BILL REQ. #:  S-1643.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/21/13.   

     AN ACT Relating to monitoring the development of a one-stop portal for Washington businesses; adding a new section to chapter 43.41A RCW; creating new sections; and providing a contingent expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The legislature finds that Washington's small businesses are critical to the state's economic health and vitality, and the time business owners spend interacting with multiple state agencies takes time away from running or growing their business.
     (2) The legislature further finds that regulatory agencies were directed through an executive order in 2006 to develop a one-stop business portal, but that a one-stop business portal has not yet been developed.
     (3) The legislature further finds that implementing a one-stop integrated system that allows businesses to complete their state government business in a customized, more efficient, and more effective way will greatly improve the business customer experience, reduce the time it takes businesses to conduct their interactions with state government, and increase compliance with state regulations.
     (4) The legislature further finds that in response to the need for a one-stop business portal, the office of the chief information officer, in collaboration with multiple state agencies, produced a high-level technology architecture for an integrated enterprise system that would provide businesses with that web-based, one-stop place for businesses to conduct their business with the state.
     (5) Therefore, the legislature intends to monitor the progress towards development and implementation of the one-stop business portal.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 43.41A RCW to read as follows:
     (1) By November 30, 2013, the office of the chief information officer must provide the economic development committees of the legislature a plan for establishing performance benchmarks, and for measuring the results of implementing a one-stop integrated system for business interactions with government. The plan must specify how the office of the chief information officer and other state agencies intend to collaborate with the business community in order to receive business feedback and use business recommendations in the development of the one-stop business portal. The plan must include a timeline, agency responsibilities, and a benchmark for initial implementation. At a minimum, the following state agencies must collaborate with the office of the chief information officer in developing and tracking these benchmarks and performance measures: The department of revenue, the department of labor and industries, the secretary of state, the employment security department, the department of commerce, and the office of regulatory assistance.
     (2) The office of the chief information officer must submit a progress report on the development of the one-stop integrated system to the economic development committees of the legislature by January 1st of each year, beginning with January 1, 2014, and ending with a report documenting that the portal has reached the performance benchmark of initial implementation. The progress report must also specify how the office of the chief information officer and other state agencies are collaborating with the business community and using business recommendations in the development of the one-stop business portal.
     (3) For the purposes of this section, the benchmark of initial implementation must include development of a system backbone; connection of the department of revenue, the department of labor and industries, the secretary of state, and the employment security department to the backbone; and development of a public-facing web portal.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   (1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, this act expires when the office of the chief information officer reports to the economic development committees of the legislature that the one-stop portal has reached initial implementation.
     (2) If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill or chapter number, is not provided by June 30, 2013, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act expires after the progress report submitted by January 1, 2014, has been submitted.
     (3) The chief information officer must provide notice of the expiration date of this act to affected parties, including the chief clerk of the house of representatives, the secretary of the senate, the office of the code reviser, and others as deemed appropriate by the chief information officer.