To require the Washington State Patrol to provide law enforcement radio dispatch and communication services to any state agency with law enforcement authority upon written request from such agency in accordance with chapter 39.34 RCW, the Interlocal Cooperation Act. The Washington state patrol shall charge the agency for radio dispatch and communication services on a cost-added basis per agency.   Official Text and Analysis.

By Philip Shave, WA State Parks; Bruce Bjork, WDFW. They testified that the Washington State Parks Service has 240 rangers who are full commissioned law enforcement officers, 50 percent of whom are armed. They have an increased need for communication because the original rules of engagement in place since 1921 have changed. This is a good bill because it guarantees access to the patrol's communications services at reasonable cost.

By Glenn Cramer, WA State Patrol. He stated that there are problems with the bill's exclusion of indirect costs from the calculation of reimbursement to the patrol from the agencies with which it must contract. Both the existing statute that applies to all state agencies and the state Constitution could be violated if full costs, especially of external service that is not traffic related, were not reimbursed. Likewise, in order to preserve the federal grant money the patrol receives, recoupment of indirect costs is necessary. The patrol must preserve federal approval of their state agency's cost plan. If this plan were to be declared invalid, all indirect costs collected on federal grants would have to be forfeited.

But the bill did not pass the senate by the cutoff date so it is considered a “dead bill” (although technically the bill could become active at any time during the 2003-2004 session).