BILL REQ. #:  S-1770.2 

READ FIRST TIME 03/02/05.   

     AN ACT Relating to the statute law committee; amending RCW 1.08.001, 1.08.003, 1.08.007, and 1.08.011; and declaring an emergency.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 1.08.001 and 1967 ex.s. c 124 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     There is created a permanent statute law committee consisting of ((twelve lawyer)) eleven members as follows: ((A lawyer member of the legislature, ex officio, designated by the speaker of the house of representatives with the concurrence of the president of the senate; the chairman of the senate judiciary committee, ex officio, or a member thereof who belongs to the same political party as the chairman, and one other member thereof who belongs to the other major political party, to be appointed by the chairman; the chairman of the house judiciary committee, ex officio, or a member thereof who belongs to the same political party as the chairman, and one other member thereof who belongs to the other major political party, to be appointed by the chairman; five lawyers))
     (1) The secretary of the senate, ex officio;
     (2) Two members of the senate, one from each of the two largest caucuses in the senate, appointed by the president of the senate;
     (3) The chief clerk of the house of representatives, ex officio;
     (4) Two members of the house of representatives, one from each of the two largest caucuses in the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;
     (5) The staff director of the nonpartisan professional committee staff of the senate, ex officio;
     (6) The staff director of the nonpartisan professional committee staff of the house of representatives, ex officio;
     (7) A lawyer admitted to practice in this state, ((designated)) appointed by the board of governors of the Washington State Bar Association;
     (8) A judge of the supreme court or a lawyer who has been admitted to practice in this state, ((recommended)) appointed by the chief justice of the supreme court; and
     (9) A lawyer staff member ((at large)) of the governor's office or a state agency, appointed by the governor.
     All such ((designations or)) initial appointments((,)) shall ((except as provided in RCW 1.08.003,)) be made ((as above provided prior to April 1, 1959)) within thirty days of the effective date of this act.

Sec. 2   RCW 1.08.003 and 1959 c 95 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     The term((s)) of the member((s designated)) of the committee appointed by the State Bar Association, shall be for ((six)) two years. ((The term of the member recommended by the chief justice shall be at the pleasure of the supreme court. The term of the governor's appointee shall be four years. The term of the senate and house judiciary committee members shall be two years, from April 1st following the adjournment of the regular session of the legislature in each odd-numbered year starting in 1955 and to and including the thirty-first day of March in the succeeding odd-numbered year.))
     The term of any ex officio member((, other than senate and house judiciary committee members shall)) expires upon expiration of tenure of the position by virtue of which he or she is a member of the committee. The remaining members of the committee shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority. Vacancies shall be filled by designation, appointment, or ex officio in the same manner as for the member so vacating, and if a vacancy results other than from expiration of a term, the vacancy shall be filled for the unexpired term.
     ((Of the members to be designated by the Washington State Bar Association, the term of one member shall expire March 31, 1959, the terms of two members shall expire March 31, 1961, the terms of two members shall expire March 31, 1963, and the term of one member shall expire March 31, 1965: PROVIDED, That this 1959 amendment shall not affect the present terms of present members.))

Sec. 3   RCW 1.08.007 and 1953 c 257 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     ((The committee shall meet at the call of the senate judiciary chairman as soon as feasible after April 1, 1953.)) The committee shall from time to time elect a chairman from among its members((,)) and adopt rules to govern its procedures. Four members of the committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business but no proceeding of the committee shall be valid unless carried by the vote of a majority of the members present. The code reviser or a member of his or her staff shall act as secretary of the committee.

Sec. 4   RCW 1.08.011 and 1951 c 157 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:
     The committee shall((, as soon as practicable after April 1, 1951,)) employ on behalf of the state((,)) and from time to time fix the compensation of a competent code reviser, with power to terminate any such employment at any time((, subject to contract rights)). The committee shall also employ on behalf of the state and fix the compensation of such additional legal and clerical assistance to the code reviser as may reasonably be required under this chapter. The committee shall have general supervision and control over the functions and performance of the code reviser.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately.