(1) The secretary of the senate and the chief clerk of the house of representatives, at the direction of the legislative oral history committee, shall administer and conduct a program to record and document oral histories of current and former members and staff of the Washington state legislature, and other citizens who have participated in the political history of the Washington state legislature. The secretary of the senate and the chief clerk of the house of representatives may contract with independent oral historians or the history departments of the state universities to interview and record oral histories. The manuscripts and publications shall be made available for research and reference through the state archives. The manuscripts, together with current and historical photographs, may be published for distribution to libraries and the general public, and posted on the legislative oral history website.

(2) The oral history of a person who occupied positions, or was staff to a person who occupied positions, in more than one branch of government, shall be conducted by the entity authorized to conduct oral histories of persons in the position last held by the person who is the subject of the oral history. However, the person being interviewed may select the entity he or she wishes to prepare his or her oral history.

Purpose—2008 c 222: "Washington has developed an impressive oral history program of recording and documenting the recollections of public officials and citizens who have contributed to the rich political history surrounding the legislature. Schools, museums, historians, state agencies, and interested citizens have benefited from the availability of these educational materials. The purpose of this act is to enhance this resource by reinforcing the decision-making role of the legislature." [ 2008 c 222 s 1.]

Effective date—1991 c 237: "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 shall take effect on July 1, 1991." [ 1991 c 237 s 6.]