BILL REQ. #:  H-1354.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/03/11.   

     AN ACT Relating to creating the board on geographic names; amending RCW 43.30.215; and adding new sections to chapter 43.30 RCW.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 43.30.215 and 2003 c 334 s 112 are each amended to read as follows:
     The board shall:
     (1) Perform duties relating to appraisal, appeal, approval, and hearing functions as provided by law;
     (2) Establish policies to ensure that the acquisition, management, and disposition of all lands and resources within the department's jurisdiction are based on sound principles designed to achieve the maximum effective development and use of such lands and resources consistent with laws applicable thereto;
     (3) Constitute the board of appraisers provided for in Article 16, section 2 of the state Constitution;
     (4) Constitute the commission on harbor lines provided for in Article 15, section 1 of the state Constitution as amended;
     (5) Constitute the board on geographic names as provided for in sections 2 through 6 of this act; and
     (6) Adopt and enforce rules as may be deemed necessary and proper for carrying out the powers, duties, and functions imposed upon it by this chapter.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 43.30 RCW to read as follows:
     The board on geographic names is created to establish a procedure for the retention and formal recognition of existing geographic names; to standardize the procedures for naming or renaming geographical features within the state of Washington; to identify one body as the responsible agency to coordinate this important activity between local, state, and federal agencies; to identify the responsible agency for the purpose of serving the public interest; to avoid the duplication of names for similar features whenever possible; and as far as possible, to retain the significance, spelling, and color of names associated with the early history of Washington.
     The board on geographic names has the following duties:
     (1) Establish the official names for the lakes, mountains, streams, places, towns, and other geographic features within the state and the spellings thereof except when a name is specified by law. For the purposes of this subsection, geographic features do not include human-made features or administrative areas such as parks, game reserves, and dams, but do include human-made lakes;
     (2) Assign names to lakes, mountains, streams, places, towns, and other geographic features in the state for which no generally accepted name has been in use;
     (3) Cooperate with county commissions, state departments, agencies, the state legislature, and the United States board on geographic names to establish, change, or determine the appropriate names of lakes, mountains, streams, places, towns, and other geographic features for the purposes of eliminating, as far as possible, duplications of place names within the state;
     (4) Serve as a state of Washington liaison with the United States board on geographic names;
     (5) Periodically issue a list of names approved by the board on geographic names; and
     (6) Establish policies to carry out the purposes of this section and sections 3 through 5 of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   A new section is added to chapter 43.30 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The board on geographic names shall establish a committee on geographic names to assist the board in performing its duties and to provide broader contextual, public, and tribal participation in naming geographic features in the state. The committee shall report to the board on geographic names and shall consist of:
     (a) The commissioner or representative;
     (b) The state librarian or the librarian's designee;
     (c) The director of the department of archaeology and historic preservation or the director's designee;
     (d) A representative of the Washington state tribes, to be appointed by the commissioner from nominations made by Washington's recognized tribal governments. The tribal representative serves a three-year term; and
     (e) Three members from the public to be appointed by the commissioner. Initial appointments of the public members appointed under this subsection shall be as follows: One member for a one-year term, one member for a two-year term, and one member for a three-year term. Thereafter, each public member shall be appointed for a three-year term.
     (2) Each member of the committee shall continue in office until a successor is appointed. The commissioner shall serve as chair of the board.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   A new section is added to chapter 43.30 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The committee on geographic names shall hold at least two meetings each year, and may hold special meetings as called by the chair or a majority of the members of the committee. All meetings must be open to the public.
     (a) Notice of all committee meetings shall be as provided in RCW 42.30.080. The notice must include the names to be considered by the committee and the names to be adopted by the board on geographic names.
     (b) Four committee members shall constitute a quorum.
     (2) The committee shall establish rules for the conduct of its affairs and to carry out the duties of this section.
     (3) The committee shall cooperate with the United States board on geographic names.
     (4) The committee shall make reports and recommendations to the board on geographic names following each meeting of the committee. Recommendations regarding adoption of names may only be made following consideration at two committee meetings.
     (5) In considering the names and spellings of geographic place names, the committee's recommendations to the board on geographic names may only be made after careful deliberation of all available information relating to such names, including the recommendations of the United States board on geographic names.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   A new section is added to chapter 43.30 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The board on geographic names shall consider the recommendations made by the committee on geographic names for adoption of names. The board on geographic names must either adopt the name as recommended, or refer the matter back to the committee on geographic names for further review.
     (2) All geographic names adopted by the board on geographic names shall be published in the Washington State Register.
     (3) Whenever the board on geographic names has given a name to any lake, stream, place, or other geographic feature within the state, the name must be used in all maps, records, documents, and other publications issued by the state or any of its departments and political subdivisions, and that name is the official name of the geographic feature.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   A new section is added to chapter 43.30 RCW to read as follows:
     The department of natural resources shall provide secretarial and administrative services for the board on geographic names and shall serve as custodian of the records.