former members and allows the Secretary of State to have control over the oral history of all other public officials. The committee that decides candidates for the program is not changed by the bill. There is one amendment coming.

Persons Testifying: PRO: Representative Hunt, prime sponsor; Shane Hamlin, Secretary of State's Office.