Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Research Access topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bill would fund WSIPP study on statewide electronic access to peer‑reviewed journals with $83,000 appropriation
Summary
House Bill 1606 directs the Washington State Institute for Public Policy to study mechanisms for giving state agencies electronic access to peer‑reviewed journals. The bill includes an $83,000 appropriation and sets a December 1, 2026 completion date for the study; the Sentencing Guidelines Commission testified in support.
House Bill 1606 would direct the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) to study structure, funding and policy options for providing state employees with electronic access to peer‑reviewed academic journals. The committee heard a staff briefing and one in‑person testifier supporting the study.
Kate Henry, staff to the committee, explained that peer‑reviewed articles are often behind paywalls and that WSIPP, which is housed at The Evergreen State College and provides nonpartisan research to the Legislature, is charged to complete the study by Dec. 1, 2026. The bill includes an appropriation for $83,000 in the 2027 fiscal year to cover costs identified in the fiscal note from Evergreen and WSIPP.
"Access to peer reviewed articles often require a subscription or paying per article," Henry said in the briefing, describing the research need and the appropriations item. The bill’s fiscal note aligns with an $83,000 funding request from WSIPP and Evergreen.
Carrie Anne Yetzer, coordinator for the Sentencing Guidelines Commission, testified in support of the bill. Yetzer said the commission relied on paid journal access during a 2018 review of the Sentencing Reform Act and that limitations on access hamper research and policymaking. "Access to such journals and articles is imperative so commission members can learn what the current research says and what other states are doing," Yetzer told the committee.
The committee asked no questions after the briefing, and the public hearing concluded with no further testimony.
Ending: With the committee adjourned, the item will proceed through the committee process; the study deadline and appropriation give staff and agencies a timeline for next steps.
