PTBA governing body members

AN ACT Relating to adding two voting members that are transit 1
users to the governing body of public transportation benefit areas; 2
amending RCW 36.57A.050; and providing an effective date.3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
Sec. 1. RCW 36.57A.050 and 2020 c 83 s 2 are each amended to 5
read as follows: 6
(1)(a) Within ((sixty)) 60 days of the establishment of the 7
boundaries of the public transportation benefit area the members of 8
the county legislative authority and the elected representative of 9
each city within the area shall provide for the selection of the 10
governing body of such area, the public transportation benefit area 11
authority, which shall consist of elected officials selected by and 12
serving at the pleasure of the governing bodies of component cities 13
within the area and the county legislative authority of each county 14
within the area . Two other transit-using members may be appointed to 15
the governing body of such area, pursuant to subsection (3)(b) of 16
this section. 17
(b) The elected official members of the governing body of the 18
public transportation benefit area, if the population of the county 19
in which the public transportation benefit area is located is more 20
than ((four hundred thousand )) 400,000 and the county does not also 21
H-0405.1
HOUSE BILL 1418
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Timmons, Ramel, Duerr, Simmons, Parshley, Reed,
Doglio, Pollet, Hill, and Donaghy
Read first time 01/20/25. Referred to Committee on Transportation.
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contain a city with a population of ((seventy-five thousand)) 75,000 1
or more operating a transit system pursuant to chapter 35.95 RCW, 2
must be selected to assure proportional representation, based on 3
population, of each of the component cities located within the public 4
transportation benefit area and the unincorporated areas of the 5
county located within the public transportation benefit area, to the 6
extent possible within the restrictions placed on the size of the 7
governing body of a public transportation benefit area. If necessary 8
to assure such proportional representation, multiple cities may be 9
represented by a single elected official from one of the cities. A 10
majority of the governing board may not be selected to represent a 11
single component city. 12
(c) If at the time a public transportation benefit area authority 13
assumes the public transportation functions previously provided under 14
the interlocal cooperation act ( chapter 39.34 RCW) there are citizen 15
positions on the governing board of the transit system, those 16
positions may be retained as positions on the governing board of the 17
public transportation benefit area authority. 18
(2) Within such ((sixty-day)) 60-day period, any city may by 19
resolution of its legislative body withdraw from participation in the 20
public transportation benefit area. The county legislative authority 21
and each city remaining in the public transportation benefit area may 22
disapprove and prevent the establishment of any governing body of a 23
public transportation benefit area if the composition thereof does 24
not meet its approval. 25
(3)(a) In no case shall the governing body of a single county 26
public transportation benefit area be greater than ((nine)) 11 voting 27
members and in the case of a multicounty area, ((fifteen)) 17 voting 28
members. Those cities within the public transportation benefit area 29
and excluded from direct membership on the authority are hereby 30
authorized to designate a member of the authority who shall be 31
entitled to represent the interests of such city which is excluded 32
from direct membership on the authority. The legislative body of such 33
city shall notify the authority as to the determination of its 34
authorized representative on the authority. 35
(b)(i) In addition to the maximum of nine elected official voting 36
members of the governing body of a single county public 37
transportation benefit area or 15 elected official voting members of 38
the governing body, in the case of a multicounty area, there may be 39
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two transit-using voting members appointed to each governing body by 1
the elected official voting members. 2
(ii) One transit-using voting member must primarily rely on 3
public transportation systems for transportation.4
(iii) One transit-using voting member must represent a community-5
based organization. If no such representative in the public 6
transportation benefit area's service area is available to serve, the 7
governing body must appoint a second transit-using voting member who 8
meets the requirements of (b)(ii) of this subsection.9
(iv) If transit-using voting members are appointed to a governing 10
body, meetings of the governing body must occur at a time and a place 11
that are reasonably accessible by transit, in order to facilitate the 12
participation of the transit-using voting members.13
(v) Transit-using voting members must be provided comprehensive 14
training regarding the open public meetings act established in 15
chapter 42.30 RCW and the public records act established in chapter 16
42.56 RCW, as soon as is reasonably practicable after the member's 17
appointment.18
(vi) This subsection (3)(b) does not apply to any public 19
transportation benefit area authority where there are retained 20
citizen positions on the governing body, pursuant to subsection 21
(1)(c) of this section.22
(c) There is one nonvoting member of the public transportation 23
benefit area authority. The nonvoting member is recommended by the 24
labor organization representing the public transportation employees 25
within the local public transportation system. If the public 26
transportation employees are represented by more than one labor 27
organization, all such labor organizations shall select the nonvoting 28
member by majority vote. The nonvoting member shall comply with all 29
governing bylaws and policies of the authority. The chair or cochairs 30
of the authority shall exclude the nonvoting member from attending 31
any executive session held for the purpose of discussing negotiations 32
with labor organizations. The chair or cochairs may exclude the 33
nonvoting member from attending any other executive session. The 34
requirement that a nonvoting member be appointed to the governing 35
body of a public transportation benefit area authority does not apply 36
to an authority that has no employees represented by a labor union.37
(4)(a) Each member of the authority is eligible to be reimbursed 38
for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060 39
and to receive compensation, as set by the authority, in an amount 40
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not to exceed ((forty-four dollars )) $44 for each day during which 1
the member attends official meetings of the authority or performs 2
prescribed duties approved by the chair of the authority. Except that 3
the authority may, by resolution, increase the payment of per diem 4
compensation to each member from ((forty-four dollars )) $44 up to 5
((ninety dollars )) $90 per day or portion of a day for actual 6
attendance at board meetings or for performance of other official 7
services or duties on behalf of the authority. In no event may a 8
member be compensated in any year for more than ((seventy-five)) 75 9
days, except the chair who may be paid compensation for not more than 10
((one hundred )) 100 days: PROVIDED, That compensation shall not be 11
paid to an elected official or employee of federal, state, or local 12
government who is receiving regular full-time compensation from such 13
government for attending meetings and performing prescribed duties of 14
the authority. 15
(b) The dollar thresholds established in this section must be 16
adjusted for inflation by the office of financial management every 17
five years, beginning January 1, 2024, based upon changes in the 18
consumer price index during that time period. "Consumer price index" 19
means, for any calendar year, that year's annual average consumer 20
price index, for Washington state, for wage earners and clerical 21
workers, all items, compiled by the bureau of labor and statistics, 22
United States department of labor. If the bureau of labor and 23
statistics develops more than one consumer price index for areas 24
within the state, the index covering the greatest number of people, 25
covering areas exclusively within the boundaries of the state, and 26
including all items shall be used for the adjustments for inflation 27
in this section. The office of financial management must calculate 28
the new dollar threshold and transmit it to the office of the code 29
reviser for publication in the Washington State Register at least one 30
month before the new dollar threshold is to take effect.31
(c) A person holding office as commissioner for two or more 32
special purpose districts shall receive only that per diem 33
compensation authorized for one of his or her commissioner positions 34
as compensation for attending an official meeting or conducting 35
official services or duties while representing more than one of his 36
or her districts. However, such commissioner may receive additional 37
per diem compensation if approved by resolution of all boards of the 38
affected commissions. 39
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NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. This act takes effect January 1, 2026.1
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