Current digital copies of the Revised Code of Washington, the Washington Administrative Code, the Washington State Register, and the session laws of the Washington state legislature shall be maintained and made freely available for permanent public access on the code reviser or legislative website. All historical digital copies added to the website shall be made freely available for permanent public access.

The statute law committee shall provide digital authentication for any publication in a digital format that is declared official, if in the discretion of the committee such authentication does not interfere with public access.

Purpose—Finding—Intent—2011 c 156: "The purpose of this act is to promote widespread access to legal and public information materials produced by the statute law committee in both digital and print formats while responding to a changing marketplace where sale of paper copies no longer supports the printing of copies intended for free distribution.

The legislature finds that web-based access to these materials has become the most popular and efficient method of access by the public, state agencies and local governments, and the legal community and that permanent public access to these web-based materials shall be maintained and preserved. The statute law committee shall also make it a priority to provide reasonably priced print alternatives to the public, state agencies and local governments, and libraries.

The legislature intends that the statute law committee have additional discretion to distribute its publications using the most efficient methods and technologies available and to use less expensive formats for the delivery of free copies to state and local agencies when appropriate." [ 2011 c 156 s 1.]