House Bill 2357 - Washington Division of Civil Air Patrol (2026 Regular Session)

Summary

House Bill 2357, State of Washington, 69th Legislature, 2026 Regular Session, by Representatives Dent, Gregerson, Thomas, and Ormsby, by request of Military Department. It was prefiled 01/09/26, read first time 01/12/26 and referred to the Committee on Technology, Economic Development, & Veterans. The bill establishes a Washington division of civil air patrol made up of volunteer members of the Washington wing of the federally chartered civil air patrol, available to serve at the call of the governor when ordered to active state service. It authorizes cooperation with state and tribal agencies on cadet training, communications, disaster relief, cyber security missions, and search and rescue, and adds a new chapter to Title 38 RCW.

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Full text

     Z-0422.2

                                HOUSE BILL 2357


     State of Washington       69th Legislature       2026 Regular Session

     By Representatives Dent, Gregerson, Thomas, and Ormsby; by request of
     Military Department

     Prefiled 01/09/26. Read first time 01/12/26. Referred to Committee
     on Technology, Economic Development, & Veterans.




1        AN ACT Relating to the Washington division of civil air patrol as
2    part of the Washington military department; and adding a new chapter
3    to Title 38 RCW.


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


 5       NEW SECTION.     Sec. 1.    (1) There is hereby established a
 6   Washington division of civil air patrol which shall consist of
 7   volunteer members who are volunteer civilian members of the
 8   Washington wing of the federally chartered civil air patrol.
 9       (2) The commanding officer of the Washington wing of the
10   federally chartered civil air patrol shall be the head of the
11   Washington division of civil air patrol. In the event of a vacancy in
12   the office of commanding officer, or in the event the commanding
13   officer shall decline or is unable to serve as head of the division,
14   the civil air patrol shall designate another officer thereof to be
15   the acting commanding officer. Any such acting head of the division
16   shall serve during any interim in which the office of commanding
17   officer remains vacant or in which the declination or inability of
18   the commanding officer to serve remains in effect and any such acting
19   head shall have and exercise all of the rights, powers, and
20   authority, and shall perform all of the functions and duties of the
21   head of the division.
                                     p. 1                           HB 2357
1        NEW SECTION.    Sec. 2.    The Washington division of civil air
2    patrol will be available to serve at the call of the governor when
3    ordered to active state service. The Washington division of civil air
4    patrol shall consist of commissioned and warrant officers, enlisted
5    persons, and cadets under the provisions of this title.


 6       NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) The Washington division of civil air
 7   patrol is hereby authorized to cooperate with any agency, authority,
 8   department or political subdivision of the state of Washington, or
 9   any federally recognized tribe within the state of Washington, upon
10   request thereby, in the provision of cadet training, communications,
11   disaster relief, cyber security missions, and search and rescue
12   missions or assistance, or in the performance of other related
13   functions which are within the scope of activity of the federally
14   chartered civil air patrol.
15       (2) The head of the Washington division of civil air patrol may
16   enter into agreements with any agency, authority, department or
17   political subdivision of the state, or federally recognized tribe
18   within the state, for the performance, in cooperation therewith, of
19   any of the functions specified in subsection (1) of this section and
20   may accept from any such agency, authority, department or political
21   subdivision, or federally recognized tribe reimbursement for expenses
22   incurred by the division in connection with the performance of such
23   functions.


24       NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The director of the Washington division of
25   civil air patrol may employ such personnel and may make such
26   expenditures within the appropriation therefor, or from other funds
27   made available for purposes of agency operations, as may be necessary
28   to carry out the purposes of this chapter.


29       NEW SECTION.   Sec. 5.  Nothing in this act shall operate or be
30   construed in any manner so as to change or affect the operation of
31   the Washington wing of the federally chartered civil air patrol or to
32   change or affect any existing rights, powers, duties, or functions
33   thereof or to prohibit or limit cooperation thereby with the United
34   States government or with any agency, authority, or department
35   thereof.



                                     p. 2                          HB 2357
1       NEW SECTION.     Sec. 6.    Sections 1   through   5   of   this   act
2   constitute a new chapter in Title 38 RCW.

                                --- END ---




                                   p. 3                              HB 2357


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