HB 1783 - DIGEST

Creates the Washington state office of equity within the office of the governor for promoting access to equitable opportunities and resources that reduce disparities, including racial and ethnic disparities, and improve outcomes statewide across all sectors of government.

Requires the office to: (1) Facilitate state policy and systems change;

(2) Promote community outreach and engagement;

(3) Collaborate with the office of financial management and the department of enterprise services to develop policies, provide technical assistance, and training for agencies on maintaining a diverse, inclusive, and culturally sensitive workforce; and

(4) Establish, in collaboration with results Washington, and agencies as appropriate: (a) Standards for the collection, analysis, and reporting of disaggregated data regarding race and ethnicity; (b) agency-specific performance measures; and (c) an online performance dashboard.

Requires agencies to provide appropriate and reasonable assistance to the office, work to meet performance measures, and implement the equity assessment tools.

Allows the office to convene work groups consisting of agency representatives and public stakeholders, to explore strategies to achieve the purpose of this act.

Creates a task force to establish the initial operations plan for the office.