Bill > HB2226

This bill addresses representation within the governing body of a public transportation benefit area, specifically focusing on counties with populations over 400,000. The bill modifies existing law to provide more flexibility in board composition, particularly for a specific county west of the Cascade mountains that borders another state. It establishes that elected official members must be selected based loosely on proportional population, with a maximum of three representatives per county or city. The bill maintains the existing maximum board size of 11 voting members for single-county areas and 17 for multi-county areas, and continues to allow two additional transit-using voting members who must not be transit agency employees. One transit-using member must primarily rely on public transportation, while the other should represent a community-based organization. The bill also requires that board meetings be accessible by transit and mandates comprehensive training for transit-using members on open meetings, public records, and ethics. Additionally, the bill includes a provision for a non-voting labor representative and specifies compensation guidelines for board members. The legislation is declared an emergency measure, taking effect immediately, and repeals a previous section related to public transportation benefit area grant program eligibility.

Government Affairs

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=2226&Year=2025&Initiative=false