BySenators Lovick, Muzzall, Conway, Liias, Nobles, Pedersen, Slatter, Stanford, and C. Wilson; by request of Lieutenant Governor

Prefiled 12/19/25.Read first time 01/12/26.Referred to Committee on State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections.

WHEREAS, The legislature established the Joint Select Committee on Civic Health in 2024 to build upon the Project for Civic Health's work to strengthen our democratic republic; and

WHEREAS, The Project for Civic Health partners have worked to bolster the civic health of local communities by empowering local elected officials with the skills to tackle local challenges collaboratively through the Washington Collaborative Elected Leaders Institute; and

WHEREAS, Over the last two years the committee has held work sessions to further evaluate the state of our state's civic health and pathways to improvement; and

WHEREAS, Prior to the 2025 regular session the committee hosted a dinner for newly elected legislators at which they participated in a civility workshop facilitated by the State Legislative Leaders Foundation and National Institute for Civil Discourse; and

WHEREAS, The committee partnered with the State Legislative Leaders Foundation and National Institute for Civil Discourse for a work session on building skills to work through political and partisan differences; and

WHEREAS, The University of Washington Evans School, a Project for Civic Health partner organization, interviewed legislators during the 2025 interim to explore their perspectives of the legislature's civic health during session; and

WHEREAS, The committee believes its work to strengthen the state's civic health is not complete and reauthorizing the committee will allow legislators to continue this important work;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, By the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring, That the Joint Select Committee on Civic Health, originally established by Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 8414 in 2024, be reestablished to build upon the work of the Project for Civic Health; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the committee consist of 17 members: The Lieutenant Governor; four members of the majority party of the Senate and four members of the minority party of the Senate, to be selected by the President of the Senate; and four members of the majority party of the House of Representatives and four members of the minority party of the House of Representatives, to be selected by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Lieutenant Governor shall be chair of the committee and one member of the majority party and one member from the minority party from opposite chambers shall serve as Vice Chairs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the committee shall operate in full accordance with the Joint Rules; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, All expenses and staff support for the committee shall be provided by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, except that legislative members of the committee shall be reimbursed for travel expenses by the Senate and House of Representatives in accordance with RCW 44.04.120; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the committee shall issue a report on its work to the legislature prior to the 2027, 2028, and 2029 regular sessions; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the committee shall cease to exist at the start of the 2029 regular session.