Conservation districts

AN ACT Relating to modernizing conservation district election 1
procedures and requiring financial disclosures from district 2
supervisors and candidates for district supervisor; amending RCW 3
89.08.160, 89.08.190, 89.08.200, 29A.04.330, 29B.20.070, 29B.55.010, 4
29B.05.020, and 29B.25.010; reenacting and amending RCW 29B.55.020; 5
and providing an effective date. 6
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:7
Sec. 1. RCW 89.08.160 and 1973 1st ex.s. c 184 s 17 are each 8
amended to read as follows: 9
(1) If the commission finds the project practicable, it shall 10
appoint two supervisors ((, one of whom shall be a landowner or 11
operator of a farm, )) who shall be qualified by training and 12
experience to perform the specialized skilled services required of 13
them. They, with the three elected supervisors, ((two of whom shall 14
be landowners or operators of a farm, )) shall constitute the 15
governing board of the district. 16
(2) The two appointed supervisors shall file with the secretary 17
of state a sworn application, reciting that a petition was filed with 18
the commission for the creation of the district; that all required 19
proceedings were had thereon; that they were appointed by the 20
commission as such supervisors; and that the application is being 21
H-2665.2
HOUSE BILL 2499
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Gregerson, Pollet, Reeves, Hill, Stearns, Macri,
Obras, and Reed
Read first time 01/15/26. Referred to Committee on State Government
& Tribal Relations.
p. 1 HB 2499
filed to complete the organization of the district. It shall contain 1
the names and residences of the applicants, a certified copy of their 2
appointments, the name of the district, the location of the office of 3
the supervisors and the term of office of each applicant.4
(3) The application shall be accompanied by a statement of the 5
commission, reciting that a petition was filed, notice issued, and 6
hearing held thereon as required; that it determined the need for the 7
district and defined the boundaries thereof; that notice was given 8
and an election held on the question of creating the district; that a 9
majority vote favored the district, and that the commission had 10
determined the district practicable; and shall set forth the 11
boundaries of the district. 12
Sec. 2. RCW 89.08.190 and 2002 c 43 s 3 are each amended to read 13
as follows: 14
(1) Within thirty days after the issuance of the certificate of 15
organization, unless the time is extended by the commission, 16
petitions shall be filed with the commission to nominate candidates 17
for the three elected supervisors. The petition shall be signed by 18
not less than twenty-five district electors, and a district elector 19
may sign petitions nominating more than one person. Within one week 20
of the filing of a petition, the commission shall transmit the name 21
and contact information of the candidate to the public disclosure 22
commission.23
(2) In the case of a new district, the commission shall give due 24
notice to elect the three supervisors. All provisions pertaining to 25
elections on the creation of a district shall govern this election so 26
far as applicable. The names of all nominees shall appear on the 27
ballot in alphabetical order, together with instructions to vote for 28
three. The three candidates receiving the most votes shall be 29
declared elected supervisors, the one receiving the most being 30
elected for a three-year term, the next for two and the last for one 31
year. An alternate method of dividing the district into three zones 32
may be used when requested by the board of supervisors and approved 33
by the commission. In such case, instructions will be to vote for one 34
in each zone. The candidate receiving the most votes in a zone shall 35
be declared elected. 36
(3) Each year after the creation of the first board of 37
supervisors, the board shall by resolution and by giving due notice, 38
set a date during the first quarter of each calendar year at which 39
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time it shall conduct an election, except that for elections in 2002 1
only, the board shall set the date during the second quarter of the 2
calendar year at which time it shall conduct an election. Names of 3
candidates nominated by petition shall appear in alphabetical order 4
on the ballots, together with an extra line wherein may be written in 5
the name of any other candidate. The commission shall establish 6
procedures for elections, canvass the returns and announce the 7
official results thereof. Election results may be announced by 8
polling officials at the close of the election subject to official 9
canvass of ballots by the commission. Supervisors elected shall take 10
office at the first board meeting following the election.11
(4) A district board of supervisors may choose to conduct the 12
election of supervisors subject to Title 29A RCW. Such change by the 13
district board of supervisors must be made by a vote of a majority of 14
the district supervisors following public notice and a hearing on the 15
proposal. The district shall notify the commission of the proposed 16
motion and public notice of the action. In the event a district 17
chooses to conduct the election subject to Title 29A RCW, rules and 18
guidance developed by the commission for the conduct of supervisor 19
elections do not apply and the district shall comply with all 20
provisions of Title 29A RCW.21
Sec. 3. RCW 89.08.200 and 2013 c 23 s 550 are each amended to 22
read as follows: 23
(1) The term of office of each supervisor shall be ((three)) four 24
years and until his or her successor is appointed or elected and 25
qualified, except that the supervisors first appointed shall serve 26
for one and two years respectively from the date of their 27
appointments, as designated in their appointments.28
(2) In the case of elected supervisors, the term of office of 29
each supervisor shall be ((three)) four years and until his or her 30
successor is elected and qualified, except that for the first 31
election, the one receiving the largest number of votes shall be 32
elected for three years; the next largest two years; and the third 33
largest one year. Successors shall be elected for ((three-year)) 34
four-year terms. 35
(3) Vacancies in the office of appointed supervisors shall be 36
filled by the state conservation commission. Vacancies in the office 37
of elected supervisors shall be filled by appointment made by the 38
remaining supervisors for the unexpired term. 39
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(4) A majority of the supervisors shall constitute a quorum and 1
the concurrence of a majority is required for any official action or 2
determination. 3
(5) Supervisors shall serve without compensation, but they shall 4
be entitled to expenses, including traveling expenses, necessarily 5
incurred in discharge of their duties. A supervisor may be removed by 6
the state conservation commission upon notice and hearing, for 7
neglect of duty or malfeasance in office, but for no other reason.8
(6) The governing board shall designate a chair from time to 9
time. 10
Sec. 4. RCW 29A.04.330 and 2015 c 146 s 2 are each amended to 11
read as follows: 12
(1) All city, town, and district general elections shall be held 13
throughout the state of Washington on the first Tuesday following the 14
first Monday in November in the odd-numbered years.15
This section shall not apply to: 16
(a) Elections for the recall of any elective public officer;17
(b) Public utility districts, conservation districts using 18
chapter 89.08 RCW to conduct their elections , or district elections 19
at which the ownership of property within those districts is a 20
prerequisite to voting, all of which elections shall be held at the 21
times prescribed in the laws specifically applicable thereto;22
(c) Consolidation proposals as provided for in RCW 28A.315.235 23
and nonhigh capital fund aid proposals as provided for in chapter 24
28A.540 RCW; and 25
(d) Special flood control districts consisting of three or more 26
counties. 27
(2) The county auditor, as ex officio supervisor of elections, 28
upon request in the form of a resolution of the governing body of a 29
city, town, or district, presented to the auditor prior to the 30
proposed election date, shall call a special election in such city, 31
town, or district, and for the purpose of such special election he or 32
she may combine, unite, or divide precincts. Such a special election 33
shall be held on one of the following dates as decided by the 34
governing body: 35
(a) The second Tuesday in February; 36
(b) The fourth Tuesday in April; 37
(c) The day of the primary election as specified by RCW 38
29A.04.311; or 39
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(d) The first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.1
(3) A resolution calling for a special election on a date set 2
forth in subsection (2)(a) and (b) of this section must be presented 3
to the county auditor at least sixty days prior to the election date. 4
A resolution calling for a special election on a date set forth in 5
subsection (2)(c) of this section must be presented to the county 6
auditor no later than the Friday immediately before the first day of 7
regular candidate filing. A resolution calling for a special election 8
on a date set forth in subsection (2)(d) of this section must be 9
presented to the county auditor no later than the day of the primary.10
(4) In addition to subsection (2)(a) through (d) of this section, 11
a special election to validate an excess levy or bond issue may be 12
called at any time to meet the needs resulting from fire, flood, 13
earthquake, or other act of God, except that no special election may 14
be held between the first day for candidates to file for public 15
office and the last day to certify the returns of the general 16
election other than as provided in subsection (2)(c) and (d) of this 17
section. Such special election shall be conducted and notice thereof 18
given in the manner provided by law. 19
(5) This section shall supersede the provisions of any and all 20
other statutes, whether general or special in nature, having 21
different dates for such city, town, and district elections, the 22
purpose of this section being to establish mandatory dates for 23
holding elections. 24
Sec. 5. RCW 29B.20.070 and 2024 c 164 s 413 are each amended to 25
read as follows: 26
(1) Except as provided in subsections (2), (3), ((and)) (7), and 27
(8) of this section, the reporting provisions of this title do not 28
apply to: 29
(a) Candidates, elected officials, and agencies in political 30
subdivisions with fewer than 2,000 registered voters as of the date 31
of the most recent general election in the jurisdiction;32
(b) Political committees formed to support or oppose candidates 33
or ballot propositions in such political subdivisions; or34
(c) Persons making independent expenditures in support of or 35
opposition to such ballot propositions. 36
(2) The reporting provisions of this title apply in any exempt 37
political subdivision from which a "petition for disclosure" 38
containing the valid signatures of 15 percent of the number of 39
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registered voters, as of the date of the most recent general election 1
in the political subdivision, is filed with the commission. The 2
commission shall by rule prescribe the form of the petition. After 3
the signatures are gathered, the petition shall be presented to the 4
auditor or elections officer of the county, or counties, in which the 5
political subdivision is located. The auditor or elections officer 6
shall verify the signatures and certify to the commission that the 7
petition contains no less than the required number of valid 8
signatures. The commission, upon receipt of a valid petition, shall 9
order every known affected person in the political subdivision to 10
file the initially required statement and reports within 14 days of 11
the date of the order. 12
(3) The reporting provisions of this title apply in any exempt 13
political subdivision that by ordinance, resolution, or other 14
official action has petitioned the commission to make the provisions 15
applicable to elected officials and candidates of the exempt 16
political subdivision. A copy of the action shall be sent to the 17
commission. If the commission finds the petition to be a valid action 18
of the appropriate governing body or authority, the commission shall 19
order every known affected person in the political subdivision to 20
file the initially required statement and reports within 14 days of 21
the date of the order. 22
(4) The commission shall void any order issued by it pursuant to 23
subsection (2) or (3) of this section when, at least four years after 24
issuing the order, the commission is presented a petition or official 25
action so requesting from the affected political subdivision. Such 26
petition or official action shall meet the respective requirements of 27
subsection (2) or (3) of this section. 28
(5) Any petition for disclosure, ordinance, resolution, or 29
official action of an agency petitioning the commission to void the 30
exemption in RCW 29B.25.010(3) shall not be considered unless it has 31
been filed with the commission: 32
(a) In the case of a ballot proposition, at least 60 days before 33
the date of any election in which campaign finance reporting is to be 34
required; 35
(b) In the case of a candidate, at least 60 days before the first 36
day on which a person may file a declaration of candidacy for any 37
election in which campaign finance reporting is to be required.38
(6) Any person exempted from reporting under this title may at 39
the person's option file the statement and reports.40
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(7) The reporting provisions of this title apply to a candidate 1
in any political subdivision if the candidate receives or expects to 2
receive five thousand dollars or more in contributions.3
(8) The personal financial affairs reporting requirements of this 4
title apply to an appointed or elected supervisor and a candidate for 5
supervisor for a conservation district board that holds its election 6
under chapter 89.08 RCW with fewer than 2,000 registered voters as of 7
the date of the most recent general election in the jurisdiction.8
(9) The personal financial affairs reporting requirements of this 9
title do not apply to supervisors appointed to a conservation 10
district board that holds its elections under Title 29A RCW in a 11
district with fewer than 2,000 registered voters as of the date of 12
the most recent general election in the jurisdiction.13
Sec. 6. RCW 29B.55.020 and 2024 c 164 s 487 and 2024 c 54 s 40 14
are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:15
For the purposes of RCW 29B.55.010, "executive state officer" 16
includes: 17
(1) The chief administrative law judge, the director of 18
agriculture, the director of the department of services for the 19
blind, the secretary of children, youth, and families, the director 20
of the state system of community and technical colleges, the director 21
of commerce, the director of Washington technology solutions, the 22
secretary of corrections, the director of ecology, the commissioner 23
of employment security, the chair of the energy facility site 24
evaluation council, the director of enterprise services, the 25
secretary of the state finance committee, the director of financial 26
management, the director of fish and wildlife, the executive 27
secretary of the forest practices appeals board, the director of the 28
gambling commission, the secretary of health, the administrator of 29
the Washington state health care authority, the executive secretary 30
of the health care facilities authority, the executive secretary of 31
the higher education facilities authority, the executive secretary of 32
the horse racing commission, the executive secretary of the human 33
rights commission, the executive secretary of the indeterminate 34
sentence review board, the executive director of the state investment 35
board, the director of labor and industries, the director of 36
licensing, the director of the lottery commission, the director of 37
the office of minority and women's business enterprises, the director 38
of parks and recreation, the executive director of the public 39
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disclosure commission, the executive director of the Puget Sound 1
partnership, the director of the recreation and conservation office, 2
the director of retirement systems, the director of revenue, the 3
secretary of social and health services, the chief of the Washington 4
state patrol, the executive secretary of the board of tax appeals, 5
the secretary of transportation, the secretary of the utilities and 6
transportation commission, the director of veterans affairs, the 7
president of each of the regional and state universities and the 8
president of The Evergreen State College, and each district and each 9
campus president of each state community college; 10
(2) Each professional staff member of the office of the governor;11
(3) Each professional staff member of the legislature; and12
(4) Central Washington University board of trustees, the boards 13
of trustees of each community college and each technical college, 14
each member of the state board for community and technical colleges, 15
state convention and trade center board of directors, Eastern 16
Washington University board of trustees, Washington economic 17
development finance authority, Washington energy northwest executive 18
board, The Evergreen State College board of trustees, executive 19
ethics board, fish and wildlife commission, forest practices appeals 20
board, forest practices board, gambling commission, Washington health 21
care facilities authority, student achievement council, higher 22
education facilities authority, horse racing commission, state 23
housing finance commission, human rights commission, indeterminate 24
sentence review board, board of industrial insurance appeals, state 25
investment board, commission on judicial conduct, legislative ethics 26
board, life sciences discovery fund authority board of trustees, 27
state liquor and cannabis board, lottery commission, Pacific 28
Northwest electric power and conservation planning council, parks and 29
recreation commission, Washington personnel resources board, board of 30
pilotage commissioners, pollution control hearings board, public 31
disclosure commission, public employees' benefits board, recreation 32
and conservation funding board, salmon recovery funding board, 33
shorelines hearings board, board of tax appeals, transportation 34
commission, University of Washington board of regents, utilities and 35
transportation commission, Washington State University board of 36
regents, ((and)) Western Washington University board of trustees , and 37
supervisors appointed to a conservation district board of directors.38
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Sec. 7. RCW 29B.55.010 and 2024 c 164 s 486 are each amended to 1
read as follows: 2
(1) After January 1st and before April 15th of each year, every 3
elected official and every executive state officer who served for any 4
portion of the preceding year shall electronically file with the 5
commission a statement of financial affairs for the preceding 6
calendar year or for that portion of the year served. Any official or 7
officer in office for any period of time in a calendar year, but not 8
in office as of January 1st of the following year, may electronically 9
file either within 60 days of leaving office or during the January 10
1st through April 15th reporting period of that following year. Such 11
filing must include information for the portion of the current 12
calendar year for which the official or officer was in office.13
(2) Within two weeks of becoming a candidate, every candidate 14
shall file with the commission a statement of financial affairs for 15
the preceding 12 months. 16
(3) Within two weeks of appointment, every person appointed to a 17
vacancy in an elective office or executive state officer position 18
during the months of January through November shall file with the 19
commission a statement of financial affairs for the preceding 12 20
months, except as provided in subsection (4) of this section. For 21
appointments made in December, the appointee must file the statement 22
of financial affairs between January 1st and January 15th of the 23
immediate following year for the preceding 12-month period ending on 24
December 31st. 25
(4) A statement of a candidate or appointee filed during the 26
period from January 1st to April 15th shall cover the period from 27
January 1st of the preceding calendar year to the time of candidacy 28
or appointment if the filing of the statement would relieve the 29
individual of a prior obligation to file a statement covering the 30
entire preceding calendar year. 31
(5) No individual may be required to file more than once in any 32
calendar year. 33
(6) Each statement of financial affairs filed under this section 34
shall be sworn as to its truth and accuracy. 35
(7) Every elected official and every executive state officer 36
shall file with their statement of financial affairs a statement 37
certifying that they have read and are familiar with RCW 29B.45.010 38
or 42.52.180, whichever is applicable. 39
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(8) For the purposes of this section, the term "executive state 1
officer" includes those listed in RCW 29B.55.020. 2
(9) This section does not apply to incumbents or candidates for a 3
federal office or the office of precinct committee officer.4
(10) A person who is an elected supervisor or candidate for 5
elected supervisor for a conservation district that holds its 6
elections under chapter 89.08 RCW shall file with the commission a 7
statement of financial affairs in accordance with this section.8
Sec. 8. RCW 29B.05.020 and 2024 c 164 s 402 are each amended to 9
read as follows: 10
Elections of conservation district supervisors held pursuant to 11
chapter 89.08 RCW shall not be considered general or special 12
elections for purposes of the campaign disclosure and personal 13
financial affairs reporting requirements of this title. ((Elected 14
conservation district supervisors are not considered elected 15
officials for purposes of the annual personal financial affairs 16
reporting requirement of this title. )) Conservation district 17
supervisors elected under chapter 89.08 RCW must comply with the 18
annual personal financial affairs reporting requirement pursuant to 19
RCW 29B.55.010.20
Sec. 9. RCW 29B.25.010 and 2024 c 164 s 418 are each amended to 21
read as follows: 22
The provisions of this title relating to the financing of 23
election campaigns shall apply in all election campaigns other than 24
(1) for precinct committee officer; (2) for a federal elective 25
office; ((and)) (3) for conservation district supervisors in 26
elections held pursuant to chapter 89.08 RCW; and (4) for an office 27
of a political subdivision of the state that does not encompass a 28
whole county and that contains fewer than 5,000 registered voters as 29
of the date of the most recent general election in the subdivision, 30
unless required by RCW 29B.20.070 (2) through (5) and (7).31
NEW SECTION. Sec. 10. Sections 5 through 9 of this act take 32
effect January 1, 2027.33
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