Senate Bill 6168 — Renewing Washington's International Leadership (2024 Regular Session)

Summary

Senate Bill 6168 of the State of Washington, 68th Legislature, 2024 Regular Session, by Senators Stanford, Frame, Nobles, and Wellman, read first time 01/11/24 and referred to the Committee on Business, Financial Services, Gaming & Trade. The act relates to renewing Washington's international leadership and amends RCW 43.290.005, RCW 43.290.020 and other sections. The text directs the office of international relations and protocol to develop a strategic international engagement plan to guide Washington's international engagement and economic development. It also repeals RCW 43.15.085, the legislative committee on economic development and international relations expenses section.

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Full text

     S-3900.1

                               SENATE BILL 6168


     State of Washington       68th Legislature         2024 Regular Session

     By Senators Stanford, Frame, Nobles, and Wellman

     Read first time 01/11/24.       Referred   to   Committee   on   Business,
     Financial Services, Gaming & Trade.




 1       AN   ACT   Relating  to   renewing   Washington's   international
 2   leadership;   amending  RCW   43.290.005,   43.290.020,   43.330.065,
 3   43.15.050, 43.15.060, and 43.15.090; adding new sections to chapter
 4   43.290 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 44.04 RCW; and repealing
 5   RCW 43.15.085.


 6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:


 7       NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 43.290
 8   RCW to read as follows:
 9       (1) The office of international relations and protocol shall
10   develop   a  strategic   international   engagement   plan   to guide
11   Washington's international engagement and economic development. The
12   plan must create a common framework for the state's engagement in
13   international activities, to include: Trade missions, economic
14   development, and interpersonal knowledge exchanges.
15       (2) The office may consult with entities relevant to Washington's
16   international presence when developing the strategic plan, including:
17   Associate    development    organizations,    business     and  civic
18   organizations, consular officials, executive and small cabinet
19   agencies, institutions of higher education, immigration and labor
20   organizations, public ports, state offices, and private and nonprofit
21   organizations.
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1        (3) The office may utilize the resources of Results Washington
2    for technical and operational assistance in developing the strategic
3    plan.
4        (4) The office must complete an initial strategic plan by July 1,
5    2025. This strategic plan shall undergo periodic review to measure
6    progress and outcomes at least every two and a half years thereafter,
7    and it shall be fully updated at least every five years thereafter.

 8       Sec. 2.   RCW 43.290.005 and 1991 c 24 s 1 are each amended to
 9   read as follows:
10       The legislature finds that it is in the public interest to create
11   an office of international relations and protocol in order to: Make
12   international relations and protocol ((a broad-based,)) focused((,))
13   and   functional  ((part  of))   across  state   government;  provide
14   leadership in state government with respect to international
15   relations and assist the legislature and state elected officials with
16   international issues affecting the state; establish coordinated
17   methods for responding to foreign governments and institutions
18   seeking cooperative activities with and within Washington; coordinate
19   and improve communication and resource sharing among various state
20   offices, agencies, and educational institutions with international
21   programs;   develop   and   promote   state   policies   that   increase
22   international     ((literacy))     engagement     and     cross-cultural
23   understanding among Washington state's citizens; expand Washington
24   state's international cooperation role in ((such)) vital areas ((as
25   the environment, education, science, culture, and sports)) of public
26   policy, including but not limited to economic development, trade and
27   industry, and tourism and sports, as well as education, culture,
28   science,   and   resilience;   ((establish   coordinated   methods   for
29   responding to the increasing number of inquiries by foreign
30   governments and institutions seeking cooperative activities within
31   Washington   state;   provide   leadership  in   state   government   on
32   international relations and assistance to the legislature and state
33   elected officials on international issues affecting the state;)) and
34   assist with multistate international efforts((; and coordinate and
35   improve communication and resource sharing among various state
36   offices, agencies, and educational institutions with international
37   programs.
38       It is the purpose of this chapter to bring these functions
39   together in a new office under the office of the governor in order to
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 1   establish a visible, coordinated, and          comprehensive   approach   to
 2   international relations and protocol)).


 3       Sec. 3.   RCW 43.290.020 and 1991 c 24 s 4 are each amended to
 4   read as follows:
 5       The office of international relations and protocol may:
 6       (1) Create ((temporary)) advisory committees as necessary to
 7   ((deal   with    specific   international    issues))   execute its
 8   responsibilities. The duration and composition of such advisory
 9   committees may be determined by the office. Advisory committee
10   representation may include statewide elected officials from the
11   executive branch, or their designees, as well as representatives of
12   the legislative branch and the judiciary. Representation may also
13   include external organizations such as ((the Seattle consular
14   corps,))    world    affairs   councils,    public    ports,   world    trade
15   organizations,     ((private    nonprofit    organizations    dealing    with
16   international    education    or   international    environmental     issues,
17   organizations concerned with international understanding, businesses
18   with experience in international relations, or other organizations
19   deemed   appropriate      by   the   director))     associate     development
20   organizations, business and civic organizations, consular officials,
21   executive and small cabinet agencies, institutions of higher
22   education, immigration and labor organizations, public ports, state
23   offices, and private and nonprofit organizations. The governor, or
24   the governor's designee, shall chair such advisory committees;
25       (2)    Designate     foreign    jurisdictions,     such    as    national
26   governments,       subnational      governments,       and     international
27   organizations,     as    jurisdictions    of    strategic    importance    to
28   Washington;
29       (3) Establish procedures and requirements for operations and
30   expenditures to support and enhance state government partnership and
31   relationships     with    foreign   jurisdictions,      particularly    those
32   identified    as    of   strategic   importance.     Such   operations    and
33   expenditures are intended to strengthen state agency economic
34   development and policy cooperation, enable the implementation of the
35   strategic international engagement plan, as determined by the
36   director,    and     provide   resources    for    government-to-government
37   engagement, as well as support of inbound and outbound delegations to
38   and from Washington state;


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 1       (4) Accept or request grants or gifts from citizens and other
 2   private sources to be used to defray the costs of appropriate hosting
 3   of foreign dignitaries, including appropriate gift-giving and
 4   reciprocal gift-giving, or other activities of the office. The office
 5   shall open and maintain a bank account into which it shall deposit
 6   all money received under this subsection. Such money and the interest
 7   accruing thereon shall not constitute public funds, shall be kept
 8   segregated and apart from funds of the state, and shall not be
 9   subject to appropriation or allotment by the state or subject to
10   chapter 43.88 RCW.


11       Sec. 4. RCW 43.330.065 and 2023 c 470 s 2081 are each amended to
12   read as follows:
13       ((The department of commerce, in consultation with the office of
14   protocol, the office of the secretary of state, the department of
15   agriculture, and the employment security department[,])) (1) The
16   office of international relations and protocol, in consultation with
17   the department of commerce, the department of agriculture, and other
18   state agencies and offices as appropriate, shall identify up to
19   ((fifteen countries)) 15 foreign jurisdictions that are of strategic
20   importance to the development and diversification of Washington's
21   international trade relations.
22       (2) When designating such jurisdictions of strategic importance,
23   the office shall consider factors including:
24       (a) Existing or potential partnerships in key industrial sectors;
25       (b) The presence of cultural and people-to-people ties;
26       (c) The state's economic development priorities and shared
27   interests,   consistent  with   the   state  strategic   international
28   engagement plan;
29       (d) The presence of international trade offices or other program-
30   based engagement conducted by state agencies; and
31       (e) Historic or existing bilateral agreements established on a
32   government-to-government basis.


33       NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. A new section is added to chapter 43.290
34   RCW to read as follows:
35       The office of international relations and protocol shall:
36       (1) Advise and assist the governor, the legislature, and other
37   independent elected officials on international developments that may
38   affect the state;
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 1       (2) Establish and build government-to-government relationships
 2   between    the  state,   foreign    governments,  and   international
 3   organizations;
 4       (3) Coordinate protocol for foreign dignitaries visiting the
 5   governor, the legislature, the judiciary, and other state agencies
 6   and offices, including the appropriate criteria and procedures for
 7   the signing of bilateral agreements by the governor on behalf of the
 8   state of Washington;
 9       (4) Advise, coordinate, and support engagement between the state,
10   foreign governments, and international partners;
11       (5) Establish, in coordination with the office of the premier of
12   British Columbia, an intergovernmental exchange between the state and
13   British Columbia, cochaired by the governor and the premier of
14   British Columbia or their designees, concerning issues of mutual
15   interests;
16       (6) Designate an international engagement advisory committee to
17   leverage the expertise of the state's international engagement
18   community;
19       (7) Assist institutions of higher education in implementing
20   programs for international cooperation and student exchange; and
21       (8) Improve coordination between state government and the
22   Washington tourism marketing authority.


23       NEW SECTION.   Sec. 6.   A new section is added to chapter 44.04
24   RCW to read as follows:
25       A Washington state—British Columbia interparliamentary exchange
26   group is created. The purpose of the group is to facilitate
27   legislator-to-legislator communication between the two governments,
28   in coordination with the office of the premier of British Columbia.
29   The state's representative for the group is the chair of the
30   legislative committee on economic development and international
31   relations.


32       Sec. 7.   RCW 43.15.050 and 2003 c 265 s 1 are each amended to
33   read as follows:
34       The legislative international trade account is created in the
35   custody of the state treasurer. All moneys received by the president
36   of the senate and the secretary of state from gifts, grants, and
37   endowments for international trade hosting, international relations,
38   and international missions activities must be deposited in the
                                     p. 5                          SB 6168
 1   account. Only private, nonpublic gifts, grants, and endowments may be
 2   deposited in the account. A person, as defined in RCW 42.52.010, may
 3   not donate, gift, grant, or endow more than five thousand dollars per
 4   calendar year to the legislative international trade account.
 5   Expenditures from the account may be used only for the purposes of
 6   international   trade    hosting,   international    relations,   and
 7   international trade mission activities, ((excluding travel and
 8   lodging,)) in which the president and members of the senate, members
 9   of the house of representatives, and the secretary of state
10   participate in an official capacity. An appropriation is not required
11   for expenditures. All requests by individual legislators for use of
12   funds from this account must be first approved by the secretary of
13   the senate for members of the senate or the chief clerk of the house
14   of representatives for members of the house of representatives. All
15   expenditures from the account shall be authorized by the final signed
16   approval of ((the chief clerk of the house of representatives, the
17   secretary of the senate, and)) the president of the senate.


18       Sec. 8.   RCW 43.15.060 and 2020 c 114 s 20 are each amended to
19   read as follows:
20       (1) Economic development and in particular international trade,
21   tourism, and investment have become increasingly important to
22   Washington, affecting the state's employment, revenues, and general
23   economic well-being. Additionally, economic trends are rapidly
24   changing and the international marketplace has become increasingly
25   competitive as states and countries seek to improve and safeguard
26   their own economic well-being. The purpose of the legislative
27   committee on economic development and international relations is to
28   provide responsive and consistent involvement by the legislature in
29   economic development to maintain a healthy state economy and to
30   provide employment opportunities to Washington residents.
31       (2) There is created a legislative committee on economic
32   development and international relations which shall consist of
33   ((six)) eight senators and ((six)) eight representatives from the
34   legislature and the lieutenant governor who shall serve as
35   chairperson. The senate members of the committee shall be appointed
36   by the president of the senate and the house members of the committee
37   shall be appointed by the speaker of the house. Not more than
38   ((three)) four members from each house shall be from the same


                                     p. 6                          SB 6168
 1   political party. Vacancies    occurring    shall   be   filled   by   the
 2   appointing authority.


 3       Sec. 9.   RCW 43.15.090 and 1985 c 467 s 23 are each amended to
 4   read as follows:
 5       The   legislative   committee   on   economic   development   and
 6   international relations shall cooperate, act, and function with
 7   legislative committees, executive agencies, and with the councils or
 8   committees of other states and of provinces and territories of Canada
 9   similar to this committee, and with other interstate research
10   organizations.

11      NEW SECTION.   Sec. 10.   RCW 43.15.085 (Legislative committee on
12   economic development and international relations—Expenses) and 1985 c
13   467 s 22 are each repealed.

                                  --- END ---




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