S-1103.1 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 5931
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State of Washington 57th Legislature 2001 Regular Session
By Senators T. Sheldon, Benton, Swecker, McCaslin, Stevens, Zarelli, Deccio, Johnson, Hochstatter, Hewitt and Shin
Read first time 02/08/2001. Referred to Committee on State & Local Government.
AN ACT Relating to the Washington state governmental accountability act of 2001; and creating new sections.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature acknowledges Article I, section 32 of the state Constitution "A frequent recurrence to fundamental principles is essential to the security of individual right and the perpetuity of free government."
The legislature recognizes Article I, section 1 of the state Constitution "All political power is inherent in the people, and governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, and are established to protect and maintain individual rights."
It is the intent of the legislature that:
(1) All legislation shall be measured by provisions of the Constitutions as currently written or amended; and
(2) Elected officials, entrusted with the duty to protect individual rights and the perpetuity of free government, shall clarify, through all legislation, the constitutional purpose and limitation of all agencies, and shall hold those agencies accountable to the protection of individual rights as embodied in the Constitutions and the intent of the legislation.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. No governmental agency or department shall impose any penalty upon a citizen without first providing the citizen with the specific statute language which the citizen has violated and informing the citizen of the citizen's legal rights.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. This act shall be known and may be cited as the Washington state governmental accountability act of 2001.
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