FINAL BILL REPORT

SB 5020

C 143 L 18

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Concerning certain state ethnic and cultural diversity commissions.

Sponsors: Senators Hasegawa, Hunt, Keiser and Chase.

Senate Committee on State Government

House Committee on State Government, Elections & Information Technology

Background: The Commission on African-American Affairs (CAAA) was created in 1992.

The Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs (CAPAA) was originally established in 1974 as the Washington State Commission on Asian-American Affairs; the title was amended in 1995 to be the CAPAA.

The Commission on Hispanic Affairs (CHA) was originally established in statute in 1971 as the Washington State Commission on Mexican-American Affairs; the title was amended in 1987 to be the CHA. The 1987 legislation established a sunset provision for the CHA originally set for June 30, 1997. The sunset was amended in 1993 to extend the work of the CHA until June 30, 2022.

The duties of all three commissions are outlined in statute. A majority of the duties for the three commissions are similar, such as:

• examining and defining issues pertaining to the rights and needs of their community, and make recommendations to or advise the Governor and state agencies on changes in programs, policies, and laws;

• establishing relationships with state agencies, local governments, and private sector organizations that promote equal opportunity and benefits for their community; and

• receiving gifts, grants, and endowments from public or private sources that are made for the use or benefit of the commission and expend, without appropriation, the same or any income from the gifts, grants, or endowments according to their terms.

However, under current statute, language regarding the duty of the commissions to advise the Legislature on issues of concern to their communities differs as follows:

• the CAAA is currently required, acting in concert with the Governor, to advise the Legislature on issues of concern to their community;

• the CAPAA is not currently directed by statute to advise the Legislature on issues of concern to their community; and

• the CHA is currently required under statute to advise the Legislature on issues of concern to their community.

Summary: The CAAA and the CAPAA must advise the Legislature on issues of concern to their communities.

The sunset provisions pertaining to the termination of the CHA set for June 30, 2021, and the underlying statutes related to CHA set for June 30, 2022, are repealed.

Votes on Final Passage: