1602-S

AN ACT Relating to election of regional committee members; amending RCW 28A.315.030, 28A.315.060, and 28A.315.080; and providing an effective date.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 28A.315.030 and 1990 c 33 s 294 are each amended to read as follows:

Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter to the contrary, ((those persons who were county committee members and registered to vote as of July 28, 1985, shall constitute the regional committee of the educational service district within which they are registered to vote until the election of the initial regional committee pursuant to this section. The initial election of members of each regional committee shall be by those persons who were county committee members registered to vote within the educational service district as of July 28, 1985. Only persons who were county committee members and so registered to vote as of July 28, 1985, shall be eligible for membership on an initial regional committee, and only those persons who are eligible for such membership and are in attendance at a meeting held for the purpose of the election shall be entitled to cast a vote. The meeting shall be held at a time and place designated and announced by the educational service district superintendent, but no later than the thirtieth day after July 28, 1985. The educational service district superintendent shall preside over the meeting. Nominations shall be from the floor and shall be for position numbers assigned by the educational service district superintendent for the purpose of the initial election and all subsequent elections held pursuant to RCW 28A.315.060.)) the term of office of each regional committee member and position shall expire as of the second Monday of January 1995. Each regional committee member position shall therefore be open for election purposes in 1994. Members of each ((~~initial~~)) regional committee shall be elected by majority vote and shall serve for the staggered terms of office set forth in RCW ((~~28A.315.060~~)) 28A.315.080 and until their successors are certified as elected pursuant to RCW 28A.315.060. Regional committee member position numbers shall be assigned by the educational service district superintendent for purposes of all elections held pursuant to RCW 28A.315.060.

Sec. 2. RCW 28A.315.060 and 1990 c 33 s 295 are each amended to read as follows:

The members of each regional committee shall be elected in the following manner:

(1) On or before the 25th day of September, ((~~1986~~)) 1994, and not later than the 25th day of September of every subsequent even-numbered year, each superintendent of an educational service district shall call an election to be held in each educational service district within which resides a member of a regional committee whose term of office expires on the second Monday of January next following, and shall give written notice thereof to each member of the board of directors of each school district in the educational service district. Such notice shall include instructions, and the rules and regulations established by the state board of education for the conduct of the election. The state board of education is hereby empowered to adopt rules pursuant to chapter 34.05 RCW which establish standards and procedures which the state board deems necessary to conduct elections pursuant to this section; to conduct run-off elections in the event an election for a position is indecisive; and to decide run-off elections which result in tie votes, in a fair and orderly manner.

(2) Candidates for membership on a regional committee shall file a declaration of candidacy with the superintendent of the educational service district wherein they reside. Declarations of candidacy may be filed by person or by mail not earlier than the 1st day of October, and not later than the 15th day of October of each even-numbered year. The superintendent may not accept any declaration of candidacy that is not on file in his or her office or not postmarked before the 16th day of October, or if not postmarked or the postmark is not legible, if received by mail after the 20th day of October of each even-numbered year.

(3) Each member of the regional committee shall be elected by a majority of the votes cast for all candidates for the position by the members of the boards of directors of school districts in the educational service district. All votes shall be cast by mail ballot addressed to the superintendent of the educational service district wherein the school director resides. No votes shall be accepted for counting if postmarked after the 16th day of November or if not postmarked or the postmark is not legible, if received by mail after the 21st day of November of each even-numbered year. An election board comprised of three persons appointed by the board of the educational service district shall count and tally the votes not later than the 25th day of November or the next business day if the 25th falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday of each even-numbered year. Each vote cast by a school director shall be recorded as one vote. Within ten days following the count of votes, the educational service district superintendent shall certify to the superintendent of public instruction the name or names of the person(s) elected to be members of the regional committee.

(4) In the event of a change in the number of educational service districts or in the number of educational service district board members pursuant to chapter 28A.310 RCW a new regional committee shall be elected for each affected educational service district at the next annual election conducted pursuant to this section. Those persons who were serving on a regional committee within an educational service district affected by a change in the number of districts or board members shall continue to constitute the regional committee for the educational service district within which they are registered to vote until the majority of a new board has been elected and certified.

(5) No member of a regional committee shall continue to serve thereon if he or she ceases to be a registered voter of the educational service district board member district or if he or she is absent from three consecutive meetings of the committee without an excuse acceptable to the committee.

Sec. 3. RCW 28A.315.080 and 1990 c 33 s 296 are each amended to read as follows:

The terms of members of the regional committees shall be for ((~~five~~)) four years and until their successors are certified as elected. ((~~As nearly as possible one-fifth of the members shall be elected annually.~~)) For the ((~~initial~~)) 1994 election conducted pursuant to RCW 28A.315.030 and the election of a new regional committee following a change in the number of educational service districts or board members, regional committee member positions one ((~~and six~~)), three, five, seven, and nine shall be for a term of ((~~five~~)) two years, positions two ((~~and seven~~)), four, six, and eight shall be for a term of four years((~~, positions three and eight shall be for a term of three years, positions four and nine shall be for a term of two years, and position five shall be for a term of one year~~)).

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. This act shall take effect September 1, 1994.