Title: An act relating to requirements for certified bylaws to be attached to certain petitions in cities and towns.

Brief Description: Changing requirements for petitions in cities and towns.

Sponsors: Representatives Moeller, Dunn, Fromhold, Wallace and Clibborn.

Brief History: Passed House: 3/08/05, 97-0.

Committee Activity: Government Operations & Elections: 3/21/05, 3/30/05 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS & ELECTIONS

Majority Report: Do pass.Signed by Senators Kastama, Chair; Berkey, Vice Chair; Roach, Ranking Minority Member; Benton, Fairley, Haugen, Kline, McCaslin, Mulliken and Pridemore.

Staff: Cindy Fazio (786-7405)

Background: Current law contains specific procedural and substantive rules governing the use of the various voter/property owner petitions initiated in accordance with the governance procedures required of cities and towns. The rules governing the petition process include requirements for petition formats, textual requirements, signature validity, and the validity of signatures by authorized officers of property-owning corporations.

A corporate officer who is authorized to execute deeds or encumbrances on behalf of a corporation can sign a petition on behalf of that corporation, but only if the officer attaches to the petition a certified excerpt from the bylaws showing that he or she has the authority.

Summary of Bill: A corporate officer may sign a petition on behalf of a corporation without the requirement of attaching a certified excerpt from the corporation bylaws evidencing the officer's authority to sign a petition.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: This legislation applies to annexation petitions. Under current law, the document giving the corporate officer signing authority must be attached to the petition. This requirement is not necessary and it is not known why it was necessary originally. Often times many years pass between the filing of the annexation petition and the annexation process. Complying with this provision creates a lot of work for staff and really does not serve any purpose.

Testimony Against: None.

Who Testified: PRO: Representative Jim Moeller, prime sponsor; Sharon Wylie, Association of Washington Cities.