BILL REQ. #:  Z-0740.1 

Read first time 01/30/14.   Referred to Committee on Community Development, Housing & Tribal Affairs.

     AN ACT Relating to veteran-owned businesses; and amending RCW 43.60A.190.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 43.60A.190 and 2008 c 187 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The department shall:
     (a) ((Develop and)) Maintain a current list of certified veteran-owned businesses; and
     (b) Make the list of certified veteran-owned businesses available on the department's public web site.
     (2) To qualify as a certified veteran-owned business, the business must:
     (a) Be at least fifty-one percent owned and controlled by:
     (((a))) (i) A veteran as defined as every person who at the time he or she seeks certification has received a discharge with an honorable characterization or received a discharge for medical reasons with an honorable record, where applicable, and who has served in at least one of the capacities listed in RCW 41.04.007; or
     (((b))) (ii) An active or reserve member in any branch of the armed forces of the United States, including the national guard, coast guard, and armed forces reserves; and
     (b) Be either an enterprise which is incorporated in the state of Washington as a Washington domestic corporation, or an enterprise whose principal place of business is located within the state of Washington for enterprises which are not incorporated.
     (3) To participate in the linked deposit program under chapter 43.86A RCW, a veteran-owned business qualified under this section must be certified by the department as a business:
     (a) In which the veteran owner possesses and exercises sufficient expertise specifically in the business's field of operation to make decisions governing the long-term direction and the day-to-day operations of the business;
     (b) That is organized for profit and performing a commercially useful function; and
     (c) That meets the criteria for a small business concern as established under chapter 39.19 RCW.
     (4) The department shall create a logo for the purpose of identifying veteran-owned businesses to the public. The department shall put the logo on an adhesive sticker or decal suitable for display in a business window and distribute the stickers or decals to veteran-owned businesses listed with the department.
     (5)(a) Businesses may submit an application on a form prescribed by the department ((for inclusion on the list or)) to apply for certification under this section.
     (b) The department must notify the state treasurer of veteran-owned businesses ((that)) who have participated in the linked deposit program and are no longer certified under this section. The written notification to the state treasurer must contain information regarding the reasons for the decertification and information on financing provided to the veteran-owned business under RCW 43.86A.060.
     (6) The department may adopt rules necessary to implement this section.