BILL REQ. #: H-0140.1
| State of Washington | 60th Legislature | 2007 Regular Session |
Read first time 01/26/2007. Referred to Committee on State Government & Tribal Affairs.
AN ACT Relating to authorizing state employees who provide services to persons with developmental disabilities to express their professional opinions and use their independent professional judgments; adding new sections to chapter 42.52 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 The legislature finds that:
(1) A workplace where state employees can feel free to express
their professional opinions encourages an open and free exchange of
ideas and knowledge and more efficient government;
(2) Scientific integrity in work by state employees is increasingly
important as the issues the state faces are increasing in complexity;
and
(3) Many professional licenses require license holders to express
their professional opinions and make independent professional judgments
in their work.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 A new section is added to chapter 42.52 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) For the purposes of this section, "state employee" means a
state employee who provides services to persons with developmental
disabilities.
(2) State employees may express their professional opinions in the
workplace on topics within their scope of duties, even if those
opinions differ from the agency's official position or their
supervisor's opinions.
(3) No state employee will be required to sign a document if he or
she objects to the contents of the document on the basis of
professional, technical, or scientific grounds or the employee has a
reasonable basis to believe that signing the document could jeopardize
his or her professional license.
(4) When a state employee is representing the employee's agency,
employees may publicly express his or her professional opinion on an
issue, even if it is inconsistent with the agency's position on the
issue, if the employee clearly indicates he or she is expressing his or
her own professional opinion.
(5) When not on duty, state employees may express their
professional opinions on issues, whether or not the issues are related
to their job duties. When expressing their professional opinions to
the public about issues related to their job duties, the employee must
clearly indicate it is his or her own personal professional opinion and
that the employee is not representing the employee's agency.
(6) Nothing in this section limits a state employee's right as a
private citizen to express an opinion on any issue on his or her own
time.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3 A new section is added to chapter 42.52 RCW
to read as follows:
Any retaliation, disciplinary action, or withholding of a promotion
to a state employee as defined in section 2 of this act because he or
she expressed his or her professional opinion or refused to sign a
document as provided for under section 2 of this act is a violation of
this chapter.