BP BHEAD INT S

AN ACT Relating to the establishment of the office of county ombudsman; and adding a new chapter to Title 36 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislative authority of any county may establish the office of county ombudsman. The ombudsman shall be appointed by the legislative authority and shall serve for a term of six years from the date of appointment. Once appointed, an ombudsman may be removed from office only by order of a judge of the superior court on the petition of the legislative authority of the county in which the ombudsman serves and only on a finding of malfeasance or misfeasance in office.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. To be appointed as county ombudsman, a person shall be a member of the Washington state bar association, in good standing, and be familiar with the structure and procedures of county government.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A county ombudsman shall:

(1) Be available to receive inquiries, requests, and complaints and to counsel the individual residents of the county for which he or she is appointed concerning any actions or refusals to act by the officers or employees of the county government;

(2) Respond to any inquiries or requests as appropriate. If the county ombudsman determines that a complaint is without merit or that he or she does not have the authority to act on the complaint, the county ombudsman shall advise the complainant and close the matter;

(3) If the county ombudsman determines that a complaint does have merit and is within his or her jurisdiction as ombudsman, take the following actions:

(a) Notify the complainant in writing of the determination of merit;

(b) Advise the appropriate county officer or employee of the nature of the complaint and request a response;

(c) Based upon the complaint of the citizen and any response received from the county officer or employee, propose a resolution to the complaint and, if necessary, negotiate with the county officer or employee;

(d) If the ombudsman reaches agreement with the county officer or employee on resolution of the complaint that the ombudsman believes is fair, memorialize the agreement in writing, provide a copy of the agreement to the complaining citizen, and when the county officer or employee has complied with the terms of the agreement, close the matter; and

(e) If the ombudsman is unable to reach agreement with the county officer or employee on a resolution of the complaint, and if, in his or her sole discretion, he or she finds that the county officer or employee is acting in violation of the law, bring an action in the superior court for an injunction or writ of mandamus, as appropriate, to resolve the dispute; and

(4) Employ and dismiss such staff as the ombudsman finds is necessary to provide secretarial, investigative, and professional legal support for the operation of the office.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. (1) The jurisdiction of the ombudsman shall not extend to:

(a) Any criminal proceeding or traffic infraction; or

(b) Any matter pending before a court of this state or of the United States at the time the citizen complaint is received.

(2) The ombudsman may decline jurisdiction over any matter that, at the time the complaint is received, is pending for investigation, review, hearing, or disposition before any other review board, commission, or body, including, but not limited to, the state human rights commission, the federal equal employment opportunity commission, any local civil service or personnel review board, any union grievance review body, or any state or federal regulatory body.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. Neither the ombudsman personally, nor the county that employs him or her shall have any liability to any person for any claim based on the ombudsman's decisions, actions, or failures to act in his or her official capacity.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. In matters where the ombudsman pursues equitable relief in the courts on behalf of a complainant, all rights and remedies otherwise available to the complainant, including any right to seek money damages, are not eliminated or in any way waived thereby.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. Any county that establishes the office of county ombudsman pursuant to this chapter may impose a charge on each civil filing in either or both the superior court for that county and county district court of not more than ten dollars. The moneys received from such charge shall be dedicated exclusively to fund the operation of the office of county ombudsman.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. Two or more contiguous counties, by interlocal agreement, may establish a joint office of county ombudsman to serve all of the participating counties as provided in this chapter. The interlocal agreement shall specify how the costs of operation of the office shall be allocated among the counties, where office facilities shall be located, and how the time and resources of the office shall be allocated.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. Sections 1 through 8 of this act shall constitute a new chapter in Title 36 RCW.