SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 6315

As Reported By Senate Committee On:

State & Local Government, January 23, 2002

Title:  An act relating to funding and expenditures of the secretary of state.

Brief Description:  Clarifying acceptance of gifts by the archives and oral history program.

Sponsors:  Senators Gardner, Snyder, Carlson, Roach, Winsley, Hale and Rasmussen; by request of Secretary of State.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  State & Local Government:  1/17/02, 1/23/02 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Majority Report:  Do pass.

Signed by Senators Gardner, Chair; Fairley, Vice Chair; Hale, Haugen, Keiser, Kline, McCaslin, T. Sheldon and Swecker.

Staff:  Diane Smith (786‑7410)

Background:  The Secretary of State may accept gifts and expend gifts limited only by the terms of the donor.  The Secretary of State's revolving fund does not provide for defraying the costs of carrying out the functions of the State Archivist or of the Oral History Program.

Summary of Bill:  The Secretary of State is permitted to solicit funds and other gifts.  Receipts and expenditures must be accounted for in the Secretary of State's revolving fund.  The expenditures are managed by the Secretary of State and do not require legislative appropriation.  The revolving fund may be used to defray costs of carrying out the functions of the State Archivist and the Oral History Program.  The State Archivist is given authority to solicit, accept, and expend donations for purposes of the archive program.

Any solicitations or acceptance of contributions for the Secretary of State's revolving fund as used for the purposes of conducting oral histories, archival activities, and international trade hosting and missions are exempt from Public Disclosure prohibitions on fundraising before, during, and after the legislative session and are not considered violations of the code of ethics in public service.

Any donations that do not meet the criteria of the Oral History Program or the archive program may not be accepted.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  This bill will help preserve important historical resources that could otherwise be lost.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Sam Reed, Secretary of State (pro).