Bill would let county law libraries spend local funds on online legal resources, committee votes to advance

Representative Nick Wilson, sponsor of House Bill 290, told the committee the measure updates statutes governing county law libraries. “Under statute, the local bar, they have a library fund and they're able to run the library and buy books,” Wilson said. He told the committee the statute is “a little outdated” and that some counties “have about 75 to a hundred thousand dollars local library fund and really no way to spend it” on current online services.

Wilson said county law libraries are housed in courthouses, public libraries or a combination and that allowing purchases of online legal content would let libraries better serve both attorneys and the public.

Committee members praised the bill as a starting point and noted wider discussion may be needed about how nonlawyers access those resources. The item drew supportive remarks from the committee; no opposition testimony was recorded in the transcript. On the roll call recorded, members who registered affirmative votes included Representatives Baumann, (Representative Gray recorded “Aye” on the roll call), Chester Barton, Fleming, Freeland, Griffey, Hampton, Iams, Lewis, Maddox, Neighbors, Ramer, Whitten and Chairman Flannery. The chair announced the motion carried with favorable expression and that the bill should pass.

Representative Wilson thanked the chair after the vote, and the committee moved to its final agenda item.