Z-1245.1 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 6070
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State of Washington 53rd Legislature 1994 Regular Session
By Senators Loveland, Winsley and M. Rasmussen; by request of Secretary of State
Read first time 01/11/94. Referred to Committee on Government Operations.
AN ACT Relating to public records preservation, maintenance, and disposition by agencies of local government and the secretary of state; adding new sections to chapter 40.14 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that: (1) Accountability for and the efficient management of local government records are in the public interest and that compliance with public records management requirements significantly affects the cost of local government administration; (2) the secretary of state is responsible for insuring the preservation of local government archives and may assist local government compliance with public records statutes; (3) as provided in RCW 40.14.025, all archives and records management services provided by the secretary of state are funded exclusively by a schedule of fees and charges established jointly by the secretary of state and the director of financial management; (4) the secretary of state's costs for preserving and providing public access to local government archives and providing records management assistance to local government agencies have been funded by fees paid by state government agencies; (5) local government agencies are responsible for costs associated with managing, protecting, and providing public access to the records in their custody; and (6) local government agencies should be given the ability to collect fees to help fund the secretary of state's local government archives and records management services.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A surcharge of twenty dollars shall be assessed and collected in superior court in addition to the filing fee of five dollars for the filing of a warrant for unpaid taxes. Surcharge revenue shall be transmitted monthly to the state treasurer who shall deposit it in the archives and records management account under RCW 40.14.025.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. Tax warrant surcharge revenue deposited in the archives and records management account, as provided under section 2 of this act, shall be expended by the secretary of state exclusively for the payment of costs and expenses incurred in the provision of public archives and records management services to local government agencies by the division of archives and records management. The secretary of state shall work with local government representatives to establish a committee to advise the state archivist on the local government archives and records management program.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. Tax warrant surcharge revenue received by the secretary of state under section 2 of this act shall be allocated exclusively to:
(1) Appraise, process, store, preserve, and provide public research access to original records designated by the state archivist as archival which are no longer required to be kept by the agencies which originally made or filed them;
(2) Protect essential records, as provided by chapters 40.10 and 40.20 RCW. Permanent facsimiles of essential records shall be produced and placed in security storage with the state archivist;
(3) Coordinate records retention and disposition management and provide support for the following functions under RCW 40.14.070:
(a) Advise and assist individual agencies on public records management requirements and practices; and
(b) Compile, maintain, and regularly update general records retention schedules and destruction authorizations; and
(4) Develop and maintain standards for the application of recording media and records storage technologies.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. Sections 2 through 4 of this act are each added to chapter 40.14 RCW.
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