MONITORING LEGISLATION

(1) - Open Public Meetings Act and Public Records Act - COVID-19 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 8402 “[…] the 12 following orders issued by Governor Jay Inslee in response to the 13 COVID-19 state of emergency are hereby extended until the termination 14 of the state of emergency pursuant to RCW 43.06.210, or until 15 rescinded by gubernatorial or legislative action, whichever occurs first: […] Proclamations […] 20-28 […]”

20-28.15 Open Public Meetings Act and Public Records Act Proclamations

• Coronavirus State Proclamations and Guidance: scroll to Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) - Proclamation 20-28.15 (January 19, 2021) and Senate Concurrent Resolution 8402 (signed January 18, 2021)
  • Extends OPMA provisions for the duration of the emergency or until amended/rescinded.
  • Continues to tie in-person meetings to the requirements for “business meetings” in the Miscellaneous Venues guidance document, which prohibits in-person business meetings in Phase 1 but allows optional in-person meeting components in Phases 2 and 3 subject to room capacity and public health requirements.

Washington State Legislature

• House Floor Calendar
• Senate Floor Calendar
• Committee Schedules

Laws and Agency Rules

​​Legislative Hotline: 1.800.562.6000

Accessing the Legislature Remotely

Participating in the Legislative Process

• Unsure where to start? Call the Legislative Hotline at 800-562-6000.
• Send an email to your elected official(s).
• Use the comment section on any Bill form to send a message to your elected official about that specific bill (locate a bill here)
• Register to testify in a committee hearing
• Submit written testimony to a committee for a hearing on a specific bill
• Use the Committee Sign-In - Remote Testimony page to register to have your position on a bill noted for Legislative record

Poverty Reduction Work Group PDF guide to Participating Remotely in a Committee Hearing

Find Your District

Member Information

• House
• Senators

Committees

Legislative Agencies

Legislative Information Center

• Contacting Your Legislators
• Legislative Documents in Alphabetical Order or by Category
• Data, Statistics, and Publications
• Classes and Tutorials
• Online Order Form
• Suggestions and Comments

​Public Records Requests

For information about submitting a public records request to either the House or the Senate, please follow the links below:

• House Public Records Request
• Senate Public Records Request

​ Tracking Lawmaking

Bill Information

• Locate current and historical Bills - summaries and full texts

Track Bills

• Receive automatic updates

Legislative Email Updates

• Receive newsletters about Legislative actions

Legislative RSS Feeds

LegiScan

• LegiScan launched to support the release of the national LegiScan data service, providing the nation's first impartial real-time legislative tracking service designed for both public citizens and government affairs professionals across all sectors in organizations large and small.
• Active Washington Bills (Introduced, Engrossed, Enrolled, Passed)
• Most Monitored Washington Bills
• Top Washington Sponsors
• Top Washington Committees
• Washington Sessions

Snohomish County Government: Organizational Chart

Who Represents You? - Search by Address

• By typing in your address above, you will access personalized voter information:
  • Political and taxing districts in which you reside
  • Your elected representatives and their contact information

https://snohomishcountywa.gov/2288/Meetings-Webcasts Snohomish County Council - Meetings & Webcasts

• Check website above for changes to meeting schedules, meeting announcements, and remote access/login information
• Archives of agendas and minutes available from 2016 to present
• Council Documents archived to 1980
• Historical Documents dating to 1956 (some may no longer be in effect)

(Pursuant to Snohomish County Charter Section 2.60, the county council shall include at least one evening meeting in each council district per year – Meeting dates and times to be determined for 2021).

The public may provide public comment:

• remotely during the meeting;
• submit by e-mail to the Council Clerk at contact.council@snoco.org; or
• via mail to 3000 Rockefeller Ave M/S 609, Everett, WA 98201.

Emailing comments 24 hours prior to the meeting will ensure your comment is distributed to Councilmembers and appropriate staff. NOTE: All public comment and testimony are public records and may be subject to disclosure pursuant to the Public Records Act, RCW Chapter 42.56. Any contact information you provide, including address, e-mail address, and phone number, will be available to the public on the Council’s website.

Snohomish County Boards & Commissions

County Council District Maps & Representatives

Snohomish County Representatives

Title 35 RCW Cities and Towns Chapter 35.01 RCW Municipal Corporations Classified

• Defines first- and second-class cities and towns based on population size

RCW 35A.12.010 Elective city officers—Size of council.

• Describes the Mayor-Council plan of governance of a municipality
• The government of any […] city electing to adopt the mayor-council plan of government authorized by this chapter shall [have] an elected mayor and an elected council.
• The council of a non-charter code city [with] than twenty-five hundred [residents] shall consist of five members;
• [W]hen there are twenty-five hundred or more [residents], the council shall consist of seven members. (click link above to see more details)
  • RCW 35A.12.110 Council meetings.
    • The city council and mayor shall meet regularly, at least once a month, at a place and [times] designated by the city council.
    • All final actions on resolutions and ordinances must take place within the […] limits of the city.
    • Special meetings may be called by the mayor or any three members of the council by written notice delivered to each member of the council at least twenty-four hours before the time specified for the proposed meeting.
    • All council meetings shall be open to the public except as permitted by Chapter 42.30 RCW.
    • No ordinance or resolution shall be passed, [etc.] at any meeting not open to the public, nor at any public meeting the date of which is not fixed by ordinance, resolution, or rule, unless public notice of such meeting has been given […], as provided in RCW 42.30.080.
    • A journal of all proceedings shall be kept, which shall be a public record. (click RCW 35A.12.110 to see more details)

Chapter 35.18 RCW COUNCIL-MANAGER PLAN

• Chapter contains codes defining the Council-City Manager plan of governance of a municipality
• RCW 35.18.010 The council-manager plan.
• Under the council-manager plan of city government, the councilmembers shall be the only elective officials.
• The council shall appoint an officer whose title shall be “city manager” who shall be the chief executive officer and head of the administrative branch of city or town government.
• The city manager shall be responsible to the council for the proper administration of all affairs of the city or town.
• RCW 35.18.020 Number of councilmembers—Wards, districts—Terms—Vacancies.
• The number of councilmembers in a city or town operating with a council-manager plan of government shall be based upon the latest population of the city or town that is determined by the office of financial management as follows:
  • A city or town having not more than two thousand inhabitants, five councilmembers; and
  • A city or town having more than two thousand, seven councilmembers. (click on link for more details)
• https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=35.18.170 RCW 35.18.170 Council meetings.
  • The council shall meet at the times and places fixed by ordinance but must hold at least one regular meeting each month.
  • The clerk shall call special meetings of the council upon request of the mayor or any two members. Requests for special meetings shall state the subject to be considered and no other subject shall be considered at a special meeting.
  • All meetings of the council and of committees […] shall be open to the public.
  • [T]he rules of the council shall [provide the] citizens of the city or town [with] a reasonable opportunity to be heard at any meetings in regard to any matter being considered [at the meeting]. (click link for more details)

YOUR CITY, TOWN, OR TRIBE:

Click on the name of your city, town, or tribe to access information about council meetings, boards and commissions, and school districts.

Snohomish County Tribal Partnerships

WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION (OSPI)

WA Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction

• Contact Info
• The goal of Washington's K–12 education system is to prepare every student for postsecondary pathways, careers, and civic engagement.
• Led by Superintendent Chris Reykdal, OSPI is the primary agency charged with overseeing public K–12 education in Washington state.
• Working with the state's 295 public school districts and 6 state-tribal education compact schools, OSPI allocates funding and provides tools, resources, and technical assistance so every student in Washington is provided a high-quality public education.
• OSPI is housed in the Old Capitol Building in Olympia.
• OSPI Current Workgroups
• Stay Connected
  • Newsletters, social media, Medium posts
• Chapter 28A.300 RCW - Superintendent of Public Instruction

WASHINGTON STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

https://www.sbe.wa.gov/about-us WA State Board of Education

• Contact Us
• The purpose of the Washington State Board of Education is to:
  • Provide advocacy and strategic oversight of public education;
  • Implement a standards-based accountability system to improve student academic achievement;
  • Provide leadership in the creation of a system that personalizes education for each student and respects diverse cultures, abilities, and learning styles; and
  • Promote achievement of the Basic Education Act goals of RCW 28A.150.210.
• Board Meetings (currently held remotely due to COVID-19)
• Archived Meeting Materials
• RCW 28A.305.011 Board membership—Terms—Compensation.
• RCW 28A.150.210 Basic Education - Goals of School Districts

WA State Board of Education: Board Members Biographies of Board Members available here

• Membership Overview
  • Descriptions of Board Member roles, how members are selected, term limits, etc.
• Student Representatives

WASHINGTON STATE SCHOOL DIRECTORS' ASSOCIATION (WSSDA)

WA State School Directors’ Association

• WSSDA has grown to include 1,477 locally elected school board directors from across Washington.
• As a state agency, per Chapter 28A.345 RCW, WSSDA supports its members with research-based leadership development resources, policy and legal guidance, and legislative advocacy.
• School board directors build the future of public education by setting the policy, governance, and budgetary priorities for all of Washington’s 295 school districts serving approximately 1.1 million students.
  • RCW 28A.343.300 Directors—Terms—Number.
    • First- and second-class school districts will have 5 Directors
    • Exception: First-class school districts with 4000 or more students will have 7 Directors
  • RCW 28A.400.010 Employment of superintendent—Superintendent's qualifications, general powers, term, contract renewal.
    • In all districts the board of directors shall elect a superintendent who shall have such qualification as the local school board alone shall determine.
    • The superintendent shall have supervision over the several departments of the schools thereof and carry out such other powers and duties as prescribed by law.
    • More details about contract length, renewal, and more available at the link above for RCW 28A.400.010.
• WSSDA - WA State School Board Standards (See table below for information regarding open School Board meetings and record-keeping - pp. 5-6)

Standard 1. Provide responsible school district governance by:

WASHINGTON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT COUNCIL (WSAC)

WA Student Achievement Council

• Contact: Council Communications: media@wsac.wa.gov; 360.753.7800
  • Subscribe to newsletter
• The Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) is a nine-member council supported by a cabinet-level state agency.
• By statute, the Council provides strategic planning, oversight, advocacy, and program administration to support increased student success and higher levels of educational attainment in Washington.
  • Chapter 28B.77 RCW Student Achievement Council - Laws that govern the WSAC
  • The Student Achievement Council closely collaborates with the following agencies and organizations:
    • Four-Year Institutions (Council of Presidents)
    • Independent Colleges of Washington
    • Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
    • State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
    • Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board
    • Washington State Board of Education
    • Washington STEM
• Meetings, Schedule, Workgroups, Archived Materials (Agendas and Minutes)
• News (Meetings and Zoom links also announced here)

WASHINGTON STATE OFFICE OF THE EDUCATION OMBUDS (OEO)

WA State Office of the Education Ombuds

• Contact Information and Procedures
• News and Events
  • Sign up for newsletters
  • Watch webinars (Ask an Ombudsman, Community Clinics, etc.)
  • Social Media contacts
• We believe that good policy begins with positive relationships.
• We listen to the perspectives of families, students, educators, and community advocates, and share those voices in state policy conversations to improve outcomes for students.
• We also share policy changes with families and communities to make sure that they know what is happening and can give their feedback.
• Under our strategic plan, we are focusing on improving statewide policies that affect K-12 students who are:
  • Out of school, including students with disabilities receiving partial school days
  • People of color, Black, or indigenous
  • Experiencing homelessness
  • In kinship or foster care
  • Involved with the juvenile justice or juvenile rehabilitation systems
  • Immigrant, refugee, asylee, or migrant, or students or families whose primary language(s) is not English, or
  • Receiving Wraparound with Intensive Services (WISe) or Children’s Long Term Inpatient Programs (CLIP) supports
• OEO serves as a valued partner in many statewide policy discussions (Visit top link above for list of committees, etc.)
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Publications and Resources for Families
  • Information on how to be an advocate, policy recommendations, etc.
  • Publications available in various languages

School Search - Find Your School, Find Your School District (NCES - National Center for Education Statistics)

SCHOOL DISTRICTS - ALPHABETICAL ORDER BY TOWN

• Use this table to find your school district's School Board director and meeting information.
• Clicking on the link for your School Board will redirect you to an internal SnoCoCAN with condensed information about your School Board, as well as links to your School Board website.