FINAL BILL REPORT

                 SHB 1800

PARTIAL VETO

                          C 24 L 91

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

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).

House Committee on State Government

House Committee on Appropriations

Senate Committee on Governmental Operations

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:  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.

Votes on Final Passage:

House  88   10

Senate 43   0

Effective:    July 1, 1991

Partial Veto Summary:  The governor's partial veto removes the assigned duties of the new office, removes the creation of the advisory committee, and removes language requiring the transfer of the employee serving as the state's protocol officer within the Department of Trade and Economic Development.