S-4292.1
SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6232
State of Washington 68th Legislature 2024 Regular Session
By Senate State Government & Elections (originally sponsored by
Senators J. Wilson and Padden)
READ FIRST TIME 01/29/24.
1 AN ACT Relating to establishing a pilot common public records
2 portal; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
4 NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) Subject to the availability of amounts
5 appropriated for this specific purpose, the consolidated technology
6 services agency is directed to study and select a suitable state
7 agency for a pilot common public records portal as described in
8 section 2 of this act.
9 (2) In selecting a suitable agency for the pilot common public
10 records portal, the consolidated technology services agency must
11 consider the goals of the project as described in section 2(5) of
12 this act.
13 (3) The study must commence by July 1, 2024.
14 (4) By December 1, 2024, the consolidated technology services
15 agency must select and announce the suitable agency for the pilot
16 common public records portal.
17 NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) Subject to the availability of amounts
18 appropriated for this specific purpose, a pilot common public records
19 portal is established for the purpose of developing a model public
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 1 records access system that will provide free and convenient access to
2 commonly requested public records.
3 (2) The consolidated technology services agency must serve as the
4 managing entity for the pilot program and establish, operate, and
5 maintain the pilot common public records portal.
6 (3) The project agency must coordinate with the consolidated
7 technology services agency to provide public records for purposes of
8 the pilot program and help develop the portal as a central repository
9 and access point for freely accessible public records managed by the
10 project agency during the operation of the pilot program.
11 (4) The pilot common public records portal must be established by
12 June 1, 2025, and operate for five years.
13 (5) The pilot common public records portal must:
14 (a) Proactively publish and provide access to commonly requested
15 public records that are available to all members of the public and
16 require little to no review and no redaction;
17 (b) Operate as a central repository and archive for the purpose
18 of all freely available public records on behalf of the project
19 agency;
20 (c) Provide direct access to instantly view and download commonly
21 requested public records;
22 (d) Seek to make public access easier by allowing members of the
23 public to search and review commonly requested public records by
24 topic category and trending issue areas; and
25 (e) Refer members of the public to the conventional public
26 records request process, if they are requesting access to records
27 that are not freely available and that may require review and
28 redaction.
29 (6) Any state agency, city, county, special purpose district, or
30 other local agency may choose to opt into the pilot program, and the
31 consolidated technology services agency must coordinate with the opt-
32 in agency to provide the public records of the agency through the
33 online portal.
34 (7) The pilot common public records portal must provide free
35 access to all public records provided through the portal and no
36 charge or fee may be assessed on any website user.
37 (8) By December 1, 2030, the joint legislative audit and review
38 committee must review the pilot project, identify challenges and
39 opportunities for expanding the project to additional public
40 agencies, and provide a report with findings and recommendations on
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 1 the performance of the pilot common public records portal to the
2 appropriate committees of the senate and the house of
3 representatives.
4 (9) The pilot common public records portal is subject to all
5 provisions of chapter 42.56 RCW and nothing in this act affects the
6 provisions of chapter 42.56 RCW.
7 (10) For purposes of this section, "project agency" means the
8 agency selected by the consolidated technology services agency to
9 take part in the pilot common public records portal as described in
10 section 1 of this act.
11 (11) This section expires December 31, 2030.
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