AN
ACT Relating to the executive-legislative task forces on international trade
and tourism promotion and development; creating new sections; and providing
expiration dates.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE
LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 1. The
legislature finds that international trade is vital to the economy of the state
of Washington. The state of Washington is the fifth largest exporting state in
the United States, after California, Texas, New York, and Michigan
respectively.
The
legislature further finds that this state's international business
relationships are comprised of four interrelated categories: Two-way and
three-way trade, investment, education, and tourism. In 1994, Washington's
two-way trade totaled $75.4 billion, with exports at $32.3 billion of the
total. In 1992, investors from twenty foreign countries owned approximately
two hundred seventy-five businesses in the state of Washington, employing an
estimated twenty-five thousand three hundred fifty-five persons state-wide. In
1994, approximately two million three hundred thousand international travelers
visited the state of Washington. It is now estimated that one in five jobs in
the state of Washington is related to international trade.
The
legislature further finds that international trade opportunities are
substantial in both established markets like Japan, Taiwan, Canada, Mexico, and
the European Union, and new, growing markets like China, Southeast Asia, South
Africa, Spain, and the Russian Far East.
The
legislature further finds that there is a need to evaluate the state's role in
the promotion of international trade and tourism. A unique partnership between
the public and private sector can attract increased tourism and international
trade opportunities and encourage investment in the state of Washington.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 2. (1)
There is created the executive-legislative task force on international trade to
consist of twenty-three members.
(a)
The task force shall consist of the following members:
(i)
The governor, who shall serve as chair;
(ii)
The chair of the committee on trade and economic development of the house of
representatives and a member of the senate selected by and from the three
members appointed by the president of the senate, who shall serve as
vice-chairs;
(iii)
Two representatives from the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker
of the house, one from each political party;
(iv)
Three members from the senate, appointed by the president of the senate, at
least one from each political party;
(v)
The secretary of state;
(vi)
Four representatives of businesses involved in international trade, one
representative shall be from a business with less than fifty employees, one
representative shall be from businesses with less than five hundred employees,
and two representatives shall be from businesses with more than five hundred
employees;
(vii)
Two representatives of organized labor, one representative each from
manufacturing and maritime industries;
(viii)
Two representatives of public ports, one representative shall be from a port
that is located east of the crest of the Cascade mountains;
(ix)
Two representatives of local economic development organizations, one
representative shall be from an organization that is located east of the crest
of the Cascade mountains;
(x)
Two representatives from cities with a population of at least one hundred
seventy-five thousand and that have a public port; and
(xi)
One representative at large.
(b)
The following two members shall serve as ex officio, nonvoting members:
(i)
The director of the department of community, trade, and economic development;
and
(ii)
The director of the Washington state department of agriculture.
(2)
The governor shall appoint all nonlegislative members to the
executive-legislative task force on international trade. The nonlegislative
members of the executive-legislative task force on international trade shall
serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided
in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060. Legislative members of the
executive-legislative task force on international trade shall be reimbursed for
travel expenses as provided in RCW 44.04.120.
(3)
The executive-legislative task force on international trade shall meet
regularly and may appoint technical advisory committees, which may include
members of the executive-legislative task force on international trade, as
needed to address specific issues and concerns.
(4)
The department of community, trade, and economic development, in conjunction
with the Washington state department of agriculture and the legislature, shall
supply such information and assistance as is deemed necessary for the
executive-legislative task force on international trade to carry out its duties
under section 3 of this act.
(5)
The office of the governor and the legislature shall provide administrative and
clerical assistance to the executive-legislative task force on international
trade.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 3. The
executive-legislative task force on international trade shall:
(1)
Review existing state programs and incentives designed to encourage
international trade and domestic trade opportunities;
(2)
Review the existing state organizational structure for international trade and
trade-related functions;
(3)
Review international trade promotion programs, organizational structures, and
efforts in selected states and countries;
(4)
Make recommendations on the state's international trade and trade-related
functions including, but not limited to:
(a)
The role of the state in promoting international trade;
(b)
The appropriate organizational structure of the state's international trade and
trade-related programs and incentives;
(c)
The role of government and the private sector in promoting international trade;
(d)
The role of the state's foreign trade offices in international trade;
(e)
The role of the legislature in international trade;
(f)
The need for a comprehensive and coordinated state international trade policy;
and
(g)
Other issues the task force deems appropriate; and
(5)
Prepare and submit to the governor and the appropriate policy committees of the
house of representatives and the senate, by January 30, 1998, a report
detailing its findings and recommendations regarding specific programs,
organizational, legislative, and funding issues, and any other recommendations
it deems appropriate.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 4. The
executive-legislative task force on international trade may receive gifts,
grants, or endowments from public and private sources that are made from time
to time, in trust or otherwise, for the use and benefit of the purposes of the
executive-legislative task force on international trade and spend gifts,
grants, or endowments or income from the public or private sources according to
their terms, unless the receipt of the gifts, grants, or endowments violates
RCW 42.17.710.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 5. The
legislature finds that:
(1)
The attraction of visitors to this state can enhance the economic well-being of
our citizens by increasing the jobs and income derived from commerce with
tourists traveling in the state.
(2)
The state has valuable natural beauty, man-made, and scenic attractions, and
the promotion of these attractions by cooperative efforts between the public
and private sectors can significantly contribute to economic growth and
employment opportunities. Cooperation between the public and private sectors
requires a mechanism to coordinate the variety of efforts aimed at promoting
and developing tourism in our state.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 6. A
task force to the legislature on tourism promotion and marketing is hereby
created. The task force shall consist of nine members from the private sector,
four members from the public sector, and three ex officio members. The private
sector members shall represent the Washington state hotel/motel association,
the Washington state restaurant association, the Washington association of
convention and visitor bureaus, the Washington festivals and events
association, the association of Washington business, the Washington retail
council, the Washington public ports association, and the Washington chamber of
commerce executives. The governor shall appoint the private sector members
from recommendations made by each of the associations to be represented.
Consideration shall be given so as to maintain a state-wide balance of representatives
appointed. The public members must include two members from the house of
representatives and two members from the senate. The public members must be
chosen respectively by the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of
representatives. The director of the tourism development division, or the
director's designee, the director of the state parks and recreation commission,
or the director's designee, and a representative of the attorney general's
office shall sit as ex officio members of the task force.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 7. (1)
The task force may by majority vote establish working groups to focus on
specific issues in the tourism industry.
(2)
The task force shall by majority vote prescribe rules of procedure for itself
and its working groups that are consistent with this act.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 8. The
task force or its working groups are authorized to study tourism promotion and
related issues and prepare, for legislative and executive consideration, a
comprehensive proposal for the establishment of a private commission to market
Washington state and its tourism advantages. The proposal must include, but is
not limited to:
(1)
An evaluation of existing state laws, policies, and programs that promote or
affect state tourism marketing;
(2)
The level of state interdepartmental cooperation needed to ensure an effective
and coordinated continuing tourism program within the state agencies;
(3)
A clear determination of the economic impact to the state of an aggressive,
continuous state-wide tourism marketing program;
(4)
Recommendations from public and private sector organizations concerning the
establishing of a legislatively established state-wide tourism commission, its
structure, its membership, and its objectives;
(5)
A specific proposal and plan for the funding from private sources of an
acceptable working budget for the commission;
(6)
The procedure for the established commission to develop a state-wide marketing
plan that addresses all areas of the state and the state's relationship to the
commission, to other states, and to other nations.
The
task force shall study the roles and responsibilities of the public and private
sector and make recommendations for the roles, responsibilities, and
interrelationship between the tourism division and the private commission.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 9. The
department of community, trade, and economic development shall provide the task
force with the necessary staff support.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 10.
Members of the task force shall serve without additional compensation, but must
be reimbursed for their travel expenses, in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and
44.04.120, incurred while attending sessions of the task force or meetings of
working groups, engaged on other task force business authorized by the task
force, or going to and coming from task force meetings.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 11. All
expenses of the task force, including salaries and expenses of employees, must
be paid upon voucher forms as provided by the auditor and signed by the
chairperson or vice-chairperson of the task force and attested by the secretary
of the task force. The authority of the chairperson and secretary to sign
vouchers continues until their successors are selected after each ensuing
session of the legislature. Vouchers may be drawn on funds appropriated generally
by the legislature or upon any special appropriation that is provided by the
legislature for the expenses of the task force, or both.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 12. The
task force shall cooperate, act, and function with legislative committees,
executive agencies, and private organizations within the tourism industry.
The
task force shall report to the legislature by January 31, 1998, outlining its
findings and recommendations.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 13. If
any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is
held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to
other persons or circumstances is not affected.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 14.
Sections 1 through 4 of this act expire March 1, 1998. Sections 5 through 13
of this act expire June 30, 1998.
