Title 73 — Title 73 VETERANS AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 5827-S.SL) ***For purposes of RCW 9.46.070, 28A.230.120, 28B.15.012, 28B.15.621, 28B.102.020, 41.04.005, 41.04.007, 41.04.010, 41.06.133, 41.08.040, 41.12.040, 43.24.130, 43.70.270, 46.18.270, 46.18.280, 46.20.161, 72.36.030, 73.08.005, and 77.32.480:(…

No judge, or clerk of court, county clerk, county auditor, or any other county officer, shall be allowed to charge any honorably discharged soldier or seaman, or the spouse or domestic partner, orphan, or legal representative thereof, any fee for administering any oath, or giving…

Any such officer who may require and accept fees for such services shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof shall be fined in any sum not less than ten dollars nor more than fifty dollars.[ 1891 c 14 s 2; RRS s 4233.]

Each county auditor of the several counties of the state of Washington shall record upon presentation without expense, in a suitable permanent record the discharge of any veteran of the armed forces of the United States who is residing in the state of Washington.The department of…

A certified copy of such record shall be prima facie proof for all purposes of the services rendered, citizenship, place and date of birth of such veteran.[ 1943 c 38 s 2; Rem. Supp. 1943 s 10758-11.]

Counties, cities and other political subdivisions of the state of Washington are authorized to furnish free of charge a building, office and/or meeting hall for the exclusive use of the several nationally recognized veterans' organizations and their auxiliaries, subject to the di…

Any post, camp or chapter of any national organization of veterans now, or which may hereafter be, chartered by an act of congress which has qualified to accept relief from the veteran's assistance fund of any county may draw upon said county fund for the payment of the rent of i…

All benefits, advantages or emoluments, not available upon equal terms to all citizens, including but not being limited to preferred rights to public employment, civil service preference, exemption from license fees or other impositions, preference in purchasing state property, w…

(1) The department shall issue to the surviving spouse or surviving domestic partner of any deceased former prisoner of war described in RCW 46.18.235(1)(c), one set of regular or special license plates for use on a personal passenger vehicle registered to that person.(2) The pla…

County clerks and county auditors, respectively, are authorized and directed to furnish free of charge to the legal representative, surviving spouse or surviving domestic partner, child or parent of any deceased veteran certified copies of marriage certificates, decrees of dissol…

The director is authorized to implement a veteran estate management program and manage the estate of any incapacitated veteran or incapacitated veteran's dependent who:(1) Is a bona fide resident of the state of Washington; and(2) The United States department of veterans affairs …

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this title.(1) "Director" means the director of the department of veterans affairs or the director's designee.(2) "Veteran estate management program" means the program under which the …

(1) The director may place a claim against the estate of an incapacitated or deceased veteran who is a veteran estate management program client. The claim shall not exceed the amount allowed by rule of the United States department of veterans affairs and charges for reasonable ex…

The director or any other department of veterans affairs employee shall not serve as guardian for any resident at the Washington state veterans' homes.[ 1994 c 147 s 5.]

(1) There is hereby created a joint committee on veterans' and military affairs. The committee shall consist of: (a) Eight members of the senate appointed by the president of the senate, four of whom shall be members of the majority party and four of whom shall be members of the …

The legislature declares that:(1) November of each year will be known as veterans' history awareness month;(2) The week in November in which Veterans Day occurs is designated as a time for people of this state to celebrate the contributions to the state by veterans; and(3) Educat…

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.(1) "Direct costs" includes those allowable costs that can be readily assigned to the statutory objectives of this chapter, consistent with the cost principles promulgated …

(1) For the relief of indigent veterans, their families, and the families of deceased indigent veterans, the legislative authority of each county shall establish a veterans' assistance program to address the needs of local indigent veterans and their families. The county legislat…

(1) The legislative authority for each county must establish a veterans' advisory board. Upon its establishment, the board shall advise the county legislative authority on the needs of local indigent veterans, the resources available to local indigent veterans, and programs that …

(1) The legislative authority for each county must designate a proper authority to be responsible, at the expense of the county, for the lawful disposition of the remains of any deceased indigent veteran or deceased family member of an indigent veteran who died without leaving me…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 2442-S.SL) ***(1) The legislative authority in each county must levy, in addition to the taxes now levied by law, a tax in a sum equal to the amount that would be raised by not less than one and one-eighth cents per thousand dollars of assessed value, …

The department of social and health services shall exempt payments provided under RCW 73.08.005, 73.08.035, 73.08.010, 73.08.070, and 73.08.080 when determining eligibility for public assistance.[ 2005 c 250 s 7.]Notes:Intent—2005 c 250: See note following RCW 73.08.005.

(1) It is the intent of the legislature to guarantee employment rights of members of the reserve and national guard forces who are called to active duty. The federal uniformed services employment and reemployment rights act of 1994 protects all such federal personnel. The legisla…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 5420.SL) ***In every public department, and upon all public works of the state, and of any county thereof, soldiers, sailors, guardians, marines and other members of the uniformed services who are veterans of any war of the United States, or of any mil…

Any veteran entitled to the benefits of RCW 73.16.010 may enforce his or her rights hereunder by civil action in superior court.[ 2001 c 133 s 2; 1951 c 29 s 2.]Notes:Effective date—2001 c 133: See note following RCW 73.16.005.

All officials or other persons having power to appoint to or employment in the public service set forth in RCW 73.16.010, are charged with a faithful compliance with its terms, both in letter and in spirit, and a failure therein shall be a class 1 civil infraction.[ 1987 c 456 s …

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 5420.SL) ***The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.(1) "Attorney general" means the attorney general of the state of Washington or any person designated by the attorney general to car…

(1) A person who is a member of, applies to be a member of, performs, has performed, applies to perform, or has an obligation to perform service in a uniformed service shall not be denied initial employment, retention in employment, promotion, or any benefit of employment by an e…

Any person who is a resident of this state or is employed within this state, and who voluntarily or upon order from competent authority, vacates a position of employment for service in the uniformed services, shall, provided he or she meets the requirements of RCW 73.16.035, be r…

(1) In order to be eligible for the benefits of this chapter, an applicant must comply with the following requirements:(a) The applicant must notify his or her employer as to his or her membership in the uniformed services within a reasonable time of accepting employment or becom…

When any elective officer of this state or any political subdivision thereof, including any judicial officer, shall enter upon active service or training as provided in RCW 73.16.031, 73.16.033 and 73.16.035, the proper officer, board or other agency, which would ordinarily be au…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 5420.SL) ***Any person who is entitled to be restored to a position in accordance with this chapter shall be considered as having been on furlough or leave of absence, from his or her position of employment, during his or her period of active military …

(1) If a person, or the person's dependents, have coverage under a health plan in connection with the person's position of state employment, and the person is absent from his or her position of state employment by reason of service in the uniformed services, the plan shall provid…

(1)(a) In the case of a right provided under any state law governing pension benefits for state employees, the right to pension benefits of a person reemployed under this chapter shall be determined under this section.(b) A person reemployed under this chapter shall be treated as…

(1) If any employer, or any employer's successor or successors, fails or refuses to comply with the provisions of RCW 73.16.031 through 73.16.061 and 73.16.090, the attorney general must bring action in the superior court in the county in which the employer is located or does bus…

The federal uniformed services employment and reemployment rights act, P.L. 103-353, as amended, is hereby specifically declared to apply in proper cases in all the courts of this state.[ 2014 c 65 s 7; 2001 c 133 s 11; 1941 c 201 s 5; Rem. Supp. 1941 s 10758-7.]Notes:Effective d…

An offset of any military pay for temporary service in the uniformed services in a particular week against the salary of a bona fide executive, administrative, or professional employee in a particular week shall not be a factor in determining whether the employee is exempt under …

This chapter shall not supersede, nullify, or diminish any federal or state law, ordinance, rule, regulation, contract, agreement, policy, plan, practice, or other matter that establishes a right or benefit that is more beneficial to, or is in addition to, a right or benefit prov…

The legislature declares that the public policies articulated in chapter 133, Laws of 2001 depend on the procedures established in chapter 133, Laws of 2001. No civil or criminal action may be maintained relying on the public policies articulated in chapter 133, Laws of 2001 with…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 5420.SL) ***(1) The legislature intends to establish a permissive preference in private employment for certain veterans.(2) In every private, nonpublic employment in this state, honorably discharged soldiers, sailors, and marines who are veterans of an…

(1) The department of veterans affairs, employment security department, and department of commerce shall consult local chambers of commerce, associate development organizations, and businesses to initiate a demonstration campaign to increase veteran employment. This campaign may …

For the purposes of this chapter, the terms spouse, marriage, marital, husband, wife, widow, widower, next of kin, and family shall be interpreted as applying equally to state registered domestic partnerships or individuals in state registered domestic partnerships as well as to …

In addition to the acknowledgment of instruments and the performance of other notarial acts in the manner and form and as otherwise authorized by law, instruments may be acknowledged, documents attested, oaths and affirmations administered, depositions and affidavits executed, an…

No agency created by a power of attorney in writing given by a principal who is at the time of execution, or who, after executing such power of attorney, becomes either (1) a member of the armed forces of the United States, or (2) a person serving as a merchant seaman outside the…

An affidavit, executed by the attorney-in-fact or agent, setting forth that the maker of the power of attorney is a member of the armed forces of the United States or within the class of persons described in RCW 73.20.050, and that he or she has not or had not, at the time of doi…

No report or listing, either official or otherwise, of "missing" or "missing in action", as such words are used in military parlance, shall constitute or be interpreted as constituting actual knowledge or actual notice of the death of such principal or notice of any facts indicat…

RCW 73.20.050 through 73.20.070 shall not be construed so as to alter or affect any provision for revocation or termination contained in such power of attorney.[ 1945 c 139 s 4; Rem. Supp. 1945 s 10758-73.]

The director of the department of enterprise services is hereby authorized and directed to contract with Olympia Lodge No. 1, F.& A.M., a corporation for the improvement and perpetual care of the state veterans' plot in the Masonic cemetery at Olympia; such care to include the pr…

The said plot shall be available, to the extent such space is available, without charge or cost for the burial of persons who have served in the army, navy, or marine corps in the United States, in the Spanish-American war, Philippine insurrection, or the Chinese Relief Expeditio…

As used in this chapter:"Person" means an individual, a partnership, a corporation, or an association."Veterans administration" means the veterans administration, its predecessors or successors."Income" means moneys received from the veterans administration and revenue or profit …