AN ACT Relating to commemorating the centennial of national women's suffrage; adding a new chapter to Title 27 RCW; and providing an expiration date.

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

The introduction, passage, and ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment were the result of decades of work and struggle by women's voting rights advocates throughout the United States, with people from Washington state providing significant leadership.

In 1854, six years after the landmark women's rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York, the Washington territorial legislature initially considered enacting women's right to vote. Susan B. Anthony visited Washington territory in 1871, and addressed the Washington territorial legislature, the first woman in the country to address a state legislative body in session. This spurred the creation of many women's right to vote associations in Washington and in other states.

State women's right to vote legislation eventually passed the Washington territorial legislature twice, but each time was found unconstitutional by the territorial supreme court. With the 1910 approval of a state constitutional amendment by the male voters of the state, Washington became the first state in the twentieth century, and the fifth state overall, to enact women's right to vote at the state level.

In 2009, the state of Washington posthumously awarded its highest honor, the medal of merit, to the two key leaders of the Washington women's right to vote movement, Emma Smith DeVoe and May Arkwright Hutton.

The path to women's suffrage was blazed by western states. Washington's action (1910) followed Wyoming (1890), Colorado (1893), Utah (1870), and Idaho (1896). These successes were immediately followed by California (1911) and Oregon (1912), in establishing women's right to vote.

Washington was a major leader in the movement for nationwide women's right to vote. Washington was the first state in the twentieth century to fully enfranchise women, and inspired the nationwide campaign that soon brought success in many western states and the territory of Alaska, culminating in the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution providing for American women throughout the country to vote.

In 2010, the Washington women's history consortium provided leadership for statewide commemoration of the centennial of Washington state women's right to vote, sponsoring and coordinating a wide range of statewide activities.

The centennial of the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, in 2020, offers still greater opportunities for Washingtonians to commemorate and educate themselves and future generations about the importance of voting and civic engagement. Washingtonians and the many visitors to Washington will benefit from learning about and becoming inspired by the historic efforts of the women's right to vote movement in Washington and throughout the nation, and the subsequent impacts on life in Washington and the United States.

Therefore, the legislature finds it beneficial to begin the process of preparing for statewide commemoration from 2018 through 2020, of the centennial of the processes of congressional passage of and states' legislative ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which established the right to vote for American women.

(1) Provide leadership for statewide commemoration from 2018 through 2020 of the centennial pertaining to the passage by congress of the Nineteenth Amendment and its subsequent ratification by three-fourths of the state legislatures in August 1920;

(2) Immediately begin preparations for this statewide commemoration, to include but not be limited to:

(a) Consulting with a wide variety of organizations, institutions, public agencies, educational agencies and institutions, tourism organizations, and the general public about the content and conduct of this statewide commemoration;

(b) Developing and encouraging others to develop a broad range of widely available educational opportunities for Washingtonians generally, students, and visitors, including significant online educational resources, to:

(i) Learn about the importance of voting in the context of women gaining the right to vote;

(ii) Consider the subsequent long-term impacts of women gaining the right to vote;

(iii) Learn about the active leadership role of Washingtonians in achieving the nationwide right to vote for women;

(iv) Honor the countless participants in the women's suffrage movement; and

(v) Inspire future generations to treasure their right to vote;

(c) Planning, coordinating, and publicizing events and informational materials for Washingtonians and visitors throughout the state commemorating this centennial;

(3) Create and distribute a portfolio of public humanities programs, and encourage others to also do this, to engage Washingtonians and visitors with important aspects of the women's right to vote movement;

(4) Encourage private organizations, schools, institutions of higher education, public agencies, and local governments to organize and participate in activities commemorating the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution;

(5) Coordinate with the regional and national organizations and agencies with respect to their commemorative work;

(6) Coordinate with the national collaborative for women's history sites by contributing a Washington component to the development of a nationwide votes for women trail; and

(7) Administer a grant program for public agencies, educational institutions, and organizations exempt from taxation under Title 26 U.S.C. Sec. 501(c)(3) of the federal internal revenue code to assist with their commemoration activities.

(1) To appoint task forces and advisory committees;

(2) To work with staff appointed by the Washington state historical society;

(3) To enter into agreements or contracts; and

(4) To solicit, accept, use, and dispose of grants and gifts.

(2) Representatives of state and local governments must be reimbursed pursuant to the reimbursement policies of their respective entity.

(3) Nonlegislative members are not entitled to be reimbursed for travel expenses if they are elected officials or are participating on behalf of an employer, governmental entity, or other organization. Any reimbursement for other nonlegislative members is subject to chapter 43.03 RCW.

--- END ---