H-1436              _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 2025

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Representatives Vekich, Schoon, Basich, Prentice, May and Jones

Read first time 2/15/89 and referred to Committee on State Government.

AN ACT Relating to maritime commemorative observance; amending RCW 27.60.900; adding a new section to chapter 27.34 RCW; creating a new section; repealing RCW 27.60.045; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     (1) The legislature finds that:

          (a) Robert Gray's discovery of the Columbia river and Gray's Harbor in 1792 provided the foundation for American claims to sovereignty over the Oregon country;

          (b) George Vancouver, following in the tradition of scientific discovery inaugurated by Captain Cook, commanded an expedition that made many contributions to the understanding of world geography, including the existence of Puget Sound, which he explored in 1792;

          (c) The Spanish/Mexican outpost at Neah Bay, founded in 1792 to establish a southern limit to Russian and English encroachment on presumed Spanish prerogatives in the north Pacific, was the first European settlement in the state of Washington.

          (2) The legislature intends for the Washington state historical society to plan and implement an appropriate commemoration and celebration of the bicentennials of the epic maritime accomplishments of 1792, which separately and collectively represent the multicultural nature of Euroamerican exploration in the Northwest and the onset of sustained contact with Washington's native people.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 27.34 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) The Washington state historical society shall plan and implement an appropriate commemorative celebration of the bicentennials of the maritime accomplishments in 1792 of Robert Gray and George Vancouver, and the establishment of a Spanish outpost at Neah Bay.

          (2) To accomplish this purpose, the society shall:

          (a) Coordinate its activities with the Grays Harbor Tall Ships construction program;

          (b) Organize museum exhibitions, including components that can travel to all sections of the state;

          (c) Conduct a maritime heritage markers program along the Pacific coast, Puget Sound, and waterways in the Columbia river basin;

          (d) Issue publications, organize festivals and scholarly symposia, and conduct other activities as may be appropriate.

          (3) The society shall cooperate with the entities in the state of Oregon and the province of British Columbia that are planning similar activities.

          (4) The society shall create an advisory committee to review and comment upon the society's commemorative plan and implementation.  The committee shall have nine members, five of whom shall be citizens from areas of the state which have a special affinity to the explorations being commemorated and shall be appointed by the society.  Four members shall be legislators.  The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint one member from each caucus and the president of the senate shall appoint one member from each caucus.  Vacancies in the committee may be filled in accordance with original appointment procedures.

        Sec. 3.  Section 6, chapter 90, Laws of 1982 as amended by section 3, chapter 268, Laws of 1985 and RCW 27.60.900 are each amended to read as follows:

          The 1989 Washington centennial commission as established by this chapter shall cease to exist on ((December 31, 1993)) June 30, 1990.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  Section 2, chapter 268, Laws of 1985, section 2, chapter 195, Laws of 1987 and RCW 27.60.045 are each repealed.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.     This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.