Prefiled 12/18/19.Read first time 01/13/20.Referred to Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations.

AN ACT Relating to staggering legislative terms in accordance with the constitutional amendment to extend legislative terms; adding a new section to chapter 44.04 RCW; providing a contingent effective date; and providing an expiration date.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 44.04 RCW to read as follows:

Elections for state legislators in the 2022, 2024, 2026, and 2028 elections are to be held as follows:

(1) Members of the house of representatives in even-numbered districts shall be elected to four-year terms beginning in the 2022 election.

(2) Members of the house of representatives in odd-numbered districts shall be elected to two-year terms in the 2022 election, and four-year terms beginning in the 2024 election.

(3) Members of the senate in districts six, seven, eight, thirteen, fifteen, twenty-one, twenty-six, and twenty-nine shall be elected to six-year terms beginning in the 2022 election.

(4) Members of the senate in districts thirty, thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-six, thirty-seven, thirty-eight, forty-two, forty-three, forty-four, forty-five, forty-six, forty-seven, and forty-eight shall be elected to four-year terms in the 2022 election, and six-year terms beginning in the 2026 election.

(5) Members of the senate in districts one, two, three, four, five, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, fourteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, and twenty-two shall be elected to six-year terms beginning in the 2024 election.

(6) Members of the senate in districts twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-seven, twenty-eight, thirty-nine, forty, forty-one, and forty-nine shall be elected to four-year terms in the 2024 election, and six-year terms beginning in the 2028 election.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. This act takes effect on January 1, 2021, if the proposed amendment to Article II, sections 5 and 6 of the state Constitution extending legislator term lengths (House Joint Resolution No.. . . (H-3573/20)) is validly submitted to and is approved and ratified by voters at the next general election. If the proposed amendment is not approved and ratified, this act is void in its entirety.