Bill
SB 5921
SB 5921 adds a tribal representative as one of the governor-appointed members on the State Conservation Commission, ensuring tribal input in conservation decisions.
SB 5921 — Summary
Overview
- Purpose: Add tribal representation to the State Conservation Commission (SCC) by requiring that one governor-appointed member be a member or representative from a federally recognized tribe.
- Status: By resolution, returned to Senate Rules Committee for third reading (as of 3/7/2024). Previously moved through the Senate and House committees; House hearings occurred in February 2024.
- Effective date: 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.
- Fiscal impact: No appropriation included; no fiscal note requested.
What the bill does
- Core change to SCC composition: The SCC would have 10 members total, with five ex officio and five appointed/elected members. Of the two governor-appointed members, one must be a landowner or farm operator, and the other must be a member or representative from a federally recognized tribe.
- Maintains the existing balance of appointed and elected members:
- Appointed members: Two (now one must be a landowner/farm operator, the other a tribal representative).
- Elected members: Three, to be elected by district supervisors (one per year at statewide meeting); terms are three years, with residency split across eastern, central, and western Washington.
- Ex officio members: The Director of Ecology, the Director of Agriculture, the Commissioner of Public Lands, the President of the Washington Association of Conservation Districts, and the Dean of the College of Agriculture at Washington State University. Ex officio members hold office as long as they hold their official positions and may delegate authority.
- Vacancies: Unexpired term vacancies for appointed members are filled by the Governor; vacancies for elected members are filled by the regional vice president of the Washington Association of Conservation Districts until the district supervisors can elect a replacement.
- Scope of governance: The SCC continues to provide technical and informational support to conservation districts, administer and review funding, and oversee budgets and annual reports for conservation districts.
Who is affected
- State Conservation Commission: The governing body gains a tribal representative among governor-appointed members, ensuring tribal perspectives are included in governance and conservation policy decisions.
- Federally recognized tribes: They gain a formal seat (as a governor-appointed tribal representative) on the SCC.
- Conservation districts and state agencies (Ecology, Agriculture, Public Lands): Their interaction with the SCC and ex officio members remains, but with the added representation potentially shaping funding decisions and program priorities.
Key provisions and timeline notes
- Amendment to RCW 89.08.030 to implement tribal representation.
- No new appropriation; fiscal implications are not identified in the bill or fiscal note.
- Implementation timeline contingent on passage and the standard 90-day post-session effective date.
Contextual note
- The bill aligns tribal representation with broader governance goals in natural resource management, ensuring tribal input in statewide conservation planning and funding decisions.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
Sign in to ask a question.
