OTS is a cooperative effort between the code reviser's office and state rule-making agencies to prepare new, amendatory, and repealed rules with minimum effort. When amending existing WAC rules the agency needs to order the sections from OTS. OTS will send an electronic copy in Word. The agency makes the changes using the "track change" tool in Word to show strike and underline. Any old rules they want to repeal, they just send a list of those section numbers only (no need to include the text). Any new sections to be added can be incorporated into the Word document or sent as a separate attachment and OTS will incorporate them. Once OTS receives the electronic copy from the agency they will put together the buff copy (or PDF version) needed to file with the register.
The code reviser's office operates OTS for the convenience of rule-making agencies in preparing their proposed and adopted rules. It is somewhat similar to the bill drafting service the code reviser's office provides to the legislature. OTS operates on the basis that since all rules eventually are entered in the office data base for Register and WAC publication, it is to the advantage of all parties to have them entered at an early step of the process, facilitating revisions and avoiding duplication of effort.
It is not mandatory to use OTS. If OTS cannot meet the deadline the agency is requesting, the agency can type the rules in-house for the proposal, and let OTS work on the rule at the same time to use for the adoption. At times such as this, OTS can pull some documents from the Register.
OTS generally has a two-week turn around time. OTS is on a first-come first-served basis. Small orders usually take one week or less, but at times the workload is quite heavy and even small orders take up to two weeks.
OTS follows the Bill Drafting Guide when amending WAC rules. There are slight differences between the WAC and RCW as to word usage, i.e., one word, two words, hyphenated words, etc.
Please check with OTS if there are questions on word usage.
Contact for OTS:
Pam Kirschbaum
360-786-6672
P.O. Box 40551
kirschbaum.pamela@leg.wa.gov