H-3826.1  _______________________________________________

 

                          HOUSE BILL 2400

          _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1998 Regular Session

 

By Representatives Schoesler, Sheahan, Kessler and Linville; by request of Washington State Rural Development Council

 

Read first time 01/13/98.  Referred to Committee on Trade & Economic Development.

Concerning the executive committee of the Washington state rural development council.


    AN ACT Relating to the rural development council; amending RCW 43.31.855; and providing an expiration date.

 

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

 

    Sec. 1.  RCW 43.31.855 and 1997 c 377 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) The Washington state rural development council is established and governed by an executive committee consisting of eleven members, appointed by the governor.  The members will include representatives from the following categories:  Business; natural resources; agriculture; environment; economic development; education; health; human services; counties; cities; and tribal governments.

    (2) ((New)) Members of the executive committee are appointed for terms of three years from the current membership list of the rural development council, as much as possible.  Committee members should be people who either live, work, or provide direct services in rural areas.  Committee membership must consist of no less than ninety percent of the members living in a rural area.  As a transition strategy for the council and its existing executive committee, four representatives (business, counties, health, agriculture) will be appointed in 1997, four (human services, natural resources, cities, environment) in 1998, and three (economic development, tribal government, education) in 1999.  The new ((council)) executive committee will be fully formed in 1999.

    (3) The governor may make appointments from a list of candidates generated by the existing executive committee.  The existing executive committee shall generate a list of at least three but not more than six candidates from recommendations from state-wide or regional associations.  The list of candidates for the county representative shall be generated by the Washington state association of counties.  The list of candidates for the city representative shall be generated by the association of Washington cities.  In making appointments, the governor shall consider an equitable geographic distribution.

    (4) Members of the Washington state rural development council  executive committee shall receive no compensation for their services, but shall be eligible to receive reimbursement for travel expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.

    (5) The department of community, trade, and economic development may provide staff support, administrative assistance, and office space to the council as available.

    (6) The Washington state rural development council executive committee is authorized to establish operating procedures, policies, and bylaws, and appoint committees.  In addition, the executive committee is responsible for hiring, evaluating, and if necessary, firing the ((execute [executive])) executive director according to state policies and rules.

    (7) The Washington state rural development council is directed to:  Inform legislators, the governor's office, state agencies, and federal agencies about the rural perspective on community development issues; identify and in some cases develop recommended improvements to existing resource delivery systems; and serve as a liaison or intermediary between rural communities and public and private resource providers.  The council's mission is to improve the delivery and accessibility of public and private resources to meet the needs of rural communities.

    (8) This section expires June 30, 2003.

 


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