AN ACT Relating to amending statutory timelines governing the administration and organization of the joint administrative rules review committee that prescribe when member, alternate, chair, and vice chair appointments and final decisions regarding petitions for review must be made; and amending RCW 34.05.610 and 34.05.655.

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 senators and four 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. 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)(a) 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)). Except when filling a vacancy, a successor to any member or alternate must be appointed in an odd-numbered year as soon as possible after the legislature convenes in regular session, but no later than by June 30th of the same year. A vacancy on the committee must be filled in accordance with subsection (4) of this section within thirty days of the vacancy occurring. 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 of the chairperson and vice chairperson shall be made in ((January of)) each even-numbered year as soon as possible after a legislative session convenes in regular session, but no later than by June 30th of the same year.

(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)) must 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.

Sec. 2.  RCW 34.05.655 and 1998 c 21 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Any person may petition the rules review committee for a review of a proposed or existing rule or a proposed or existing policy or interpretive statement, guideline, or document that is of general applicability, or its equivalent. A petition to review a statement, guideline, or document that is of general applicability, or its equivalent, may only be filed for the purpose of requesting the committee to determine whether the statement, guideline, or document that is of general applicability, or its equivalent, is being used as a rule that has not been adopted in accordance with all provisions of law. Within thirty days of the receipt of the petition, the rules review committee shall acknowledge receipt of the petition and describe any initial action taken. If the rules review committee rejects the petition, a written statement of the reasons for rejection shall be included.

(2) A person may petition the rules review committee under subsection (1) of this section requesting review of an existing rule only if the person has petitioned the agency to amend or repeal the rule under RCW 34.05.330(1) and such petition was denied.

(3) A petition for review of a rule under subsection (1) of this section shall:

(a) Identify with specificity the proposed or existing rule to be reviewed;

(b) Identify the specific statute identified by the agency as authorizing the rule, the specific statute which the rule interprets or implements, and, if applicable, the specific statute the department is alleged not to have followed in adopting the rule;

(c) State the reasons why the petitioner believes that the rule is not within the intent of the legislature, or that its adoption was not or is not in accordance with law, and provide documentation to support these statements;

(d) Identify any known judicial action regarding the rule or statutes identified in the petition.

A petition to review an existing rule shall also include a copy of the agency's denial of a petition to amend or repeal the rule issued under RCW 34.05.330(1) and, if available, a copy of the governor's denial issued under RCW 34.05.330(3).

(4) A petition for review of a policy or interpretive statement, guideline, or document that is of general applicability, or its equivalent, under subsection (1) of this section shall:

(a) Identify the specific policy or interpretative statement, guideline, or document that is of general applicability, or its equivalent, to be reviewed;

(b) Identify the specific statute which the rule interprets or implements;

(c) State the reasons why the petitioner believes that the policy or interpretive statement, guideline, or document that is of general applicability, or its equivalent, meets the definition of a rule under RCW 34.05.010 and should have been adopted according to the procedures of this chapter;

(d) Identify any known judicial action regarding the policy or interpretive statement, guideline, or document that is of general applicability, or its equivalent, or statutes identified in the petition.

(5) ((Within ninety days of receipt of the petition, the rules review committee shall make a final decision on the rule for which the petition for review was not previously rejected)) Except for petitions that the rules review committee rejects, the rules review committee shall make a final decision within ninety days of receipt of a petition for review under subsection (1) of this section. If the legislature meets in regular or special session at any time before the rules review committee makes a final decision on a petition, the rules review committee may defer making a final decision until after the adjournment sine die of the regular or special session or sessions. The rules review committee shall make a final decision on a deferred petition within ninety days of adjournment. During a legislative session, petitioners may bring any concerns raised in a petition to any legislator, and those concerns may be addressed directly through legislation.

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