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                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 1698

                        _______________________________________________

                                                           AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

                                                                            C 278 L 89

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Representatives R. Fisher, McLean and Anderson; by request of Secretary of State

Read first time 2/3/89 and referred to Committee on State Government.

AN ACT Relating to precinct boundaries; amending RCW 29.04.050 and 29.04.140; and repealing RCW 29.04.130 and 29.04.135.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 29.04.050, chapter 9, Laws of 1965 as amended by section 2, chapter 128, Laws of 1977 ex. sess. and RCW 29.04.050 are each amended to read as follows:

          (1) Every voting precinct must be ((established so that it lies)) wholly within ((one senatorial or representative)) a single congressional district, a single legislative district, and ((wholly within one county commissioner)) a single district of a county legislative authority.

          (2) Every voting precinct shall be composed, as nearly as practicable, of contiguous and compact areas.

          (3) Except as provided in this subsection, changes to the boundaries of any precinct shall follow visible, physical features delineated on the most current maps provided by the United States census bureau.  A change need not follow such visible, physical features if (a) it is necessitated by an annexation or incorporation and the proposed precinct boundary is identical to an exterior boundary of the annexed or incorporated area which does not follow a visible, physical feature; or (b) doing so would substantially impair election administration in the involved area.

(4) After a change to precinct boundaries is adopted by the county legislative authority, the county auditor shall send to the secretary of state a copy of the legal description and a map or maps of the changes and, if all or part of the changes do not follow visible, physical features, a statement of the applicable exception under subsection (3) of this section.  For boundary changes made pursuant to subsection (3)(b) of this section, the auditor shall include a statement of the reasons why following visible, physical features would have substantially impaired election administration.

(5) Every voting precinct within each county shall be designated consecutively by number for the purpose of preparation of maps and the tabulation of population for apportionment purposes.  ((The county auditor may name)) These precincts ((as he deems necessary)) may be identified with names or other numbers for other election purposes.

(6) After a change to precinct boundaries in a city or town, the county auditor shall send one copy of the map or maps delineating the new precinct boundaries within that city or town to the city or town clerk.

(7) Precinct maps are public records and shall be available for inspection by the public during normal office hours in the offices where they are kept.  Copies shall be made available to the public for a fee necessary to cover the cost of reproduction.

        Sec. 2.  Section 2, chapter 129, Laws of 1975-'76 2nd ex. sess. as amended by section 4, chapter 128, Laws of 1977 ex. sess. and RCW 29.04.140 are each amended to read as follows:

          (1) With regard to functions relating to census, apportionment, and the establishment of legislative and congressional districts, the secretary of state shall:

          (a) ((Promulgate)) Adopt rules pursuant to chapter ((34.04)) 34.05 RCW governing the preparation, maintenance, distribution, review, and filing of precinct maps ((and census correspondence lists prepared pursuant to)) under RCW ((29.04.130 as now or hereafter amended)) 29.04.050;

          (b) Coordinate and monitor precinct mapping functions of the county auditors and county engineers;

          (c) Maintain official state base maps and correspondence lists and maintain an index of all such maps and lists;

          (d) Furnish to the United States bureau of the census as needed for the decennial census of population, current, accurate, and easily readable versions of maps of all counties, cities, towns, and other areas of this state, which indicate current precinct boundaries together with copies of the census correspondence lists.

          (2) The secretary of state shall serve as the state liaison with the United States bureau of census on matters relating to the preparation of maps and the tabulation of population for apportionment purposes.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  The following acts or parts of acts are each repealed:

                   (1) Section 1, chapter 129, Laws of 1975-'76 2nd ex. sess., section 3, chapter 128, Laws of 1977 ex. sess., section 1, chapter 107, Laws of 1980 and RCW 29.04.130; and

          (2) Section 2, chapter 107, Laws of 1980 and RCW 29.04.135.

                                                                                                                           Passed the House April 18, 1989.

                                                                                                                                         Speaker of the House.

                                                                                                                           Passed the Senate April 13, 1989.

                                                                                                                                       President of the Senate.