Scientific research

AN ACT Relating to sustaining life-saving and prosperity-building 1
scientific research in Washington by establishing the Washington 2
institute for scientific advancement, funding scientific research, 3
and raising revenue therefor; amending RCW 42.30.110; adding new 4
sections to chapter 43.100A RCW; adding new sections to chapter 5
43.330 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 42.56 RCW; creating new 6
sections; and providing for submission of certain sections of this 7
act to a vote of the people. 8
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:9
PART I10
INTENT11
NEW SECTION. Sec. 101. (1) The legislature declares there is a 12
state of emergency in scientific research activities conducted by 13
Washington research institutions that is jeopardizing current 14
research and the sustainability of scientific advancements for at 15
least a generation, which in turn jeopardizes advances in human 16
health and the economic prosperity of Washington residents.17
(2) The emergency has been caused by federal agencies acting at 18
the direction of the incumbent President of the United States and in 19
contravention of Congressional legislation and the longstanding 20
S-4264.1
SENATE BILL 6321
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Senators Slatter, Riccelli, Hunt, Cortes, Lovelett, Nobles,
Shewmake, Valdez, and Wellman
Read first time 01/27/26. Referred to Committee on Higher Education
& Workforce Development.
p. 1 SB 6321
commitment of the United States to being the world's leader in 1
advancing human health, technological development, and economic 2
expansion driven by research and development. 3
(3) For more than half a century, through the financial support 4
of governmental agencies including, but not limited to, the national 5
science foundation, the national institutes of health, the department 6
of energy, the United States food and drug administration, the 7
federal centers for disease control and prevention, the national 8
oceanic and atmospheric administration, and the department of war, 9
the scientific and health communities have been able to create life-10
enhancing scientific, biomedical, and public health discoveries and 11
technological advances that enhance national security and create 12
economic prosperity. 13
(4) At the direction of the presidential administration, those 14
agencies have made changes that have resulted in drastic cuts to 15
existing federal grants to research activities in Washington. The 16
cuts have created an existential crisis in ongoing research activity. 17
The cuts also preclude planning for future research because the cuts 18
create uncertainty as to whether there will be sufficient funding to 19
sustain the long timeline for experimentation and innovation needed 20
to yield the benefits that so dramatically improve the lives of 21
Washington citizens and beyond. 22
(5) Washington's public research universities and colleges have 23
lost or are projected to lose many hundreds of millions of dollars in 24
federal research grant funding for fiscal year 2025 and many hundreds 25
of millions of dollars more in the following year.26
(6) Ongoing research in Washington has been jeopardized in many 27
fields including, but not limited to: 28
(a) Medicine, such as breast and prostate cancer prevention and 29
treatment research; 30
(b) Agriculture and veterinary medicine, such as large animal 31
research and animal-to-human disease transmission;32
(c) Climate and weather research; 33
(d) Technological development, vital to security and economic 34
development, such as quantum information science and engineering and 35
semiconductor technology; 36
(e) Small business innovation research and technology transfer; 37
and 38
(f) Applied physics research, key to our national defense.39
p. 2 SB 6321
(7) Not only will lives be lost because of the failure to fund 1
ongoing research, but many Washington research institutions will 2
eliminate research programs because gaps in funding created by the 3
planned federal cuts cannot be filled with other funding and make the 4
ongoing research unsustainable. For just one example, Washington 5
State University's college of veterinary medicine's research is 30 6
percent funded by the national institutes of health. The announced 7
cuts put in jeopardy the continued work of the college of veterinary 8
medicine's Washington animal disease diagnostic laboratory, the only 9
accredited veterinary medical laboratory within Washington. The 10
laboratory's work to detect, research, and conduct responses to 11
current and future disease outbreaks such as the current highly 12
pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus, rabies, tularemia, and the 13
plague may be lost completely. 14
(8) The current announced cuts, and the uncertainty about future 15
funding, have caused many research projects to cease and many more 16
will cease or move to other countries where research funding is more 17
sustainable. Washington will not only lose its current research 18
capacity but will likely also lose a whole generation of scientists 19
across a broad spectrum of research. 20
(9) In addition to the damage to human health, the economic 21
consequences of the loss of Washington's currently robust research 22
activities will create a spiraling economic downturn in the state. 23
Currently, research-driven innovation returns to Washington's economy 24
more than two dollars for every dollar invested. For just one 25
example, the University of Washington's research enterprise for 26
fiscal year 2023 contributed $2,600,000,000 to the Washington state 27
economy and supported 10,641 jobs. 28
(10) The human and economic damage that is being caused and will 29
be caused by the actions of the current federal executive 30
administration can be mitigated by legislative action, approved by 31
the people of Washington, to sustain ongoing and future scientific 32
research. The health, economic welfare, and security of the people of 33
Washington and our nation require the legislature and people to act 34
to sustain research and innovation. 35
PART II36
BOND AUTHORIZATION37
p. 3 SB 6321
NEW SECTION. Sec. 201. A new section is added to chapter 1
43.100A RCW to read as follows: 2
(1) The state finance committee may issue general obligation 3
bonds of the state of Washington in the sum of $6,000,000,000, or so 4
much thereof as may be required, solely for the purpose of providing 5
funds to advance scientific research, as specified in section 401 of 6
this act, and all costs incidental thereto. 7
(2) Bonds authorized in this section may be sold in the manner, 8
at the time or times, in amounts, and at such price as the state 9
finance committee determines. 10
(3) The total amount of the bonds authorized by this section 11
issued in any single calendar year, commencing in 2027, may not 12
exceed $1,000,000,000. If less than this amount of bonds is issued in 13
any year, the remaining permitted amount may be carried over to one 14
or more subsequent years. 15
(4) The authorization to issue bonds contained in this act does 16
not expire until the full authorization has been issued.17
(5) No bonds authorized in this section may be offered for sale 18
without prior legislative appropriation of the net proceeds of the 19
sale of the bonds. 20
NEW SECTION. Sec. 202. A new section is added to chapter 21
43.100A RCW to read as follows: 22
It is the intent of the legislature that the proceeds of the new 23
bonds authorized in sections 201 and 203 of this act will be 24
appropriated for the specific uses set forth in section 403 of this 25
act in phases over three biennia, beginning with the 2025–2027 26
biennium. This is not intended to limit the legislature's ability to 27
appropriate bond proceeds if the full amount authorized in sections 28
201 and 203 of this act has not been appropriated after two biennia.29
NEW SECTION. Sec. 203. A new section is added to chapter 30
43.100A RCW to read as follows: 31
(1) The proceeds from the sale of the bonds authorized in section 32
201 of this act must be deposited in the Washington institute for 33
scientific advancement account created in section 301 of this act. If 34
the state finance committee deems it necessary to issue the bonds 35
authorized in section 201 of this act as taxable bonds in order to 36
comply with federal internal revenue service rules and regulations 37
pertaining to the use of nontaxable bond proceeds, the proceeds of 38
p. 4 SB 6321
such taxable bonds must be deposited into the Washington institute 1
for scientific advancement taxable bond account created in section 2
302 of this act. The state treasurer shall submit written notice to 3
the director of financial management if it is determined that any 4
such transfer to the Washington institute for scientific advancement 5
taxable bond account is necessary. If such a transfer is required, a 6
portion of the appropriation authority granted in any omnibus capital 7
appropriations act from the Washington institute for scientific 8
advancement account is transferred to the Washington institute for 9
scientific advancement taxable bond account in an amount equal to the 10
transferred proceeds. For purposes of this section, "nontaxable bond 11
proceeds" includes proceeds from bonds issued as tax exempt bonds and 12
proceeds from taxable bonds eligible for direct federal subsidy or 13
other federal tax advantage under the federal internal revenue code 14
and internal revenue service rules. 15
(2) The proceeds must be used exclusively for the purpose stated 16
in section 403 of this act and for the payment of expenses incurred 17
in the issuance and sale of the bonds. 18
NEW SECTION. Sec. 204. A new section is added to chapter 19
43.100A RCW to read as follows: 20
(1) The nondebt-limit general fund bond retirement account must 21
be used for the payment of the principal of and interest on the bonds 22
authorized in sections 201 and 203 of this act. 23
(2) The state finance committee shall, on or before June 30th of 24
each year, certify to the state treasurer the amount needed in the 25
ensuing 12 months to meet the bond retirement and interest 26
requirements. On each date on which any interest or principal and 27
interest payment is due, the state treasurer shall withdraw from any 28
general state revenues received in the state treasury and deposit in 29
the nondebt-limit general fund bond retirement account an amount 30
equal to the amount certified by the state finance committee to be 31
due on the payment date. 32
(3) Bonds issued under sections 201 and 203 of this act must 33
state that they are a general obligation of the state of Washington, 34
pledge the full faith and credit of the state to the payment of the 35
principal thereof and the interest thereon, and contain an 36
unconditional promise to pay the principal and interest as the same 37
becomes due. 38
p. 5 SB 6321
NEW SECTION. Sec. 205. A new section is added to chapter 1
43.100A RCW to read as follows: 2
(1) The bonds authorized by sections 201 and 203 of this act 3
constitute a legal investment for all state funds or for funds under 4
state control and all funds of municipal corporations.5
(2) The owner and holder of each of the bonds or the trustee for 6
the owner and holder of any of the bonds may by mandamus or other 7
appropriate proceeding require the transfer and payment of funds as 8
directed in this section. 9
NEW SECTION. Sec. 206. A new section is added to chapter 10
43.100A RCW to read as follows: 11
The legislature may provide additional means for raising moneys 12
for the payment of the principal of and interest on the bonds 13
authorized in sections 201 and 203 of this act, and sections 203 and 14
204 of this act do not provide an exclusive method for the payment.15
PART III16
ACCOUNTS17
NEW SECTION. Sec. 301. A new section is added to chapter 43.330 18
RCW to read as follows: 19
The Washington institute for scientific advancement account is 20
created in the state treasury. Proceeds from the bonds issued under 21
section 201 of this act must be deposited in the account. The account 22
must be used for the purpose stated in section 403 of this act and 23
for payment of expenses incurred in connection with the sale and 24
issuance of the bonds. Moneys in the account may be spent only after 25
appropriation. 26
NEW SECTION. Sec. 302. A new section is added to chapter 43.330 27
RCW to read as follows: 28
The Washington institute for scientific advancement taxable 29
account is created in the state treasury. Proceeds from any taxable 30
bonds issued and directed to the account under section 203 of this 31
act must be deposited in the account. The account must be used for 32
the purpose stated in section 403 of this act and for payment of 33
expenses incurred in connection with the sale and issuance of the 34
bonds. Moneys in the account may be spent only after appropriation.35
p. 6 SB 6321
PART IV1
CREATION OF WASHINGTON INSTITUTE FOR SCIENTIFIC ADVANCEMENT, PROGRAM 2
REQUIREMENTS3
NEW SECTION. Sec. 401. A new section is added to chapter 43.330 4
RCW to read as follows: 5
To preserve and advance scientific achievement and to enhance the 6
health and living standards of Washington residents, the Washington 7
institute for scientific advancement is created within the department 8
of commerce. 9
NEW SECTION. Sec. 402. A new section is added to chapter 43.330 10
RCW to read as follows: 11
The definitions in this section apply throughout RCW 42.30.110 12
and sections 401 through 412 of this act unless the context clearly 13
requires otherwise. 14
(1) "Administrator" means the administrator of the Washington 15
institute for scientific advancement. 16
(2) "Council" means the Washington institute for scientific 17
advancement research council. 18
(3) "Indirect costs" means costs that benefit more than one 19
activity of the recipient and are not directly assigned to a 20
particular project objective. 21
(4) "Institute" means the Washington institute for scientific 22
advancement. 23
(5) "Institute account" means the accounts established by 24
sections 301 and 302 of this act. 25
NEW SECTION. Sec. 403. A new section is added to chapter 43.330 26
RCW to read as follows: 27
(1) Subject to amounts appropriated for this purpose, the 28
institute shall establish a competitive process to solicit and 29
evaluate applications for scientific research and related indirect 30
costs. The institute shall facilitate scientific research by awarding 31
grants to public or private research companies, universities, 32
institutes, and organizations for scientific research, development, 33
and the construction of facilities for research and development 34
including, but not limited to, any of the following fields:35
(a) Biomedical, including finding cures for high mortality 36
diseases including, but not limited to, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, 37
p. 7 SB 6321
heart disease, strokes, child and adult leukemia, infectious 1
diseases, and HIV/AIDS; 2
(b) Detecting and responding to new and emerging health threats;3
(c) Disease prevention, including, but not limited to, cancer, 4
Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, strokes, child and adult 5
leukemia, infectious diseases, and HIV/AIDS; 6
(d) Promoting healthy and safe behaviors, communities, and 7
environment; 8
(e) Wildfire prevention; 9
(f) Addiction and substance use; 10
(g) Behavioral; 11
(h) Climate, including climate change and its impact on human 12
health; 13
(i) Weather; 14
(j) Ocean; 15
(k) Coastal and marine ecosystems and resources;16
(l) Emerging technologies; and 17
(m) Safety, efficacy, and security of drugs, biological products, 18
medical devices, our nation's food supply, and cosmetics.19
(2) All grants provided under this section must be awarded or 20
made available to researchers or projects located within this state, 21
except that funding for research collaboratives between Washington 22
and out-of-state researchers is permitted. 23
(3) All projects funded by the institute must be conducted under 24
established standards of open scientific exchange, peer review, and 25
public oversight. 26
(4) All grants provided under this section must be awarded based 27
on both of the following: 28
(a) The basis of the scientific research priorities established 29
for the institute by the institute; and 30
(b) The scientific merit of the proposal, as determined by an 31
open, competitive, scientific peer review process that ensures 32
objectivity, consistency, and high quality, for the bodies of 33
research described in this section. 34
(5) The institute must prioritize funding for scientific research 35
that replaces funding cuts by the federal government in 2025.36
(6) To be eligible for funding, all research projects submitted 37
for potential funding shall be reviewed and approved by an 38
institutional review board that meets the requirements of applicable 39
laws and regulations. 40
p. 8 SB 6321
NEW SECTION. Sec. 404. A new section is added to chapter 43.330 1
RCW to read as follows: 2
(1) The director of commerce shall oversee the process of hiring 3
the administrator and shall set the level of salaries, bonuses, and 4
benefits for the administrator. The task of hiring and determining 5
the salaries, bonuses, and benefits of additional personnel may be 6
delegated by the director of commerce to the administrator, subject 7
to approval and oversight by the director of commerce.8
(2) Not more than five percent of the moneys in the fund may be 9
used for administrative costs of the institute. Administrative costs 10
include, but are not limited to: 11
(a) Salaries, bonuses, and benefits paid or incurred with respect 12
to the hiring or retention of the administrator and other officers 13
and administrative staff that work on behalf of the institute under 14
the supervision of the administrator; 15
(b) Legal and accounting fees and expenses; and16
(c) All costs associated with the establishment and operation of 17
the institute including, but not limited to, office rent, overhead, 18
information technology and data systems, office supplies and 19
equipment, clerical services, utilities, telephone, travel, repairs 20
and maintenance, program audits, and other general costs of operating 21
the institute. 22
(3) All intellectual property assets developed using funds 23
authorized for, or made available to, the institute must be treated 24
pursuant to state and federal law. 25
NEW SECTION. Sec. 405. A new section is added to chapter 43.330 26
RCW to read as follows: 27
(1) There is hereby established the Washington institute for 28
scientific advancement research council, which shall:29
(a) Develop the strategic objectives and priorities of the 30
institute; 31
(b) Actively participate in the overall management of the 32
institute; and 33
(c) Determine which research projects will be funded by the 34
institute account based on the research priorities established for 35
the institute and the technical merits of the proposals, as 36
determined by scientific peer review panels created pursuant to 37
section 408 of this act. 38
p. 9 SB 6321
(2) The council consists of 11 members appointed by the director 1
of commerce. 2
(a) A majority of members of the council must be scientists, 3
including at least one member who is an early career researcher, with 4
current or past research experience in the fields described in 5
section 403 of this act. 6
(b) At least two members of the council must be members of the 7
public. 8
(c) At least one member of the council must be the president of 9
the University of Washington, or the president's designee.10
(d) At least one member of the council must be the president of 11
the Washington State University, or the president's designee.12
(3) Individuals and organizations may submit nominations for 13
membership to the council, and the council may also solicit 14
nominations from relevant organizations and individuals.15
(4) The term length for members appointed to the council pursuant 16
to this section is four year. Members may not serve more than two 17
terms. 18
(5) When a term expires, the director of commerce shall appoint a 19
member within 30 days. Members must serve until the member's 20
replacement is appointed. 21
(6) If a vacancy occurs within a term, the director of commerce 22
shall appoint a replacement member within 30 days to serve the 23
remainder of the term. 24
NEW SECTION. Sec. 406. A new section is added to chapter 43.330 25
RCW to read as follows: 26
(1) Final grant awards must be determined by the full council.27
(2) The council must contain the proportional representation of 28
appointees described in section 405 of this act when the council 29
approves the funding of research grants. 30
(3) Vacancies affecting the proportional representation must be 31
filled before grants are approved. 32
NEW SECTION. Sec. 407. A new section is added to chapter 43.330 33
RCW to read as follows: 34
Councilmembers shall serve without compensation but may receive 35
reimbursement for travel and necessary expenses actually incurred in 36
the performance of their duties. 37
p. 10 SB 6321
NEW SECTION. Sec. 408. A new section is added to chapter 43.330 1
RCW to read as follows: 2
(1) The council may establish one or more scientific peer review 3
panels consisting of experts in the fields described in section 403 4
of this act for the purposes of reviewing and prioritizing proposals 5
on the basis of the professional record of the investigators, 6
scientific merit of the proposal, and potential benefit to the health 7
and well-being of the population, natural resources, and environment 8
of the state. 9
(2) An expert on a scientific peer review panel may not have a 10
collaborative or commercial relationship with any applicant for a 11
proposal for funding that the expert is asked to review or 12
prioritize. 13
NEW SECTION. Sec. 409. A new section is added to chapter 43.330 14
RCW to read as follows: 15
Beginning December 1, 2028, and annually thereafter, the 16
institute shall submit an annual report to the appropriate committees 17
of the legislature that sets forth the institute's activities, grants 18
awarded, grants in progress, research accomplishments, and future 19
program directions. Each annual report must include, but not be 20
limited to, the following: The number and dollar amounts of research 21
and facilities grants; the grantees for the prior year; the 22
institute's administrative expenses; an assessment of the 23
availability of funding for research from sources other than the 24
institute; a summary of research findings, including promising new 25
research areas; an assessment of the relationship between the 26
institute's grants and the overall strategy of its research program; 27
and a report of the institute's strategic research and financial 28
plans. 29
NEW SECTION. Sec. 410. A new section is added to chapter 43.330 30
RCW to read as follows: 31
(1) The open public meetings act, chapter 42.30 RCW, applies to 32
all meetings of the institute, except as otherwise provided in this 33
section. The institute shall disclose all awarded grants in public 34
meetings; award all grants and contracts in public meetings; and 35
adopt all governance, scientific, medical, and regulatory standards 36
in public meetings. 37
p. 11 SB 6321
(2) The institute may conduct closed sessions as permitted by 1
chapter 42.30 RCW. 2
Sec. 411. RCW 42.30.110 and 2024 c 277 s 2 are each amended to 3
read as follows: 4
(1) Nothing contained in this chapter may be construed to prevent 5
a governing body from holding an executive session during a regular 6
or special meeting: 7
(a)(i) To consider matters affecting national security;8
(ii) To consider, if in compliance with any required data 9
security breach disclosure under RCW 19.255.010 and 42.56.590, and 10
with legal counsel available, information regarding the 11
infrastructure and security of computer and telecommunications 12
networks, security and service recovery plans, security risk 13
assessments and security test results to the extent that they 14
identify specific system vulnerabilities, and other information that 15
if made public may increase the risk to the confidentiality, 16
integrity, or availability of agency security or to information 17
technology infrastructure or assets; 18
(b) To consider the selection of a site or the acquisition of 19
real estate by lease or purchase when public knowledge regarding such 20
consideration would cause a likelihood of increased price;21
(c) To consider the minimum price at which real estate will be 22
offered for sale or lease when public knowledge regarding such 23
consideration would cause a likelihood of decreased price. However, 24
final action selling or leasing public property shall be taken in a 25
meeting open to the public; 26
(d) To review negotiations on the performance of publicly bid 27
contracts when public knowledge regarding such consideration would 28
cause a likelihood of increased costs; 29
(e) To consider, in the case of an export trading company, 30
financial and commercial information supplied by private persons to 31
the export trading company; 32
(f) To receive and evaluate complaints or charges brought against 33
a public officer or employee. However, upon the request of such 34
officer or employee, a public hearing or a meeting open to the public 35
shall be conducted upon such complaint or charge; 36
(g) To evaluate the qualifications of an applicant for public 37
employment or to review the performance of a public employee. 38
However, subject to RCW 42.30.140(4), discussion by a governing body 39
p. 12 SB 6321
of salaries, wages, and other conditions of employment to be 1
generally applied within the agency shall occur in a meeting open to 2
the public, and when a governing body elects to take final action 3
hiring, setting the salary of an individual employee or class of 4
employees, or discharging or disciplining an employee, that action 5
shall be taken in a meeting open to the public; 6
(h) To evaluate the qualifications of a candidate for appointment 7
to elective office. However, any interview of such candidate and 8
final action appointing a candidate to elective office shall be in a 9
meeting open to the public; 10
(i) To discuss with legal counsel representing the agency matters 11
relating to agency enforcement actions, or to discuss with legal 12
counsel representing the agency litigation or potential litigation to 13
which the agency, the governing body, or a member acting in an 14
official capacity is, or is likely to become, a party, when public 15
knowledge regarding the discussion is likely to result in an adverse 16
legal or financial consequence to the agency. 17
This subsection (1)(i) does not permit a governing body to hold 18
an executive session solely because an attorney representing the 19
agency is present. For purposes of this subsection (1)(i), "potential 20
litigation" means matters protected by RPC 1.6 or RCW 5.60.060(2)(a) 21
concerning: 22
(i) Litigation that has been specifically threatened to which the 23
agency, the governing body, or a member acting in an official 24
capacity is, or is likely to become, a party; 25
(ii) Litigation that the agency reasonably believes may be 26
commenced by or against the agency, the governing body, or a member 27
acting in an official capacity; or 28
(iii) Litigation or legal risks of a proposed action or current 29
practice that the agency has identified when public discussion of the 30
litigation or legal risks is likely to result in an adverse legal or 31
financial consequence to the agency; 32
(j) To consider, in the case of the state library commission or 33
its advisory bodies, western library network prices, products, 34
equipment, and services, when such discussion would be likely to 35
adversely affect the network's ability to conduct business in a 36
competitive economic climate. However, final action on these matters 37
shall be taken in a meeting open to the public; 38
(k) To consider, in the case of the state investment board, 39
financial and commercial information when the information relates to 40
p. 13 SB 6321
the investment of public trust or retirement funds and when public 1
knowledge regarding the discussion would result in loss to such funds 2
or in private loss to the providers of this information;3
(l) To consider proprietary or confidential nonpublished 4
information related to the development, acquisition, or 5
implementation of state purchased health care services as provided in 6
RCW 41.05.026; 7
(m) To consider in the case of the life sciences discovery fund 8
authority, the substance of grant applications and grant awards when 9
public knowledge regarding the discussion would reasonably be 10
expected to result in private loss to the providers of this 11
information; 12
(n) To consider in the case of a health sciences and services 13
authority, the substance of grant applications and grant awards when 14
public knowledge regarding the discussion would reasonably be 15
expected to result in private loss to the providers of this 16
information; 17
(o) To consider information regarding staff privileges or quality 18
improvement committees under RCW 70.41.205; 19
(p) To consider proprietary or confidential data collected or 20
analyzed pursuant to chapter 70.405 RCW; 21
(q) To consider greenhouse gas allowance auction bidding 22
information that is prohibited from release or disclosure under RCW 23
70A.65.100(8);24
(r) To consider matters involving information relating to 25
patients or medical or scientific research subjects, the disclosure 26
of which would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal 27
privacy;28
(s) To consider matters involving a confidential intellectual 29
property or work product, whether patentable or not, including, but 30
not limited to, any formula, plan, pattern, process, tool, mechanism, 31
compound, procedure, production data, or compilation of information, 32
which is not patented, which is known only to certain individuals who 33
are using it to fabricate, produce, or compound an article of trade 34
or a service having commercial value, and which gives its user an 35
opportunity to obtain a business advantage over competitors who do 36
not know it or use it;37
(t) To consider matters involving scientific data, analyses, or 38
other research products not yet formally published in academic 39
literature;40
p. 14 SB 6321
(u) To consider matters concerning the appointment, employment, 1
performance, compensation, or dismissal of Washington institute for 2
scientific advancement officers and employees. Action on compensation 3
of Washington institute for scientific advancement officers and 4
employees may only be taken in open session;5
(v) To consider matters believed to pose a security risk to the 6
people of Washington. 7
(2) Before convening in executive session, the presiding officer 8
of a governing body shall publicly announce the purpose for excluding 9
the public from the meeting place, and the time when the executive 10
session will be concluded. The executive session may be extended to a 11
stated later time by announcement of the presiding officer. The 12
announced purpose of excluding the public must be entered into the 13
minutes of the meeting required by RCW 42.30.035. 14
NEW SECTION. Sec. 412. A new section is added to chapter 42.56 15
RCW to read as follows: 16
Materials submitted to the Washington institute for scientific 17
advancement as grant applications and all materials used in the 18
review of grant applications or pertaining to grant applications are 19
confidential and are exempt from disclosure under this chapter.20
PART V21
CONSTRUCTION AND SEVERABILITY CLAUSES22
NEW SECTION. Sec. 501. This act must be liberally construed to 23
effectuate its purposes.24
NEW SECTION. Sec. 502. If any provision of this act or its 25
application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the 26
remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other 27
persons or circumstances is not affected.28
PART VI29
REFERENDUM PROVISIONS30
NEW SECTION. Sec. 601. (1) The secretary of state shall submit 31
sections 401 through 412 of this act to the people for their adoption 32
and ratification, or rejection, at the next general election to be 33
held in this state, in accordance with Article II, section 1, and 34
p. 15 SB 6321
Article VIII, section 3, of the state Constitution and the laws 1
adopted to facilitate their operation. 2
(2) If the people ratify this act as specified under subsection 3
(1) of this section, revenues generated must be spent as detailed in 4
this act. 5
(3) Pursuant to RCW 29A.72.050(7), the statement of subject and 6
concise description for the ballot title shall read: "The legislature 7
has passed Bill No. . . . (this act), concerning the funding of 8
scientific research in the state of Washington. This bill would 9
authorize the state to issue $6,000,000,000 in general obligation 10
bonds between 2025 and 2031, the proceeds of which would be granted 11
through a process administered by the Washington institute for 12
scientific advancement and the department of commerce to fund 13
scientific research within the state of Washington."14
(4) If this measure is approved by the voters but superseded in 15
whole or in part by a conflicting measure approved by the voters at 16
the same election, and the conflicting measure is later held to be 17
invalid, this measure shall be self-executing and given full force 18
and effect. 19
--- END ---
p. 16 SB 6321