HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SHB 1800

                    As Passed Legislature

Title:  An act relating to international relations and protocol.

Brief Description:  Creating the office of international relations and protocol.

Sponsor(s):  By House Committee on State Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Fraser, Ballard, Van Luven, Ebersole, Anderson, McLean, Jacobsen, Cantwell, Ferguson, Belcher, Rasmussen, Wang, Locke, Winsley, Paris, Phillips and Wineberry).

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

State Government, February 26, 1991, DPS;

Appropriations, March 10, 1991, DPS(SG);

Passed House, March 19, 1991, 88-10;

Passed Legislature, 88-10.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

STATE GOVERNMENT

Majority Report: That Substitute House Bill No. 1800 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 10 members:  Representatives Anderson, Chair; Pruitt, Vice Chair; McLean, Ranking Minority Member; Bowman, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Chandler; R. Fisher; Grant; Moyer; O'Brien; and Sheldon.

Staff:  Linda May (786-7135).

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

APPROPRIATIONS

Majority Report: The substitute bill by Committee on State Government be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 22 members:  Representatives Locke, Chair; Inslee, Vice Chair; Spanel, Vice Chair; Appelwick; Belcher; Bowman; Braddock; Brekke; Dorn; Ebersole; Ferguson; Hine; Lisk; May; Mielke; Peery; Pruitt; Rust; H. Sommers; Valle; Vance; and Wang.

Minority Report: Do not pass.  Signed by 6 members:  Representatives Silver, Ranking Minority Member; Morton, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Fuhrman; Holland; McLean; and Nealey.

Staff:  Susan Nakagawa (786-7145).

Background:  A number of state agencies carry out activities with an international dimension.  For example, the departments of Agriculture and Natural Resources participate in a number of trade-related activities such as trade trips, conferences, and arranging site tours for foreign visitors.  The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction promotes international awareness through public school curriculum and through student and teacher exchange programs.  Washington's secretary of state serves as an ambassador-at-large when visiting other countries or receiving foreign guests.

The state's official liaison and protocol office with foreign governments is the Office of International Relations and Protocol within the Department of Trade and Economic Development (DTED).  This office administers Washington's two sister-state programs with Japan and China, and serves as a protocol agent by coordinating ceremonial functions and arranging meetings between foreign visitors and state officials.  The office maintains an informal working relationship with other state agencies with international activities; there is no formal coordination of state international relations.

For the 1989-91 biennium, DTED's budget included approximately $200,000 for the Office of International Relations and Protocol for 2 FTE staff.  For the 1991-93 biennium, DTED expects to reduce this budget to approximately $138,000 for 1 FTE staff.

Summary of Bill:  There is created within the Governor's Office an Office of International Relations and Protocol.  This office is to serve as the state's official liaison and protocol office with foreign governments.  The governor will appoint the director of the office and fix the director's salary.  The director and any staff hired by the director will be exempt employees.  To the extent permitted by law, agencies may temporarily loan employees to the office.

The duties of the Office of International Relations and Protocol include advising and assisting the governor, the Legislature, and other independently elected officials on international developments, serving as a clearinghouse for information, coordinating protocol for visiting foreign dignitaries, and coordinating the state's existing and future sister-state relationships.  The office also has the authority to create temporary advisory committees to deal with specific international issues, and to accept gifts or grants to help defray the costs of appropriate hosting of foreign dignitaries.

Also created is an international advisory committee internal to state government.  The purpose of the advisory committee is to advise the office on matters pertaining to state and local government.  Membership on the advisory committee is to represent a range of specified interests and entities.  The governor appoints members to the advisory committee.

The powers, duties and functions of the Office of International Relations and Protocol within the Department of Trade and Economic Development are transferred to the newly created Office of International Relations and Protocol within the Governor's Office.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect July 1, 1991.

Testimony For:  (State Government): This is a time of growing global interdependence.  Washington is a major point of entry to the U.S., and many areas of state government and education have an international aspect.  It is increasingly important for Washington to present itself well.  Placement of this office in the Governor's Office sends a message of friendship and respect, allows for coordination among various state programs, and allows the governor to call on a number of state government resources.  The bill recognizes that Washington has become internationally important.  International relations is much broader than trade and should stand as a separate function of state government.

(Appropriations): None.

Testimony Against:  (State Government): There is no additional money in the governor's budget for this biennium to fulfill the expectations of this office.  DTED has a large number of responsibilities, and a small number of people, and this transfer should not come at the expense of lost DTED resources.

(Appropriations): None.

Witnesses:  (State Government): Representative Karen Fraser; Secretary of State Ralph Munro; Bill Asbury, Olympia World Affairs Council; Lew Yarbrough, Olympia-Yashiro, Japan, Sister City Association; Pat Harper, Department of Natural Resources (all in favor); Margaret Bernard, League of Women Voters (in favor with amendments); Marylou Flynn, Governor's Office (budget status); and Dave Rogers, Washington Public Ports Association (in favor, concern for DTED).

(Appropriations): None.