H-2342

AN ACT Relating to K-20 telecommunications governance; amending RCW 43.105.020, 28D.02.060, 28D.02.065, and 28D.02.070; reenacting and amending RCW 43.105.041; adding new sections to chapter 43.105 RCW; recodifying RCW 28D.02.060, 28D.02.065, and 28D.02.070; repealing RCW 28D.02.005, 28D.02.010, 28D.02.020, 28D.02.030, 28D.02.040, and 28D.02.050; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 43.105.020 and 1993 c 280 s 78 are each amended to read as follows:

As used in this chapter, unless the context indicates otherwise, the following definitions shall apply:

(1) "Department" means the department of information services;

(2) "Board" means the information services board;

(3) "Local governments" includes all municipal and quasi municipal corporations and political subdivisions, and all agencies of such corporations and subdivisions authorized to contract separately;

(4) "Director" means the director of the department;

(5) "Purchased services" means services provided by a vendor to accomplish routine, continuing, and necessary functions. This term includes, but is not limited to, services acquired for equipment maintenance and repair, operation of a physical plant, security, computer hardware and software installation and maintenance, data entry, keypunch services, programming services, and computer time-sharing;

(6) "Backbone network" means the shared high-density portions of the state's telecommunications transmission facilities. It includes specially conditioned high-speed communications carrier lines, multiplexors, switches associated with such communications lines, and any equipment and software components necessary for management and control of the backbone network;

(7) "Telecommunications" means the transmission of information by wire, radio, optical cable, electromagnetic, or other means;

(8) "Information processing" means the electronic capture, collection, storage, manipulation, transmission, retrieval, and presentation of information in the form of data, text, voice, or image and includes telecommunications and office automation functions;

(9) "Information services" means data processing, telecommunications, and office automation;

(10) "Equipment" means the machines, devices, and transmission facilities used in information processing, such as computers, word processors, terminals, telephones, and cables;

(11) "Proprietary software" means that software offered for sale or license;

(12) "Video telecommunications" means the electronic interconnection of two or more sites for the purpose of transmitting and/or receiving visual and associated audio information. Video telecommunications shall not include existing public television broadcast stations as currently designated by the department of community, trade, and economic development under chapter 43.330 RCW;

(13) "K-20 network user steering committee" or "committee" means the K-20 network user steering committee created in section 3 of this act;

(14) "K-20 network" means the network established in RCW 28D.02.070;

(15) "Educational sectors" means those institutions of higher education, school districts, and educational service districts that use the network for distance education, data transmission, and other uses permitted by the board.

Sec. 2. RCW 43.105.041 and 1996 c 171 s 8 and 1996 c 137 s 12 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

(1) The board shall have the following powers and duties related to information services:

(a) To develop standards governing the acquisition and disposition of equipment, proprietary software and purchased services, and confidentiality of computerized data;

(b) To purchase, lease, rent, or otherwise acquire, dispose of, and maintain equipment, proprietary software, and purchased services, or to delegate to other agencies and institutions of state government, under appropriate standards, the authority to purchase, lease, rent, or otherwise acquire, dispose of, and maintain equipment, proprietary software, and purchased services: PROVIDED, That, agencies and institutions of state government are expressly prohibited from acquiring or disposing of equipment, proprietary software, and purchased services without such delegation of authority. The acquisition and disposition of equipment, proprietary software, and purchased services is exempt from RCW 43.19.1919 and, as provided in RCW 43.19.1901, from the provisions of RCW 43.19.190 through 43.19.200. This subsection (1)(b) does not apply to the legislative branch;

(d) To review and approve standards and common specifications for new or expanded telecommunications networks proposed by agencies, public postsecondary education institutions, educational service districts, or state-wide or regional providers of K-12 information technology services, and to assure the cost-effective development and incremental implementation of a state-wide video telecommunications system to serve: Public schools; educational service districts; vocational-technical institutes; community colleges; colleges and universities; state and local government; and the general public through public affairs programming;

(e) To provide direction concerning strategic planning goals and objectives for the state. The board shall seek input from the legislature and the judiciary;

(f) To develop and implement a process for the resolution of appeals by:

(i) Vendors concerning the conduct of an acquisition process by an agency or the department; or

(ii) A customer agency concerning the provision of services by the department or by other state agency providers;

(g) To establish policies for the periodic review by the department of agency performance which may include but are not limited to analysis of:

(i) Planning, management, control, and use of information services;

(ii) Training and education; and

(iii) Project management;

(h) To set its meeting schedules and convene at scheduled times, or meet at the request of a majority of its members, the chair, or the director; and

(i) To review and approve that portion of the department's budget requests that provides for support to the board.

(2) State-wide technical standards to promote and facilitate electronic information sharing and access are an essential component of acceptable and reliable public access service and complement content-related standards designed to meet those goals. The board shall:

(a) Establish technical standards to facilitate electronic access to government information and interoperability of information systems. Local governments are strongly encouraged to follow the standards established by the board; and

(b) Require agencies to consider electronic public access needs when planning new information systems or major upgrades of systems.

In developing these standards, the board is encouraged to include the state library, state archives, and appropriate representatives of state and local government.

(3) The board, in consultation with the K-20 network user steering committee, has the duty to govern, operate, and oversee the K-20 network, including but not limited to the following duties: Establishing and implementing K-20 network policy, including network rates, growth, finance, subsidies, and technology; establishing and implementing network user policies including user access; coordinating budget requests for shared portions of the K-20 network; and user/provider dispute resolution. The board shall delegate general operational and technical oversight to the K-20 network user steering committee as appropriate.

(b) The board has the authority to adopt rules under chapter 34.05 RCW to implement the provisions regarding the K-20 network.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 43.105 RCW to read as follows:

The K-20 network user steering committee is established, and shall report to the board.

(1) The committee consists of the following seven voting members: The executive director of the higher education coordinating board or the director's appointee; the superintendent of public instruction or the superintendent's appointee; the executive director of the state board for community and technical colleges or the executive director's appointee; a representative of the educational services districts, appointed by that organization; a representative of the baccalaureate institutions, appointed by the council of presidents; a representative of the computer or telecommunications industry, appointed by the governor; and a representative of the department, appointed by the director. The committee includes as ex officio, nonvoting members, a representative of the organization that operates the K-20 network, appointed by that organization, the state librarian, a representative of the independent nonprofit institutions of higher education appointed by the Washington association of independent colleges and universities, and such additional ex officio, nonvoting members as may be appointed by the board. The committee shall select a chair from among its members.

(2) The committee shall have general operational and technical oversight over the K-20 network, as delegated by the board.

(3) The department shall supply necessary staff support to the committee.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. RCW 28D.02.060, 28D.02.065, and 28D.02.070 are each recodified as sections in chapter 43.105 RCW.

Sec. 5. RCW 28D.02.060 and 1997 c 180 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

The K-20 technology account is hereby created in the state treasury. The department of information services shall deposit into the account moneys received from legislative appropriations, gifts, grants, and endowments for the buildout and installation of the K-20 telecommunication system. The account shall be subject to appropriation and may be expended solely for the K-20 telecommunication system approved by the ((~~committee under RCW 28D.02.010~~)) board. Disbursements from the account shall be on authorization of the director of the department of information services with approval of the ((~~committee under RCW 28D.02.010~~)) board.

Sec. 6. RCW 28D.02.065 and 1997 c 180 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The education technology revolving fund is created in the custody of the state treasurer. All receipts from billings under subsection (2) of this section must be deposited in the revolving fund. Only the director of the department of information services or the director's designee may authorize expenditures from the fund. The revolving fund shall be used ((~~only~~)) to pay for ((~~the acquisition of~~)) network operations, transport, equipment, software, supplies, and services, maintenance and depreciation of on-site data and shared infrastructure, and other costs incidental to the ((~~acquisition,~~)) development, operation, and administration of shared educational information technology services, telecommunications, and systems. The revolving fund shall not be used for the acquisition, maintenance, or operations of local ((~~networks~~)) telecommunications infrastructure or the maintenance or depreciation of on-premises video equipment specific to a particular institution or group of institutions.

(2) The revolving fund and all disbursements from the revolving fund are subject to the allotment procedure under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not required for expenditures. The department of information services shall, in consultation with entities connected to the network under RCW 28D.02.070 and subject to the review and approval of the office ((~~[of]~~)) of financial management, establish and implement a billing structure ((~~to assure that all network users pay an equitable share of the costs in relation to their usage of the~~)) for network services identified in subsection (1) of this section.

Sec. 7. RCW 28D.02.070 and 1996 c 137 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:

The information services board shall prepare a technical plan for the design and construction of the K-20 telecommunication system. The board shall ensure that the technical plan adheres to the ((~~principles described in RCW 28D.02.020 and the~~)) goals and objectives established ((~~by the committee~~)) under RCW ((~~28D.02.010~~)) 43.105.041. The board shall provide formal project approval and oversight during the development and implementation of the K-20 telecommunications network. In approving the plan, the board shall conduct a request for proposal process. The technical plan shall be developed in phases as follows:

(1) Phase one shall provide a telecommunication backbone connecting educational service districts, the main campuses of public baccalaureate institutions, the branch campuses of public research institutions, and the main campuses of community colleges and technical colleges.

(2) Phase two shall provide for (a) connection to the network by entities that include, but need not be limited to: School districts, public higher education off-campus and extension centers, and branch campuses of community colleges and technical colleges, ((~~and independent nonprofit baccalaureate institutions,~~)) as prioritized by the ((~~[K-20]~~)) K-20 telecommunications oversight and policy committee, or as modified by the board; ((~~and~~)) (b) distance education facilities and components for entities listed in subsections (1) and (2) of this section; and (c) connection for independent nonprofit institutions of higher education, provided that:

(i) The board and each independent nonprofit institution of higher education to be connected agree in writing to terms and conditions of connectivity. The terms and conditions shall ensure, among other things, that the provision of K-20 services does not violate Article VIII, section 5 of the state Constitution and that the institution shall adhere to network policies; and

(ii) The board determines that inclusion of the independent nonprofit institutions of higher education will not significantly affect the network's eligibility for federal universal service fund discounts or subsidies.

((~~(3) Subsequent phases may include, but need not be limited to, connections to public libraries, state and local governments, community resource centers, and the private sector.~~))

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. A new section is added to chapter 43.105 RCW to read as follows:

Actions of the K-20 telecommunications oversight and policy committee in effect on June 30, 1999, shall remain in effect thereafter unless modified or repealed by the board.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. A new section is added to chapter 43.105 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The board is not intended to duplicate the statutory responsibilities of the higher education coordinating board, the superintendent of public instruction, or the governing boards of the institutions of higher education.

(2) The board may not interfere in any curriculum or legally offered programming offered over the network.

(3) The coordination of telecommunications planning for institutions of higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016 remains the responsibility of the higher education coordinating board under RCW 28B.80.600. The board may recommend but not require revisions to the higher education coordinating board's telecommunications plan.

(4) The coordination of telecommunications planning for the common schools remains the responsibility of the superintendent of public instruction. The board may recommend but not require revisions to the superintendent's telecommunications plans.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 10. A new section is added to chapter 43.105 RCW to read as follows:

The private sector member of the committee shall be compensated in accordance with RCW 43.03.250.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 11. A new section is added to chapter 43.105 RCW to read as follows:

The department of information services shall maintain, in consultation with the committee and the board, the K-20 operations cooperative, which shall be responsible for day-to-day network management, technical network status monitoring, technical problem response coordination, and other duties as agreed to by the department, the committee, and the board. Funding for the K-20 operations cooperative shall be provided from the education technology revolving fund under RCW 28D.02.065.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 12. The following acts or parts of acts are each repealed:

(1) RCW 28D.02.005 (Intent--Finding) and 1996 c 137 s 1;

(2) RCW 28D.02.010 (K-20 telecommunications oversight and policy committee) and 1996 c 137 s 2;

(3) RCW 28D.02.020 (Design and implementation plan) and 1996 c 137 s 3;

(4) RCW 28D.02.030 (Proposed location plan of higher education delivery sites) and 1996 c 137 s 4;

(5) RCW 28D.02.040 (Proposed location plan of public education delivery sites) and 1996 c 137 s 5; and

(6) RCW 28D.02.050 (Network governance structure--Recommendations of the higher education coordinating board and the superintendent of public instruction) and 1996 c 137 s 6.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 13. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect July 1, 1999.