AN
ACT Relating to the governance of the K-20 telecommunications network; 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; creating new sections;
recodifying RCW 28D.02.060, 28D.02.65, 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 educational network board" or "K-20 board" means the
K-20 educational network board created in section 2 of this act;
(14)
"K-20 network technical steering committee" or "committee"
means the K-20 network technical steering committee created in section 6 of
this act;
(15)
"K-20 network" means the network established in RCW 28D.02.070;
(16)
"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 K-20
board.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 2. The
K-20 educational network board is created. The purpose of the K-20 board is to
ensure that the K-20 educational telecommunications network is operated in a way
that serves the broad public interest above the interest of any network user.
(1)
The K-20 board shall comprise eleven voting and seven nonvoting members as
follows:
(a)
Voting members shall include: A person designated by the governor; one member
of each caucus of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate; one
member of each caucus of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker
of the house of representatives; the superintendent of public instruction or
his or her designee; the executive director of the higher education
coordinating board or his or her designee; the executive director of the state
board for community and technical colleges or his or her designee; the chair of
the information services board, or his or her designee; the director of the
department of information services or his or her designee; and one citizen
member.
The
citizen member shall be appointed to a four-year term by the governor with the
consent of the senate. The governor shall appoint the citizen member of the
K-20 board by July 30, 1999.
(b)
Nonvoting members shall include one community or technical college president,
appointed by the state board for technical and community colleges; one
president of a public baccalaureate institution, appointed by the council of
presidents; the state librarian; one educational service district
superintendent, one school district superintendent, and one representative of
an approved private school, appointed by the superintendent of public
instruction; and one representative of independent baccalaureate institutions,
appointed by the Washington association of independent colleges and
universities.
(2)
The director of the department of information services or his or her designee
shall serve as chair of the K-20 board. The department of information services
shall provide staffing to the K-20 board. A majority of the voting members of
the K-20 board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
(3)
The citizen member of the K-20 board shall be compensated in accordance with
RCW 43.03.250.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 3. The
new section is added to chapter 43.105 RCW to read as follows:
The
K-20 board has the following powers and duties:
(1)
In cooperation with the educational sectors and other interested parties, to
establish goals and measurable objectives for the network;
(2)
To ensure that the goals and measurable objectives of the network are the basis
for any decisions or recommendations regarding the technical development and operation
of the network;
(3)
To adopt, modify, and implement policies to facilitate network development,
operation, and expansion. Such policies may include but need not be limited to
the following issues: Quality of educational services; access to the network
by recognized organizations and accredited institutions that deliver
educational programming, including public libraries; prioritization of
programming within limited resources; prioritization of access to the system
and the sharing of technological advances; network security; identification and
evaluation of emerging technologies for delivery of educational programs;
future expansion or redirection of the system; network fee structures; and
costs for the development and operation of the network;
(4)
To prepare and submit to the governor and the legislature a coordinated budget
for network development, operation, and expansion. The budget shall include
the recommendations of the K-20 board on (a) any state funding requested for
network transport and equipment, distance education facilities and hardware or
software specific to the use of the network, and proposed new network end
sites, (b) annual copayments to be charged to public educational sector
institutions and other public entities connected to the network, and (c)
charges to nongovernmental entities connected to the network;
(5)
To adopt and monitor the implementation of a methodology to evaluate the
effectiveness of the network in achieving the educational goals and measurable
objectives;
(6)
To authorize the release of funds from the K-20 technology account under RCW
28D.02.060 (as recodified by this act) for network expenditures;
(7)
To establish by rule acceptable use policies governing user eligibility for
participation in the K-20 network, acceptable uses of network resources, and
procedures for enforcement of such policies. The K-20 board shall set forth
appropriate procedures for enforcement of acceptable use policies, that may
include suspension of network connections and removal of shared equipment for
violations of network conditions or policies. However, the information
services board shall have sole responsibility for the implementation of
enforcement procedures relating to technical conditions of use.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 4. A
new section is added to chapter 43.105 RCW to read as follows:
Actions
of the telecommunications oversight and policy committee in effect on June 30,
1999, shall remain in effect thereafter unless modified or repealed by the K-20
board.
Sec.
5. 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;
(c)
To develop state-wide or interagency technical policies, standards, and
procedures;
(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)(a)
The board, in consultation with the K-20 board, has the duty to govern,
operate, and oversee the technical design, implementation, and operation of the
K-20 network including, but not limited to, the following duties:
Establishment and implementation of K-20 network technical policy, including
technical standards and conditions of use; review and approval of network
design; procurement of shared network services and equipment; and resolving
user/provider disputes concerning technical matters. The board shall delegate
general operational and technical oversight to the K-20 network technical
steering committee as appropriate.
(b)
The board has the authority to adopt rules under chapter 34.05 RCW to implement
the provisions regarding the technical operations and conditions of use of the
K-20 network.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 6. A
new section is added to chapter 43.105 RCW to read as follows:
The
K-20 network technical steering committee is established, and shall report to
the information services board.
(1)
The committee consists of the following seven voting members: A representative
of the higher education coordinating board, appointed by its executive
director; a representative of the superintendent of public instruction,
appointed by the superintendent of public instruction; a representative of the
state board for community and technical colleges, appointed by its executive
director; 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 under section 8 of this act, 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 information services 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 information services board.
(3)
The department shall supply necessary staff support to the committee.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 7. A
new section is added to chapter 43.105 RCW to read as follows:
(1)
In overseeing the technical aspects of the K-20 network, the information
services board is not intended to duplicate the statutory responsibilities of
the higher education coordinating board, the superintendent of public
instruction, the information services board, the state librarian, 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 responsibility to review and approve standards and common specifications
for the network remains the responsibility of the information services board
under RCW 43.105.041.
(5)
The coordination of telecommunications planning for the common schools remains
the responsibility of the superintendent of public instruction. Except as set
forth in RCW 43.105.041(1)(d), the board may recommend, but not require,
revisions to the superintendent's telecommunications plans.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 8. A
new section is added to chapter 43.105 RCW to read as follows:
The
department shall maintain, in consultation with the network users 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 educational sectors, and the information services board. Funding for the
K-20 operations cooperative shall be provided from the K-20 revolving fund
under RCW 28D.02.065 (as recodified by this act).
Sec.
9. 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)). 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.
10. 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
or)) 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 (as
recodified by this act) 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 network)) for
network services identified in subsection (1) of this section.
(3)
The department shall charge those public entities connected to the K-20
telecommunications under RCW 28D.02.070 an annual copayment per unit of
transport connection as determined by the legislature after consideration of
the K-20 board's recommendations. This copayment shall be deposited into the
revolving fund to be used for the purposes in subsection (1) of this section.
It is the intent of the legislature to appropriate to the revolving fund such
moneys as necessary to cover the costs for transport, maintenance, and
depreciation of data equipment located at the individual public institutions,
maintenance and depreciation of the network backbone, and services provided to
the network under section 8 of this act.
Sec.
11. 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 K-20 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 K-20 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. 12. RCW
28D.02.060, 28D.02.065, and 28D.02.070 are each recodified as sections in
chapter 43.105 RCW.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 13. 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. 14. 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.
