BILL REQ. #:  H-0033.2 

Read first time 01/17/11.   Referred to Committee on State Government & Tribal Affairs.

     AN ACT Relating to compliance with Article II, section 12 of the state Constitution; amending RCW 44.04.010; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that in November 1979 the voters approved the establishment of annual regular sessions of the legislature. The approved amendment to Article II, section 12 of the state Constitution provides that the legislature shall convene on such day and at such time as the legislature shall determine by statute. The legislature has provided a day for convening by statute, the second Monday of January each year, but rather than provide a time for convening such session by statute, the legislature has relied on custom and joint legislative rules to set the time as 12:00 p.m. Since the Constitution specifically directs that the time as well as the day for convening regular sessions shall be determined by statute, it is the purpose of this act to add to the statute a regular session starting time of 12:00 p.m.

Sec. 2   RCW 44.04.010 and 1980 c 87 s 27 are each amended to read as follows:
     Regular sessions of the legislature shall be held annually, commencing at 12:00 p.m. on the second Monday of January.