BILL REQ. #:  H-4914.1 

READ FIRST TIME 01/29/08.   

     AN ACT Relating to the Washington joint analytical center; adding a new section to chapter 43.43 RCW; creating a new section; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that the Washington joint analytical center, otherwise known as WAJAC, is a conglomerate group encompassing the Washington state patrol, the intelligence subcommittee of the governor's committee on homeland security, and the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs. These entities work cooperatively with other federal, state, and local agencies in order to promote intelligence-led policing as well as to gather, analyze, and share intelligence information on terrorists and other organized criminal groups that could compromise the public safety of the citizens of the state of Washington.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 43.43 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The Washington joint analytical center is created. The Washington state patrol shall provide administrative support for the Washington joint analytical center.
     (2) The Washington joint analytical center is responsible for:
     (a) Serving as the state's central center for all terrorism-related information;
     (b) Working cooperatively with the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs in order to collect and analyze information to develop actionable intelligence;
     (c) Creating and maintaining seamless and ongoing partnerships with federal, state, local, and tribal agencies, as well as private entities; and
     (d) Working cooperatively with the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs in order to increase better information interchange between local, state, and federal law enforcement and criminal justice agencies.
     (3) The Washington joint analytical center shall be governed by a board of law enforcement executives, appointed by the executive board of the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   The sum of four million six hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 2009, from the general fund to the Washington state patrol for the purposes of section 2 of this act.