BILL REQ. #:  H-1070.1 

Read first time 02/19/2003.   Referred to Committee on State Government.

     AN ACT Relating to composition of the joint administrative rules review committee; and amending RCW 34.05.610.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 34.05.610 and 1998 c 280 s 9 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) There is ((hereby)) created a joint administrative rules review committee ((which shall be a bipartisan committee)) consisting of ((four)) five senators and ((four)) five representatives from the state legislature. The senate members of the committee shall be appointed by the president of the senate, and the house members of the committee shall be appointed by the speaker of the house. ((Not more than two members from each house may be from the same political party.)) Three of the members from each house must be from the majority caucus, and two of the members from each house must be from the minority caucus. The appointing authorities shall also appoint one alternate member from each caucus of each house. All appointments to the committee are subject to approval by the caucuses to which the appointed members belong.
     (2) Members and alternates shall be appointed as soon as possible after the legislature convenes in regular session in an odd-numbered year, and their terms shall extend until their successors are appointed and qualified at the next regular session of the legislature in an odd-numbered year or until such persons no longer serve in the legislature, whichever occurs first. Members and alternates may be reappointed to the committee.
     (3) ((On or about January 1, 1999, the president of the senate shall appoint the chairperson and the vice chairperson from among the committee membership.)) The speaker of the house shall appoint the chairperson and the vice chairperson in alternating even-numbered years beginning in the year 2000 from among the committee membership. The secretary of the senate shall appoint the chairperson and the vice chairperson in the alternating even-numbered years beginning in the year 2002 from among the committee membership. Such appointments shall be made in January of each even-numbered year as soon as possible after a legislative session convenes.
     (4) The chairperson of the committee shall cause all meeting notices and committee documents to be sent to the members and alternates. A vacancy shall be filled by appointment of a legislator from the same political party as the original appointment. The appropriate appointing authority shall make the appointment within thirty days of the vacancy occurring.