AN ACT Relating to designating Washington a purple heart state; adding a new section to chapter 1.20 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 38.40 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 43.60A RCW; adding a new section to chapter 47.04 RCW; and creating a new section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) Washington state is grateful to be home to multitudes of United States armed forces members, veterans, and their families that have made the choice to protect freedom and our country.

(2) The purple heart medal is the oldest United States military decoration, dating back to 1782 when our state's namesake general George Washington created the badge of military merit to recognize heroic acts by his troops during the revolutionary war. Based on this example, the purple heart medal was created on George Washington's two hundredth birthday, February 22, 1932, and was made available for recognition of meritorious acts that occurred during World War I.

(3) Elizabeth Will designed the award to be a heart shaped medal with a profile image of general Washington that hangs from a purple ribbon.

(4) The purple heart medal is now presented to those members of the armed services who are killed or wounded in action as the result of an act of an enemy of the United States or in military combat.

(7) The state has multiple counties, cities, and locations that recognize portions of the transportation system as part of the purple heart trail.

(8) The designation of Washington as a purple heart state authorizes state agencies to honor purple heart recipients and recognize and proclaim the state as a purple heart state.

(1) Any state agency operating pursuant to this title is authorized to erect signs recognizing that Washington state is a purple heart state as designated in section 2 of this act. State agencies are authorized to accept gifts or donations to assist efforts related to Washington state being a purple heart state.

(2) The military department purple heart state account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. All receipts from gifts and donations received pursuant to this section must be deposited into the account. Expenditures from the account may only be used to erect signs or other activities that assist efforts related to Washington state being a purple heart state, as authorized under this section. Only the director of the military department or the director's designee may authorize expenditures from the account. The account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not required for expenditures.

(1) The department is authorized to erect signs recognizing that Washington state is a purple heart state as designated in section 2 of this act. The department is authorized to accept gifts or donations to assist efforts related to Washington state being a purple heart state.

(2) The department of veterans affairs purple heart state account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. All receipts from gifts and donations received pursuant to this section must be deposited into the account. Expenditures from the account may only be used to erect signs or other activities that assist efforts related to Washington state being a purple heart state, as authorized under this section. Only the director of the department of veterans affairs or the director's designee may authorize expenditures from the account. The account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not required for expenditures.

(1) The department is authorized to erect signs as part of the transportation system recognizing that Washington state is a purple heart state as designated in section 2 of this act, especially at entry points to the state. The department is authorized to accept gifts or donations to assist efforts related to Washington state being a purple heart state.

(2) The department of transportation purple heart state account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. All receipts from gifts and donations received pursuant to this section must be deposited into the account. Expenditures from the account may only be used to erect signs or other activities that assist efforts related to Washington state being a purple heart state, as authorized under this section. Only the secretary of the department of transportation or the secretary's designee may authorize expenditures from the account. The account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not required for expenditures.