(1) When a member of the board either owns a beneficial interest in or is an officer, agent, employee or member of an entity or individual which is engaged in a transaction involving the board, the member shall:
(a) Recuse him or herself from the board discussion regarding the specific transaction;
(b) Recuse him or herself from the board vote on the specific transaction; and
(c) Refrain from attempting to influence the remaining board members in their discussion and vote regarding the specific transaction.
(2) The prohibition against discussion and voting set forth in subsection (1)(a) and (c) of this section shall not prohibit the member of the board from using his or her general expertise to educate and provide general information on the subject area to the other members.
(3)(a) "Transaction involving the board" means a proceeding, application, submission, request for a ruling or other determination, contract, claim, case, or other similar matter that the member in question believes, or has reason to believe:
(i) Is, or will be, the subject of board action; or
(ii) Is one to which the board is or will be a party; or
(iii) Is one in which the board has a direct and substantial proprietary interest.
(b) "Transaction involving the board" does not include the following: Preparation, consideration, or enactment of legislation, including appropriation of moneys in a budget, or the performance of legislative duties by a member; or a claim, case, lawsuit, or similar matter if the member did not participate in the underlying transaction involving the board that is the basis for the claim, case, or lawsuit. Rule making is not a "transaction involving the board."
(4) "Board action" means any action on the part of the board, including, but not limited to:
(a) A decision, determination, finding, ruling, or order; and
(b) A grant, payment, award, license, contract, transaction, sanction, or approval, or the denial thereof, or failure to act with respect to a decision, determination, finding, ruling, or order.
Example: | The board selects investment options for the deferred compensation program. The board currently has a contract with Investment Company "B" which allows program participants to purchase Company "B's" stock. The board is in the process of determining whether to renew Company "B's" contract. One of the board members owns fifty shares of Company "B" stock. That board member must recuse herself from the board's discussion and vote regarding whether to renew Company "B's" contract. The board member also must refrain from attempting to influence the remaining board members in their discussion and vote regarding the contract renewal. |
Example: | The board selects investment options for the deferred compensation program. The board is in the process of obtaining proposals from mutual fund companies to provide mutual fund options to program participants. Mutual Fund Company "C" bids on the contract. A board member owns one hundred shares of Mutual Fund "C," but does not have any management powers in the mutual fund company. The board member does not have a beneficial interest in Mutual Fund Company "C." RCW 42.52.010(4). The board member thus is not required to recuse himself from the board's discussion and vote on the mutual fund contract. |