Title: An act relating to the surcharge for preservation of historical documents.

Brief Description: Increasing the surcharge for the preservation of historical documents.

Sponsors: Senators Shin, Schmidt, Regala, Berkey and Jacobsen.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Government Operations & Elections: 1/31/05, 2/24/05 [DPS, DNP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS & ELECTIONS

Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5458 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.Signed by Senators Kastama, Chair; Berkey, Vice Chair; Fairley, Haugen, Kline and Pridemore.

Minority Report: Do not pass.Signed by Senators Roach, Ranking Minority Member; Benton and Mulliken.

Staff: Mac Nicholson (786-7445)

Background: The county auditor is required to impose a surcharge of two dollars for each document recorded with the auditor. Money collected through the surcharge is used to fund ongoing preservation of historical documents.

Summary of Substitute Bill: The two dollar surcharge per instrument for historical preservation is raised to a four dollar surcharge per instrument. One dollar of the surcharge must be deposited in the county general fund to be used at the discretion of the county commissioners to promote historical preservation or historical programs, which may include preservation of historic documents.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill: The original bill increased the surcharge to five dollars. The substitute adds the provision that one dollar be deposited in the county general fund.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

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

Testimony For: The surcharge amount was set in the late 1980s and hasn't been changed. The auditor collects the surcharge, but all county offices must preserve documents, and the amount being collected isn't enough. Imaging and preserving these documents allows easy public access and duplication of the records, and more money is needed to continue the imaging process. There is a lot of history in documents at the county auditor's office, and that history needs to be preserved.

Testimony Against: None.

Who Testified: PRO: Senator Shin, prime sponsor; Betty Gould, Thurston County Clerk; Karen Flynn, Kitsap County Auditor; Dave Peterson, Kitsap County Clerk; Kim Wyman, Thurston County Auditor.