H-3821.1          _______________________________________________

                                  HOUSE BILL 2531

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              54th Legislature             1996 Regular Session

By Representatives Patterson, Talcott, Tokuda, Cooke, Ogden, Dickerson and Basich

Read first time 01/12/96.  Referred to Committee on Children & Family Services.

Adding the secretary of health to the council for the prevention of child abuse and neglect.

     AN ACT Relating to the council for the prevention of child abuse and neglect; and amending RCW 43.121.020.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

     Sec. 1.  RCW 43.121.020 and 1994 c 48 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

     (1) There is established in the executive office of the governor a Washington council for the prevention of child abuse and neglect subject to the jurisdiction of the governor.

     (2) The council shall be composed of the chairperson and ((twelve)) thirteen other members as follows:

     (a) The chairperson and six other members shall be appointed by the governor and shall be selected for their interest and expertise in the prevention of child abuse.  A minimum of four designees by the governor shall not be affiliated with governmental agencies.  The appointments shall be made on a geographic basis to assure state-wide representation.  Members appointed by the governor shall serve for three-year terms.  Vacancies shall be filled for any unexpired term by appointment in the same manner as the original appointments were made.

     (b) The secretary of social and health services or the secretary's designee ((and)), the superintendent of public instruction or the superintendent's designee, and the secretary of the department of health or the secretary's designee shall serve as voting members of the council.

     (c) In addition to the members of the council, four members of the legislature shall serve as nonvoting, ex officio members of the council, one from each political caucus of the house of representatives to be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and one from each political caucus of the senate to be appointed by the president of the senate.

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