SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 5614

As Reported By Senate Committee On:

Economic Development & Telecommunications, February 14, 2001

Title:  An act relating to exempting financial or proprietary information provided to the department of community, trade, and economic development from public disclosure.

Brief Description:  Exempting certain financial or proprietary information provided to the department of community, trade, and economic development from public disclosure.

Sponsors:  Senators T. Sheldon and Stevens; by request of Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development & Telecommunications.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Economic Development & Telecommunications:  2/12/01, 2/14/01 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Majority Report:  Do pass.

Signed by Senators T. Sheldon, Chair; B. Sheldon, Vice Chair; Brown, Fairley, Finkbeiner, Haugen, McCaslin, Rossi and Stevens.

Staff:  William Bridges (786‑7424)

Background:  Under the Public Disclosure Act (PDA), all records of state agencies and local governments are open to inspection and copying unless exempted by statute.  One exemption applies to economic data collected by the Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development (CTED), which is used by the department in business recruitment efforts.

Summary of Bill:  An additional exemption to the PDA is created for financial and proprietary information collected by CTED for researching economic trends and conducting industry surveys.  This exemption does not apply to work product developed by CTED that is based on the financial and proprietary information.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  This will help CTED collect information used to assess economic and demographic trends in the state.  Companies will feel comfortable giving economic information to CTED if they know it will be kept private.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  PRO:  Ron Newbry, Wash. Econ. Dev. Assn; Sung Yang, CTED.