Read first time 04/25/21.Referred to Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations.

AN ACT Relating to adjusting boundary lines to Washington state; creating a new section; and providing an expiration date.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1)(a) A legislative task force on adjusting state boundary lines is established, with members as provided in this subsection.

(i) Each legislative leader of the two largest caucuses in each chamber of the legislature shall appoint one member to the task force.

(ii) The county executive of each county of the state shall be a member of the task force. If the county does not have a county executive, the governing body of the county shall appoint one person to represent the county as a member.

(iii) The cochairs of the task force shall select one legislator from southern Idaho and one legislator from northern Idaho to be members of the task force.

(iv) The cochairs of the task force shall select one legislator from eastern Oregon and one legislator from western Oregon to be members of the task force.

(b) The task force shall choose its cochairs from among its legislative membership. The cochairs shall convene the initial meeting of the task force by September 1, 2021.

(2)(a) The task force shall review the feasibility and impacts of adjusting the state boundary lines of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington such that:

(i) The counties of eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and northern Idaho are joined together as a state;

(ii) The southern counties of Idaho remain their own state; and

(iii) The western counties of Oregon and Washington are joined together as a state.

(b) These boundary line adjustments shall not result in a newly created state, but shall be adjustments to the boundary lines of current states.

(3) Staff support for the task force shall be provided by the senate committee services and the house office of program research.

(4) Washington state legislative members of the task force are reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 44.04.120. Other members are not entitled to be reimbursed for travel expenses if they are elected officials or are participating on behalf of an employer, governmental entity, or other organization.

(5) The expenses of the task force shall be paid jointly by the senate and the house of representatives. Task force expenditures are subject to approval by the senate facilities and operations committee and the house executive rules committee, or their successor committees.

(6) The task force shall report its findings and recommendations to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 31, 2022.