FINAL BILL REPORT

                  HB 1039

                          C 3 L 95

                     Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Increasing the number of citizen members of the Washington citizens' commission on salaries for elected officials.

Sponsors:  Representatives B. Thomas, Reams, Dyer, R. Fisher, Sommers, Costa, Mitchell, Basich and Wolfe.

House Committee on Government Operations

Senate Committee on Government Operations

Background:  The Washington Citizens' Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials is charged with the responsibility of fixing the salaries of members of the Legislature, all elected officials of the executive branch of state government, and all judges of the Supreme Court, courts of appeals, superior courts, and district courts after studying the relationship of the officials' salaries to their duties.

The commission currently consists of 15 members.  Eight of these members are selected by lot by the Secretary of State from lists of eligible registered voters.  The seven remaining members of the commission must have experience in personnel management and are selected jointly by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate. 

Each of the eight members who are selected from lists of eligible voters must represent a different congressional district.  A ninth congressional district has recently been created in Washington State. 

Repeated unexcused absences from commission meetings by a member does not result in that member's seat being declared vacant.  There is no statutory procedure to grant a member an excused absence from a commission meeting.

Summary:  The number of members on the Washington Citizens' Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials is increased from 15 to 16.  The additional member is selected by lot by the Secretary of State from lists of eligible voters from the newly created ninth Congressional district within the state.

The unexcused absence of a commission member from two consecutive commission meetings constitutes a relinquishment of that person's membership on the commission and creates a vacancy in that position.   A procedure is created for a commission member to obtain an excused absence.

Votes on Final Passage:

House     94 0

Senate    46 1

Effective:  February 10, 1995