Brief Summary of First Substitute Bill

Standardizes the administration of the Washington State Commission on African-American Affairs, Commission on Hispanic Affairs, and Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs.
Requires the CAAA and the CAPAA to advise the Legislature on issues of concern to their communities.
Repeals the sunset provision and termination of powers and duties for the Commission on Hispanic Affairs.

Background: The Commission on African-American Affairs (CAAA) was created in 1992.

The Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs (CAPAA) was originally established in 1974 as the Washington State Commission on Asian-American Affairs; the title was amended in 1995 to be the CAPAA.

The Commission on Hispanic Affairs (CHA) was originally established in statute in 1971 as the Washington State Commission on Mexican-American Affairs; the title was amended in 1987 to be the CHA. The 1987 legislation established a sunset provision for the CHA originally set for June 30, 1997. The sunset was amended in 1993 to extend the work of the CHA until June 30, 2022.

The duties of all three commissions are outlined in statute. A majority of the duties for the three commissions are similar, such as:

examining and defining issues pertaining to the rights and needs of their community, and make recommendations to or advising the Governor and state agencies on changes in programs, policies, and laws;
establishing relationships with state agencies, local governments, and private sector organizations that promote equal opportunity and benefits for their community; and
receiving gifts, grants, and endowments from public or private sources that are made for the use or benefit of the commission and expend, without appropriation, the same or any income from the gifts, grants, or endowments according to their terms.

However, under current statute, language regarding the duty of the commissions to advise the Legislature on issues of concern to their communities differs as follows:

the CAAA is currently required, acting in concert with the Governor, to advise the Legislature on issues of concern to their community;
the CAPAA is not currently directed by statute to advise the Legislature on issues of concern to their community; and
the CHA is currently required under statute to advise the Legislature on issues of concern to their community.

Summary of Bill (First Substitute): The administration of the CAAA, the CHA, and the CAPAA are standardized as follows:

membership of each commission will consist of eight members who shall serve three-year terms and will be appointed by the two largest caucuses in the Senate and the two largest caucuses in the House;
the commissioners will appoint co-chairs from among themselves and no co-chair may have been appointed to the commission by a caucus of the same political party; and
an Executive Director is appointed at the pleasure of the commission and sets the salary of the Executive Director within the limits established by the Office of Financial Management as defined in statute.

The CAAA and the CAPAA must advise the Legislature on issues of concern to their communities.

The sunset provision currently set for June 30, 2022, and the termination of the powers and duties of the CHA currently set for June 30, 2021, are repealed.

EFFECT OF CHANGES MADE BY STATE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE (First Substitute): The administration of the CAAA, the CHA, and the CAPAA are standardized as follows:

membership of each commission will consist of eight members who shall serve three-year terms and will be appointed by the two largest caucuses in the Senate and the two largest caucuses in the House;
the commissioners will appoint co-chairs from among themselves and no co-chair may have been appointed to the commission by a caucus of the same political party;
the CAAA and the CAPAA are granted authority to advise the Legislature on issues of concern to their communities; and
an Executive Director is appointed at the pleasure of the commission and sets the salary of the Executive Director within the limits established by the Office of Financial Management as defined in statute.

The sunset provision currently set for June 30, 2022, and the termination of the powers and duties of the CHA currently set for June 30, 2021, are repealed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony on Original Bill: Testimony from 2017 Regular Session. The committee recommended a different version of the bill than what was heard. PRO: Established in different times and in different pieces of the code these commissions have different missions. The CAPAA is not currently able to bring issues to the Legislature on behalf of the community. However, the CHA may address the Legislature directly and advise the Legislature on how bills may impact their community and the CAAA can advise the Legislature but must go through the Governor's office. This bill would allow all three commissions to have the same ability to address the Legislature directly. It would also remove the sunset provision which was only applicable to the CHA. Asian Pacific Americans are the fastest-growing population in the state with 48 distinct ethnic groups and this bill would provide the CAPAA with the opportunity to provide the Legislature with information concerning these unique and diverse communities.