BILL REQ. #:  Z-0042.2 

Read first time 01/12/09.   Referred to Committee on Government Operations & Elections.

     AN ACT Relating to rental or lease of armories; and amending RCW 38.20.010.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 38.20.010 and 2005 c 252 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     Except as provided in this section, state-owned armories shall be used strictly for military purposes.
     (1) One room, together with the necessary furniture, heat, light, and janitor service, may be set aside for the exclusive use of bona fide veterans' organizations subject to the direction of the officer in charge. Members of these veterans' organizations and their auxiliaries shall have access to the room and its use at all times.
     (2) A bona fide veterans' organization may use any state armory for athletic and social events without payment of rent whenever the armory is not being used by the organized militia. The adjutant general may require the veterans' organization to pay the cost of heating, lighting, or other miscellaneous expenses incidental to this use.
     (3) The adjutant general may, during an emergency, permit transient lodging of service personnel in armories.
     (4) The adjutant general may, upon the recommendation of the executive head or governing body of a county, city or town, permit transient lodging of anyone in armories. The adjutant general may require the county, city or town to pay no more than the actual cost of staffing, heating, lighting and other miscellaneous expenses incidental to this use.
     (5) Civilian rifle clubs affiliated with the National Rifle Association of America are permitted to use small arms ranges in the armories at least one night each week under regulations prescribed by the adjutant general.
     (6) State-owned armories shall be available, at the discretion of the adjutant general, for public and private use ((for casual civic purposes, and amateur and professional sports and theatricals)) upon payment of ((fixed)) rental charges and compliance with regulations of the state military department. Children attending primary and high schools have a preferential right to use these armories.
     The adjutant general shall prepare a schedule of rental charges, including a cleaning deposit, and utility costs for each state-owned armory which may not be waived except for activities sponsored by the organized militia or activities provided for in subsection (4) of this section. The rental charges derived from armory rentals less the cleaning deposit shall be paid into the military department rental and lease account under RCW 38.40.210.