S-3934.2

SENATE BILL 6517


State of Washington	64th Legislature	2016 Regular Session

By Senators Keiser, Rolfes, Chase, Habib, Frockt, and Conway

Read first time 01/22/16. Referred to Committee on Government Operations & Security.

AN ACT Relating to increasing equitable gender representation on state boards and commissions; adding a new section to chapter 43.06 RCW; and creating a new section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that there is substantial public support for policy measures aimed at promoting gender equity and fairness. It is important to ensure that state government promotes gender equity in the appointment process. The legislature further finds that information about gender representation on appointed boards and commissions is currently inadequate to determine whether progress is being made toward achieving gender equity.

Therefore, the legislature intends to increase gender equity in the composition of state boards and commissions by imposing benchmarks for female representation and gathering reports on the gender composition of state boards and commissions.

(1) By December 1, 2016, the office of financial management shall submit to the governor and both houses of the legislature a report describing the gender composition of all boards and commissions in which the governor possesses appointment power and the boards of trustees of institutions of higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016.

(2) By January 1, 2022, each board and commission in which the governor possesses appointment power and each board of trustees of an institution of higher education must have no fewer than one-third of its membership comprising females and no fewer than one third of its membership comprising males. By December 1, 2022, the office of financial management shall submit to the governor and both houses of the legislature a report describing the gender composition of all boards and commissions in which the governor possesses appointment power and the boards of trustees of institutions of higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016.

(3) By January 1, 2032, each board and commission in which the governor possesses appointment power and each board of trustees of an institution of higher education must demonstrate substantial equity standards and have no fewer than one-third of its membership comprising females and no fewer than one-third of its membership comprising males. By December 1, 2032, the office of financial management shall submit to the governor and both houses of the legislature a report describing the gender composition of all boards and commissions in which the governor possesses appointment power and the boards of trustees of institutions of higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016.