S-184                 _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 5001

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Senators Conner and Lee

Prefiled with Secretary of the Senate 12/5/88.  Read first time 1/9/89 and referred to Committee on  Economic Development & Labor.

AN ACT Relating to the Washington ambassador program; and amending RCW 43.31.377 and 43.31.381.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 3, chapter 175, Laws of 1984 as last amended by section 2, chapter 35, Laws of 1988 and RCW 43.31.377 are each amended to read as follows:

          There is established within the department the Washington ambassador program.  The ambassador program shall be conducted in conjunction with state-wide private sector efforts consistent with and supportive of the state's overall economic development program.

          The department in administering the program, shall:

          (1) Identify candidate ambassadors by accepting recommendations and soliciting referrals from Washington state businesses having extensive domestic or overseas trade involvement, state universities with foreign student exchange programs, local economic development organizations, internationally oriented societies and trade groups, international consulates, various levels of government, and other sources;

          (2) Screen applicants to determine their suitability to ably represent the state as Washington ambassadors;

          (3) Make its report and recommendations to the governor and the president of the senate regarding applicants;

          (4) Provide a comprehensive orientation on state products and services and opportunities for investment in the state on an ongoing basis to ambassadors;

          (5) Prepare and provide the necessary brochures, pamphlets, and materials for use and distribution by ambassadors;

          (6) Target those regions and countries in which an ambassador would be most beneficial; ((and))

          (7) Assist the ambassadors in the execution of their duties including providing guidance on developing trade and investment leads and acting as a focal point for all resulting communications between domestic and international companies and individuals with the state;

(8) Provide ambassadors with a country profile information sheet to be used to collect data, including the following:

(a) Name of country visited and dates that ambassador visited that county;

(b) Names, titles, addresses, and phone numbers of government and business leaders visited by the ambassador;

(c) Summary of ambassador's personal observations of the economic conditions of the country and the country's relations with the United States and with Washington state;

(d) The ambassador's recommendations to the department and to subsequent visitors; and

(e) Suggested products that could be exported from Washington to the country and possible markets for those products;

(9) Encourage other official visitors to a country, including faculty and staff of the University of Washington and Washington State University, staff of other state agencies, and business leaders, to complete a country profile information sheet and return it to the department; and

(10) Collect country profile sheets, consolidate and analyze the data from those sheets, and make the results of that analysis available routinely to ambassadors visiting the countries described and to other persons upon request.

          The department may administer the Washington ambassador program in conjunction with other similar programs.

        Sec. 2.  Section 5, chapter 175, Laws of 1984 as last amended by section 4, chapter 35, Laws of 1988 and RCW 43.31.381 are each amended to read as follows:

          Washington ambassadors shall act as representatives of the state in promoting domestic and international investment, trade, business assistance, and tourism in Washington state in a manner consistent with this chapter.  Ambassadors should complete a country profile information sheet and submit it to the department as soon as possible after visiting a country.  Ambassadors are not required to reveal proprietary or other confidential information.

          The department shall coordinate the development of the ambassadors' agendas and long-term and short-term plans for the activities of the ambassadors.  An ambassador shall avoid conducting private or personal business when acting as a representative of the state of Washington.  In any situation presenting a possible or apparent conflict of interest, the ambassador shall notify the director who shall recommend appropriate action.  Washington ambassadors shall not receive compensation, or reimbursement for travel or any other expenses associated with their duties.