Background:

The Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Trade Policy.

The Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Trade Policy (JLOCTP) is an 11-member committee, comprised of four senators, four representatives, and three ex-officio members. The President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives appoint members respectively, jointly appointing ex-officio members. Staff support is provided by Senate Committee Services and the House of Representatives' Office of Program Research.

The JLOCTP may examine any aspects of international trade, international economic integration, and trade agreements that the members deem appropriate, and is required to:

annually hear public testimony and report to the state Trade Representative's Office and Legislature on the impacts of international trade agreements and negotiations on the state;
conduct an annual assessment and report to the Legislature on the impacts of international trade agreements upon Washington law; and
maintain active communication with the United States and state trade offices, the state's congressional delegation, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and any other bodies the committee deems appropriate regarding ongoing developments in international trade agreements and policy.

Other State and Legislative Trade Policy Involvement.

There are other state and legislative trade policy-related offices and committees, including the Office of the Washington State Trade Representative, the Legislative Committee on Economic Development & International Relations (LCEDIR) and its Subcommittee on International Trade, the House Technology and Economic Development Committee, and Senate Economic Development and International Relations Committee.

The Office of the Washington State Trade Representative.

The Office of the Washington State Trade Representative (Office) is in the Governor's office and serves as the state's official liaison with foreign governments on trade matters. Some of the Office's duties include working with certain state agencies to review and analyze proposed and enacted international trade agreements and provide an assessment of the impact on the state's businesses and firms, provide input to the United States trade representative in development of trade-related polices that concern the state, and serve as a liaison to the Legislature on matters of trade policy oversight. The Office provides an annual report of its activities to the Governor and Legislature.

The Legislative Committee on Economic Development & International Relations.

The LCEDIR is a 13-member committee, comprised of six senators, six representatives, and the Lieutenant Governor who serves as chair to the committee. Appointments are made by the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively. The LCEDIR is required to have subcommittees, including a subcommittee on international trade. The LCEDIR studies and reviews economic development issues with an emphasis on international trade, tourism, investment, and industrial development. The duties of the LCEDIR include: evaluating existing state economic development policies, laws, and programs to determine their cost-effectiveness and level of cooperation with other public and private agencies; determining the economic impact of international trade, tourism, and investment upon the state's economy; and developing effective and appropriate legislative responses based on economic trends.

Standing Committees.

The House Technology and Economic Development Committee considers a number of energy, technology, privacy, and economic related issues, including issues related to international trade.

The Senate Economic Development and International Relations Committee considers issues related to economic development and economic development incentives, international trade, and tourism.

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