Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official page posted by the Washington Legislature, fetched 2026-08-29. This is the chaptered version. The official bill page.
CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT HOUSE BILL 1573 Chapter 307, Laws of 2025 69TH LEGISLATURE 2025 REGULAR SESSION OATH OF OFFICE—CERTAIN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS—TIMING EFFECTIVE DATE: July 27, 2025 Passed by the House April 19, 2025 Yeas 93 Nays 0 LAURIE JINKINS Speaker of the House of Representatives Passed by the Senate April 15, 2025 Yeas 48 Nays 0 DENNY HECK President of the Senate CERTIFICATE I, Bernard Dean, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is HOUSE BILL 1573 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth. BERNARD DEAN Chief Clerk Chief Clerk Approved May 17, 2025 11:36 AM FILED May 19, 2025 BOB FERGUSON Governor of the State of Washington Secretary of State State of Washington HOUSE BILL 1573 AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE Passed Legislature - 2025 Regular Session 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. AN ACT Relating to revising the period in which the oath of office must be taken for elective offices of counties, cities, towns, and special purpose districts; and amending RCW 29A.60.280. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON: Sec. 1. RCW 29A.60.280 and 2003 c 111 s 504 are each amended to read as follows: (1) The legislature finds that certain laws are in conflict governing the assumption of office of various local officials. The purpose of this section is to provide a common date for the assumption of office for all the elected officials of counties, cities, towns, and special purpose districts other than school districts where the ownership of property is not a prerequisite of voting. A person elected to the office of school director begins his or her term of office at the first official meeting of the board of directors after certification of the election results. It is also the purpose of this section to remove these conflicts and delete old statutory language concerning such elections which is no longer necessary. (2) For elective offices of counties, cities, towns, and special purpose districts other than school districts where the ownership of property is not a prerequisite of voting, the term of incumbents ends and the term of successors begins after the successor is elected and qualified, and the term commences immediately after December 31st following the election, except as follows: (a) Where the term of office varies from this standard according to statute; and (b) If the election results have not been certified prior to January 1st after the election, in which event the time of commencement for the new term occurs when the successor becomes qualified in accordance with RCW 29A.04.133. (3) For elective offices governed by this section, the oath of office must be taken as the last step of qualification as defined in RCW 29A.04.133 ((but ))and may be taken ((either: (a) Up to ten days prior to the scheduled date of assuming office; or (b) At the last regular meeting of the governing body of the applicable county, city, town, or special district held before the winner is to assume office ))between the date of the final certification of the election and the day before the term of office begins . Passed by the House April 19, 2025. Passed by the Senate April 15, 2025. Approved by the Governor May 17, 2025. Filed in Office of Secretary of State May 19, 2025.
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