Emergency meetings

AN ACT Relating to emergency meetings of public agencies; and 1
amending RCW 36.32.090, 42.30.060, and 42.30.230. 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:3
Sec. 1. RCW 36.32.090 and 2015 c 74 s 2 are each amended to read 4
as follows: 5
(1) The county legislative authority of each county may hold 6
special meetings at the county seat or at a location designated in 7
accordance with subsection (2) or (3) of this section to transact the 8
business of the county. Notice of a special meeting shall be made as 9
provided in RCW 42.30.080. 10
(2) A special meeting may be held outside of the county seat at 11
any location within the county if the agenda item or items are of 12
unique interest or concern to the citizens of the portion of the 13
county in which the special meeting is to be held.14
(3) Any two or more county legislative authorities may hold a 15
joint special meeting at the county seat or other agreed upon 16
location within the jurisdiction of a participating county if the 17
agenda item or items relate to actions or considerations of mutual 18
interest or concern to the participating legislative authorities.19
(4) The legislative authority of each county may hold a special 20
meeting outside of the county seat, or remotely, when necessary to 21
H-2894.1
HOUSE BILL 2520
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Lekanoff, Eslick, Parshley, Pollet, Donaghy,
Ramel, and Scott
Read first time 01/16/26. Referred to Committee on State Government
& Tribal Relations.
p. 1 HB 2520
take expedited action needed to meet an emergency. Notice of such a 1
meeting must be made as provided for in RCW 42.30.080, unless such 2
notice is not required pursuant to RCW 42.30.070 and 42.30.080(4). 3
The minutes of any such meeting must be recorded and open to public 4
inspection as provided for in RCW 42.30.035. 5
Sec. 2. RCW 42.30.060 and 1989 c 42 s 1 are each amended to read 6
as follows: 7
(1) ((No)) Except when expedited action is necessary to meet an 8
emergency and is taken in compliance with the requirements of this 9
chapter, no governing body of a public agency shall adopt any 10
ordinance, resolution, rule, regulation, order, or directive, except 11
in a meeting open to the public and then only at a meeting, the date 12
of which is fixed by law or rule, or at a meeting of which notice has 13
been given according to the provisions of this chapter. Any action 14
taken at meetings failing to comply with the provisions of this 15
subsection shall be null and void. 16
(2) No governing body of a public agency at any meeting required 17
to be open to the public shall vote by secret ballot. Any vote taken 18
in violation of this subsection shall be null and void, and shall be 19
considered an "action" under this chapter. 20
Sec. 3. RCW 42.30.230 and 2022 c 115 s 5 are each amended to 21
read as follows: 22
(1) If, after the declaration of an emergency by a local or state 23
government or agency, or by the federal government, a public agency 24
determines that it cannot hold a meeting of the governing body with 25
members or public attendance in person with reasonable safety because 26
of the emergency, the public agency may: 27
(a) Hold a remote meeting of the governing body without a 28
physical location; or 29
(b) Hold a meeting of the governing body at which the physical 30
attendance by some or all members of the public is limited due to a 31
declared emergency. 32
(2) During a remote meeting, members of the governing body may 33
appear or attend by phone or by other electronic means that allows 34
real-time verbal communication without being in the same physical 35
location. For a remote meeting or a meeting at which the physical 36
attendance by some or all members of the public is limited due to a 37
declared emergency, the public agency must provide an option for the 38
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public to listen to the proceedings telephonically or by using a 1
readily available alternative in real-time that does not require any 2
additional cost for participation. Free readily available options 3
include, but are not limited to, broadcast by the public agency on a 4
locally available cable television station that is available 5
throughout the jurisdiction or other electronic, internet, or other 6
means of remote access that does not require any additional cost for 7
access to the program. The public agency may also allow the other 8
electronic means of remote access. 9
(3) No action may be taken at a remote meeting or a meeting at 10
which the physical attendance by some or all members of the public is 11
limited due to a declared emergency if the public agency has not 12
provided an option for the public to listen to proceedings pursuant 13
to subsection (2) of this section, except for an executive session as 14
authorized in this chapter and for action taken in order to meet an 15
emergency as provided for in RCW 42.30.070. 16
(4) Notice of a remote meeting without a physical location or a 17
meeting at which the physical attendance by some or all members of 18
the public is limited due to a declared emergency must be provided in 19
accordance with this chapter and must include instructions on how the 20
public may listen live to proceedings and on how the public may 21
access any other electronic means of remote access offered by the 22
public agency. 23
(5) A remote meeting or a meeting at which the physical 24
attendance by some or all members of the public is limited due to a 25
declared emergency that is held under the provisions of this section 26
shall be considered open and public in compliance with the 27
requirements of this chapter. Nothing in this section alters the 28
ability of public agencies to take action at a remote meeting or a 29
meeting at which the physical attendance by some or all members of 30
the public is limited in response to an emergency as provided for in 31
RCW 42.30.070, or to have members of a governing body participate in 32
a meeting remotely with no declared emergency. 33
(6) Notwithstanding any other provision in this section, any 34
governing body of a public agency which held some of its regular 35
meetings remotely prior to March 1, 2020, may continue to hold some 36
of its regular meetings remotely with no declared emergency so long 37
p. 3 HB 2520
as the public agency provides an option for the public to listen to 1
the proceedings pursuant to subsection (2) of this section.2
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p. 4 HB 2520