BILL REQ. #:  S-1103.1 

Read first time 02/01/2007.   Referred to Committee on Government Operations & Elections.

     AN ACT Relating to siting of branch offices of state departments; and amending RCW 43.17.050.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 43.17.050 and 1965 c 8 s 43.17.050 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Each department shall maintain its principal office at the state capital. The director of each department may, with the approval of the governor, establish and maintain branch offices at other places than the state capital for the conduct of one or more of the functions of his or her department.
     (2) A geographically equal distribution of all departmental branch offices across the state shall be a goal of all departmental directors' decisions regarding the placement of each newly created or relocated branch office. Gubernatorial approval or disapproval of all directors' decisions, where necessary, shall be made in furtherance of the goal of the geographically equal distribution of all branch offices.
     (3) The directors of all departments shall give priority to counties with less than one million population whenever they consider the establishment of a new branch office or the relocation of an existing branch office.
     (4) The governor, in his or her discretion, may require all administrative departments of the state and the appointive officers thereof, other than those created by this chapter, to maintain their principal offices at the state capital in rooms to be furnished by the director of general administration.