READ FIRST TIME 03/02/09.   

     AN ACT Relating to the organization of the department of social and health services; amending RCW 43.20A.090 and 71.24.360; and adding a new section to chapter 43.20A RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 43.20A RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The department shall adopt a rule specifying the number and geographic boundaries of the department's regional service delivery system.
     (2) Each departmental administration and division shall reorganize its delivery system to be consistent with the department's regional boundaries.
     (3) The department shall achieve at least the same percentage of administrative savings at the regional and headquarters level as realized through the reduction in regional support networks as provided in section 3 of this act.

Sec. 2   RCW 43.20A.090 and 1994 sp.s. c 7 s 515 are each amended to read as follows:
     The secretary shall appoint a deputy secretary, a department personnel director, and such assistant secretaries as shall be needed to administer the department. The deputy secretary shall have charge and general supervision of the department in the absence or disability of the secretary, and in case of a vacancy in the office of secretary, shall continue in charge of the department until a successor is appointed and qualified, or until the governor shall appoint an acting secretary. ((The secretary shall appoint an assistant secretary to administer the juvenile rehabilitation responsibilities required of the department by chapters 13.04, 13.40, and 13.50 RCW.)) The officers appointed under this section, and exempt from the provisions of the state civil service law ((by the terms of RCW 41.06.076)), shall be paid salaries to be fixed by the governor in accordance with the procedure established by law for the fixing of salaries for officers exempt from the operation of the state civil service law.

Sec. 3   RCW 71.24.360 and 2005 c 504 s 805 are each amended to read as follows:
     The department may establish new regional support network boundaries in any part of the state where more than one network chooses not to respond to, or is unable to substantially meet the requirements of, the request for qualifications under section 4, chapter 503, Laws of 2005 or where a regional support network is subject to reprocurement under section 6, chapter 503, Laws of 2005. The department may establish no fewer than ((eight)) three and no more than ((fourteen)) six regional support networks under this chapter. ((No entity shall be responsible for more than three regional support networks.))