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HB1573 • 2026
Revising the period in which the oath of office must be taken for elective offices of counties, cities, towns, and special purpose districts.
This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.
Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.
Oath of office timing/local
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404 • Krishnadasan
Plain English: 1573 AMS KRIS S3173.1 HB 1573 - S AMD 404 By Senator Krishnadasan ADOPTED 04/15/2025 On page 2, beginning on line 12, after "RCW 29A.04.133" strike 1 all material through "office" on line 18 and insert " ((but)) and may 2 be taken ((either:3 (a) Up to ten days prior to the scheduled date of assuming 4 office; or5 (b) At the last regular meeting of the governing body of the 6 applicable county, city, town, or special district held before the 7 winner is to assume office )) between the date of the final 8 certification of the election and the day before the term of office 9 begins" 10 EFFECT: Removes a subparagraph made redundant by the provisions of the underlying bill.
Effective date 7/27/2025.
Oath of office timing/local
AN ACT Relating to revising the period in which the oath of 1 office must be taken for elective offices of counties, cities, towns, 2 and special purpose districts; and amending RCW 29A.60.280.3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4 Sec. 1. RCW 29A.60.280 and 2003 c 111 s 504 are each amended to 5 read as follows: 6 (1) The legislature finds that certain laws are in conflict 7 governing the assumption of office of various local officials. The 8 purpose of this section is to provide a common date for the 9 assumption of office for all the elected officials of counties, 10 cities, towns, and special purpose districts other than school 11 districts where the ownership of property is not a prerequisite of 12 voting. A person elected to the office of school director begins his 13 or her term of office at the first official meeting of the board of 14 directors after certification of the election results. It is also the 15 purpose of this section to remove these conflicts and delete old 16 statutory language concerning such elections which is no longer 17 necessary. 18 (2) For elective offices of counties, cities, towns, and special 19 purpose districts other than school districts where the ownership of 20 property is not a prerequisite of voting, the term of incumbents ends 21 H-0741.1 HOUSE BILL 1573 State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session By Representatives Parshley, Hunt, Doglio, and Reed Read first time 01/24/25. Referred to Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations. p. 1 HB 1573 and the term of successors begins after the successor is elected and 1 qualified, and the term commences immediately after December 31st 2 following the election, except as follows: 3 (a) Where the term of office varies from this standard according 4 to statute; and 5 (b) If the election results have not been certified prior to 6 January 1st after the election, in which event the time of 7 commencement for the new term occurs when the successor becomes 8 qualified in accordance with RCW 29A.04.133. 9 (3) For elective offices governed by this section, the oath of 10 office must be taken as the last step of qualification as defined in 11 RCW 29A.04.133 but may be taken either: 12 (a) ((Up to ten days prior to the scheduled date of assuming 13 office)) Between the date of the final certification of the election 14 and the day before the term of office begins; or 15 (b) At the last regular meeting of the governing body of the 16 applicable county, city, town, or special district held before the 17 winner is to assume office. 18 --- END --- p. 2 HB 1573