BILL REQ. #:  S-1944.2 

READ FIRST TIME 03/04/03.   

     AN ACT Relating to coordinating emergency communications systems by forming the state interoperability executive committee; amending RCW 43.105.041; reenacting and amending RCW 43.105.020; adding new sections to chapter 43.105 RCW; creating a new section; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   It is the intent of the legislature to ensure that the state's considerable investment in radio communications facilities, and the radio spectrum that is licensed to government entities in the state, are managed in a way that promotes to the maximum extent the health and safety of the state's citizens and the economic efficiencies of coordinated planning, development, management, maintenance, accountability, and performance. The legislature finds that such coordination is essential for disaster preparedness, emergency management, and public safety, and that such coordination will result in more cost-effective use of state resources and improved government services.

Sec. 2   RCW 43.105.020 and 1999 c 285 s 1 and 1999 c 80 s 1 are each reenacted and 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, telecommunications 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. This information includes, but is not limited to, data, text, voice, and video;
     (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, and computerized information systems;
     (10) "Equipment" means the machines, devices, and transmission facilities used in information processing, such as computers, word processors, terminals, telephones, ((and)) wireless communications system facilities, cables, and any physical facility necessary for the operation of such equipment;
     (11) "Information technology portfolio" or "portfolio" means a strategic management process documenting relationships between agency missions and information technology and telecommunications investments;
     (12) "Oversight" means a process of comprehensive risk analysis and management designed to ensure optimum use of information technology and telecommunications resources;
     (13) "Proprietary software" means that software offered for sale or license;
     (14) "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;
     (15) "K-20 educational network board" or "K-20 board" means the K-20 educational network board created in RCW 43.105.800;
     (16) "K-20 network technical steering committee" or "committee" means the K-20 network technical steering committee created in RCW 43.105.810;
     (17) "K-20 network" means the network established in RCW 43.105.820;
     (18) "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; and
     (19) "Committee" means the state interoperability executive committee.

Sec. 3   RCW 43.105.041 and 1999 c 285 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The board shall have the following powers and duties related to information services:
     (a) To develop standards and procedures governing the acquisition and disposition of equipment, proprietary software, and purchased services, licensing of the radio spectrum by or on behalf of state agencies, 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 statewide 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 statewide or regional providers of K-12 information technology services, and to assure the cost-effective development and incremental implementation of a statewide 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) Statewide 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, including wireless communications 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. 4   A new section is added to chapter 43.105 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The board shall appoint a state interoperability executive committee, the membership of which shall include, but not be limited to, representatives of the military department, the Washington state patrol, the department of transportation, the department of information services, the department of natural resources, city and county governments, state and local fire chiefs, police chiefs and sheriffs, and state and local emergency management directors. The chair and legislative members of the board shall serve as nonvoting ex officio members of the committee. Voting membership shall not exceed fifteen members.
     (2) The chair of the board shall appoint the chair of the committee from among the voting members of the committee.
     (3) The committee has the following responsibilities:
     (a) Develop policies and make recommendations to the board for technical standards for state wireless radio communications systems, including emergency communications systems. Such standards shall address among other things the interoperability of systems, taking into account both existing and future systems and technologies;
     (b) Coordinate and manage on behalf of the board the licensing and use of state-designated and state-licensed radio frequencies, including the spectrum used for public safety and emergency communications, and serve as the point of contact with the federal communications commission on matters relating to allocation, use, and licensing of the radio spectrum;
     (c) Seek support, including possible federal or other funding, for state-sponsored wireless communications systems;
     (d) Develop recommendations for legislation that may be required to promote interoperability of state wireless communications systems;
     (e) Foster cooperation and coordination among public safety and emergency response organizations;
     (f) Work with wireless communications groups and associations to ensure interoperability among all public safety and emergency response wireless communications systems; and
     (g) Perform such other duties as may be assigned by the board to promote interoperability of wireless communications systems.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   A new section is added to chapter 43.105 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The committee shall take inventory of and evaluate all state and local government-owned public safety communications systems, and prepare a statewide public safety communications plan. The plan shall set forth recommendations for executive and legislative action to insure that public safety communications systems can communicate with one another and conform to federal law and regulations governing emergency communications systems and spectrum allocation. The plan shall include specific goals for improving interoperability of public safety communications systems and identifiable benchmarks for achieving those goals.
     (2) The committee shall present the inventory and plan required in subsection (1) of this section to the board and appropriate legislative committees as follows:
     (a) By December 31, 2003, an inventory of state government-operated public safety communications systems;
     (b) By July 31, 2004, an inventory of all public safety communications systems in the state;
     (c) By March 31, 2004, an interim statewide public safety communications plan; and
     (d) By December 31, 2004, a final statewide public safety communications plan.
     (3) The committee shall consult regularly with the joint legislative audit and review committee and the legislative evaluation and accounting program committee while developing the inventory and plan under this section.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   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, 2003.