NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. For the convenience of constituents and members, members of the legislature may choose to locate their legislative offices in the legislative district they represent when the legislature is not in session. It is in the best interest of both constituents and members if in-district legislative offices are located in buildings that: Are accessible and easily located; are near transportation, parking, or both; comply with the Americans with disabilities act; are safe and inviting to the average person; maintain a level of decorum and professionalism fitting a legislative office; meet legislative requirements for district offices; and are affordable. The legislature finds that these criteria are likely best met by locating in-district legislative offices in facilities that serve other governmental purposes, such as buildings owned or operated by local governments. It is the intent of the legislature, in enacting the improving constituent access and representative engagement act, to clearly authorize local governments to lease office space to legislative members and to establish that local governments that do so are not thereby obligated to lease real property of the local government to other parties, including the state or private parties.

(1) If a state legislative member locates his or her legislative office in the legislative district he or she represents, the member may lease appropriate office space from a local government. A local government that chooses to lease office space to a state legislative member for use as a legislative office, by virtue of executing the lease, is not thereby obligated to lease any real property of the local government to any other party, including the state, any political subdivisions of the state, or any private party.

(2) A state legislative member who leases office space from a local government for use as a legislative office must comply with all applicable laws, including RCW 42.52.180. A local government, by virtue of leasing office space to a state legislative member for use as a legislative office, does not violate the provisions of RCW 42.17A.555.

(3) For purposes of this section, "local government" includes every county, city, town, municipal corporation, quasi-municipal corporation, or special purpose district, or any office, department, division, bureau, board, commission, or agency thereof, or other local public agency.


State of Washington	64th Legislature	2016 Regular Session