Title 43, STATE GOVERNMENT—EXECUTIVE

(1) The governor may enter into an agreement with another state or states for the purposes of: (a) Cross-jurisdictional coordination and enforcement of cannabis-related businesses authorized to conduct business in this state, the other state, or both; and (b) Cross-jurisdictional…

(1) The governor may enter into vapor product tax contracts concerning the sale of vapor products. All vapor product tax contracts must meet the requirements for vapor product tax contracts under this section. (2) Vapor product tax contracts must be in regard to retail sales in w…

(1) The governor is authorized to enter into vapor product tax contracts with federally recognized Indian tribes located within the geographical boundaries of the state of Washington. Each contract adopted under this section must provide that the tribal vapor product tax rate be …

(1) The governor may enter into a vapor product tax agreement with the Puyallup Tribe of Indians concerning the sale of vapor products, subject to the limitations in this section. The legislature intends to address the uniqueness of the Puyallup Indian reservation and its selling…

(1) The legislature intends to further the government-to-government relationship between the state of Washington and federally recognized Indian tribes in the state of Washington by authorizing the governor to enter into compacts concerning the state's retail sales, use, and busi…

(1)(a) The governor may enter into compacts with tribes concerning revenue collected by the state from the state sales tax, state use tax, and certain state business and occupation taxes, to the extent these taxes are imposed on qualified transactions. All compacts must meet the …

Nothing in chapter 132, Laws of 2020 in any way limits, restricts, reduces, or affects local taxes authorized under chapter 82.14 RCW, RCW 81.104.170, Title 35, 36, or 84 RCW, or any other provision of state law authorizing a local tax. [ 2020 c 132 s 3.]

(1) The governor shall appoint a 988 hotline and behavioral health crisis system coordinator to provide project coordination and oversight for the implementation and administration of the 988 crisis hotline, other requirements of chapter 302, Laws of 2021, and other projects supp…

(1) The governor must maintain a children and youth multisystem care project director to serve as a state lead on addressing complex cases of children in crisis. The children and youth multisystem care project director must: (a) Direct: (i) The appropriate use of state and other …

(1) The office of the governor shall, to the extent possible with sufficient existing resources, support and facilitate coordination between various state agencies to follow the framework of the strategic plan developed under RCW 74.09.4951(6). (2) The office of the governor may …

Subject to the availability of sufficient private or other nonstate funding being available and used for this purpose, the office of the governor shall establish and maintain executive coordination for the children and youth system of care for the purposes of: (1) Coordinating an…

The office of the governor may accept private or other nonstate funding for the purposes of RCW 43.06.540 and 43.06.542; however, nothing in chapter 93, Laws of 2026 prohibits the legislature from appropriating state funds for this purpose in the future. [ 2026 c 93 s 6.]

(1) The governor shall establish a leadership council to address children and youth health and wellness issues and coordinate efforts to implement the Washington thriving strategic plan developed under RCW 74.09.4951(6) and appoint members as provided in subsection (2) of this se…

There is hereby created an office of the family and children's ombuds within the office of the governor for the purpose of promoting public awareness and understanding of family, youth, and children services provided by the department of children, youth, and families, identifying…

(1) Subject to confirmation by the senate, the governor shall appoint an ombuds who shall be a person of recognized judgment, independence, objectivity, and integrity, and shall be qualified by training or experience, or both, in family and children's services law and policy. Pri…

(1) The ombuds shall perform the following duties: (a) Provide information as appropriate on the rights and responsibilities of individuals receiving services from the department of children, youth, and families, including family, youth, and children's services, juvenile justice,…

The ombuds shall treat all matters under investigation, including the identities of service recipients, complainants, and individuals from whom information is acquired, as confidential, except as far as disclosures may be necessary to enable the ombuds to perform the duties of th…

Neither the ombuds nor the ombuds's staff may be compelled, in any judicial or administrative proceeding, to testify or to produce evidence regarding the exercise of the official duties of the ombuds or of the ombuds's staff. All related memoranda, work product, notes, and case f…

Identifying information about complainants or witnesses shall not be subject to any method of legal compulsion, nor shall such information be revealed to the oversight board for children, youth, and families or the governor except under the following circumstances: (1) The compla…

The privilege described in RCW 43.06A.060 does not apply when: (1) The ombuds or ombuds's staff member has direct knowledge of an alleged crime, and the testimony, evidence, or discovery sought is relevant to that allegation; (2) The ombuds or a member of the ombuds's staff has r…

(1) An employee of the office of the family and children's ombuds is not liable for good faith performance of responsibilities under this chapter. (2) No discriminatory, disciplinary, or retaliatory action may be taken against an employee of the department, an employee of a contr…

When the ombuds or ombuds's staff member has reasonable cause to believe that any public official, employee, or other person has acted in a manner warranting criminal or disciplinary proceedings, the ombuds or ombuds's staff member shall report the matter, or cause a report to be…

(1) The department of children, youth, and families shall: (a) Allow the ombuds or the ombuds's designee to communicate privately with any child or person in the custody of the department of children, youth, and families, or any child or person who is part of a near fatality inve…

The office of the family and children's ombuds shall issue an annual report to the legislature on the status of the implementation of child fatality review recommendations. [ 2013 c 23 s 81; 2008 c 211 s 2.]

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to conflict with the duty to report specified in RCW 26.44.030. [ 1998 c 288 s 5.] Notes: Severability—Effective date—1998 c 288: See notes following RCW 43.06A.020.

(1) There is hereby created the office of the education ombuds within the office of the governor for the purposes of providing information to parents, students, and others regarding their rights and responsibilities with respect to the state's public elementary and secondary educ…

The education ombuds shall have the following powers and duties: (1) To develop parental involvement materials, including instructional guides developed to inform parents of the essential academic learning requirements required by the superintendent of public instruction. The ins…

(1) Neither the education ombuds nor any regional educational ombuds are liable for good faith performance of responsibilities under this chapter. (2) No discriminatory, disciplinary, or retaliatory action may be taken against any student or employee of any school district, the o…

The education ombuds shall treat all matters, including the identities of students, complainants, and individuals from whom information is acquired, as confidential, except as necessary to enable the education ombuds to perform the duties of the office. Upon receipt of informatio…

The education ombuds shall report on the work and accomplishment of the office and advise and make recommendations to the governor, the legislature, and the state board of education annually. The initial report to the governor, the legislature, and the state board of education sh…

In addition to duties assigned under RCW 43.06B.020, the office of the education ombuds shall serve as the lead agency to provide resources and tools to parents and families about public school antiharassment policies and strategies. [ 2013 c 23 s 87; 2010 c 239 s 3.] Notes: Find…

(1) By July 1, 2025, and in compliance with this section, the office of the education ombuds shall create a simple and uniform access point for the receipt of complaints involving the elementary and secondary education system. The purpose of the access point is to provide a singl…

See note following RCW 28A.300.130.

The legislature intends to create an independent and impartial office of the corrections ombuds to assist in strengthening procedures and practices that lessen the possibility of actions occurring within the department of corrections that may adversely impact the health, safety, …

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise. (1) "Abuse" means any act or failure to act by a department employee, subcontractor, or volunteer which was performed, or which was failed to be performed, knowingly, reck…

Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, there is hereby created an office of corrections ombuds within the office of the governor for the purpose of providing information to inmates and their families; promoting public awareness and understa…

(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the governor shall appoint an ombuds who must be a person of recognized judgment, independence, objectivity, and integrity, and be qualified by training or experience in corrections law and policy.…

(1) The ombuds shall: (a) Establish priorities for use of the limited resources available to the ombuds; (b) Maintain a statewide toll-free telephone number, a collect telephone number, a website, and a mailing address for the receipt of complaints and inquiries; (c) Provide info…

(1) The ombuds must have reasonable access to correctional facilities at all times necessary to conduct a full investigation of an incident of abuse or neglect. This authority includes the opportunity to interview any inmate, department employee, or other person, including the pe…

(1) Correspondence and communication with the office is confidential and must be protected as privileged correspondence in the same manner as legal correspondence or communication. (2) The office shall establish confidentiality rules and procedures for all information maintained …

(1) A civil action may not be brought against any employee of the office for good faith performance of responsibilities under this chapter. (2) No discriminatory, disciplinary, or retaliatory action may be taken against a department employee, subcontractor, or volunteer, an inmat…

(1) The ombuds or the ombuds' designee shall serve as a member of the unexpected fatality review team convened under chapter 72.09 RCW. (2) The department shall: (a) Permit the ombuds or the ombuds' designee physical access to state institutions serving incarcerated individuals a…

(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the ombuds shall convene an oversight committee for the purposes of expanding access to construction-related training programs in state correctional facilities, with a focus on state recognized app…

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise. (1) "Agency" means every state executive office, agency, department, or commission. (2) "Director" means the director of the Washington state office of equity. (3) "Disagg…

(1) The Washington state office of equity is established within the office of the governor for the purpose of promoting access to equitable opportunities and resources that reduce disparities, and improve outcomes statewide across state government. (2) The office envisions everyo…

(1) The office is administered by a director, who is appointed by the governor with advice and consent of the senate. The director shall report to the governor. The director must receive a salary as fixed by the governor in accordance with RCW 43.03.040. (2) The director shall: (…