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SB 5930

Concerning irrigation district director beneficial interests in contracts.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Mike Chapman and 1 co-sponsor

Clarifies and narrows conflict rules for irrigation district directors' contracts, adding thresholds/exemptions to prevent disqualification while preserving safeguards.

Prefiled for introduction.
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Bill Summary · SB 5930

SB 5930 (Concerning irrigation district director beneficial interests in contracts)

Overview
- Jurisdiction: Washington State
- Bill type: Legislative proposal (Senate bill)
- Purpose: Clarify and narrow the restrictions on beneficial interests in contracts for irrigation district directors, addressing unintended disqualifications in rural communities while maintaining protections against conflicts of interest.

Status and timeline
- Prefiled for introduction: January 2, 2024
- First reading: January 8, 2024 (referred to the Committee on Business, Financial Services, Gaming & Trade)
- Additional prefill date shown: December 22, 2025 (prefiled for introduction under S-3551.1)
- Note: The versioned text indicates an intent to amend RCW 42.23.030 and add a new section to implement these changes.

What the bill would do (core purpose)
- The bill amends the existing statute governing municipal officers’ beneficial interests in contracts to apply specifically to irrigation district directors, with the intent of preventing inadvertent disqualification of otherwise qualified individuals due to broad or overly protective conflict-of-interest provisions.
- It seeks to provide reasonable protections against inappropriate conflicts while recognizing the practical challenges faced by small, rural irrigation districts.

Key provisions and changes (highlights)
- Section 1 (Legislative findings and intent)
- States that current broader municipal officers’ conflict-of-interest rules can inadvertently exclude qualified individuals from serving as irrigation district directors.
- Establishes the goal of clarifying the rules for irrigation district directors to balance conflict protection with practical municipal functioning in rural areas.

  • Section 2 (Amendment to RCW 42.23.030 and related changes)
    • Rewrites the prohibition on municipal officers having a beneficial interest in contracts “made by, through, or under the supervision” of the officer, or contracts for the officer’s office, with specified exemptions.
    • Several exemptions and thresholds are outlined, including:
    • General exemptions (e.g., utility services provided at standard rates, designation of public deposits, publication of legal notices by competitive bidding, etc.).
    • Employment and contracting exceptions that apply to certain categories (with many conditions and carve-outs).
    • Notably, subsection (6) provides contract-threshold exemptions for certain officers and types of contracting, including:
      • A monthly cap ($3,000) on the total amount under contract in some cases, with higher annual caps in specific circumstances.
      • Special caps for rural public hospital districts and irrigation districts (and adjustments tied to the Consumer Price Index for certain districts).
      • Requirements to maintain and publish a list of contracts awarded under the subsection.
    • Additional exceptions and conditions apply to special districts and types of contracts (e.g., certain employment contracts, procurement exemptions, and periodic adjustments).
    • The intent appears to carve out practical, limited-contract scenarios where an irrigation district director’s financial interest would not constitute disqualifying conflict, so long as safeguards and transparency (like public contract lists) are maintained.

Who is affected
- Primary: Irrigation district directors and the irrigation districts they serve in Washington State.
- Secondary: Municipal officers within districts that may be subject to similar conflict-of-interest rules, and the public who relies on transparency of district contracting.
- The bill would modify who might be disqualified from contracting or benefiting from contracts with an irrigation district, by introducing clear exemptions and thresholds while maintaining oversight.

Procedural and timeline considerations
- The bill’s language indicates an intent to implement changes through amendments to RCW 42.23.030 and addition of a new section, effective upon passage.
- As introduced, proponents emphasize safeguarding qualified local leadership in small, rural communities while preserving protections against improper self-dealing.
- The bill’s progress would depend on committee action, potential amendments, and passage by both legislative chambers and the governor’s signature.

Notes
- The version text includes multiple related elements and cross-references (e.g., other RCWs and district types). The summary focuses on the irrigation district director beneficial interests in contracts and the framework of exemptions and thresholds that the bill proposes.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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