H-2567.1  _______________________________________________

                    SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1923

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By House Committee on Government Administration (originally sponsored by Representatives Sheldon, Dunn, D. Sommers, Kastama, Lambert, Sump, Ballasiotes, Doumit, Linville, Chandler, Veloria, Grant, Conway, O'Brien, Wensman, Mulliken, Sullivan and Cooke)

Read first time 03/05/97.

Making advisory committees and task forces subject to the open public meetings act.

    AN ACT Relating to making advisory committees and task forces subject to the open public meetings act; and amending RCW 42.30.020.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 42.30.020 and 1985 c 366 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    As used in this chapter unless the context indicates otherwise:

    (1) "Public agency" means:

    (a) Any state board, commission, committee, department, educational institution, or other state agency which is created by or pursuant to statute, other than courts and the legislature;

    (b) Any county, city, school district, special purpose district, or other municipal corporation or political subdivision of the state of Washington;

    (c) Any subagency of a public agency which is created by or pursuant to statute, ordinance, or other legislative act, including but not limited to planning commissions, library or park boards, commissions, and agencies;

    (d) Any policy group whose membership includes representatives of publicly owned utilities formed by or pursuant to the laws of this state when meeting together as or on behalf of participants who have contracted for the output of generating plants being planned or built by an operating agency; and

(e) Any advisory committee or task force with two or more members who are appointed by the governor, if the charge of the advisory committee or task force relates to the expenditure or use of tax receipts.

    (2) "Governing body" means the multimember board, commission, committee, council, or other policy or rule-making body of a public agency, or any committee thereof when the committee acts on behalf of the governing body, conducts hearings, or takes testimony or public comment.

    (3) "Action" means the transaction of the official business of a public agency by a governing body including but not limited to receipt of public testimony, deliberations, discussions, considerations, reviews, evaluations, and final actions.  "Final action" means a collective positive or negative decision, or an actual vote by a majority of the members of a governing body when sitting as a body or entity, upon a motion, proposal, resolution, order, or ordinance.

    (4) "Meeting" means meetings at which action is taken.

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