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Resources for Trustees

Definitions

As per RCW 42.30.020:

Action

"… the transaction of the official business of a public agency by a governing body including but not limited to receipt of public testimony, deliberations, discussions, considerations, reviews, evaluations, and final actions."

Final action

"… a collective positive or negative decision, or an actual vote by a majority of the members of a governing body when sitting as a body or entity, upon a motion, proposal, resolution, order, or ordinance."

Governing body

"… the multimember board, commission, committee, council, or other policy or rule-making body of a public agency, or any committee thereof when the committee acts on behalf of the governing body, conducts hearings, or takes testimony or public comment." AG Opinion AGO 1986 No. 16 expands upon this definition.

Meeting

"… meetings at which action is taken."

Public agency

  • Any state board, commission, committee, department, educational institution, or other state agency which is created by or pursuant to statute, other than courts and the legislature;
  • Any county, city, school district, special purpose district, or other municipal corporation or political subdivision of the state of Washington;
  • Any subagency of a public agency which is created by or pursuant to statute, ordinance, or other legislative act, including but not limited to planning commissions, library or park boards, commissions, and agencies;
  • Any policy group whose membership includes representatives of publicly owned utilities formed by or pursuant to the laws of this state when meeting together as or on behalf of participants who have contracted for the output of generating plants being planned or built by an operating agency.

AG Opinion AGO 1991 No. 5 provides further information on the definition of "public agency," including the following four-part analysis to determine if an organization or entity is the functional equivalent of a state agency:

    1. Whether the organization performs a governmental function;
    2. The level of government funding;
    3. The extent of government involvement or regulation; and
    4. Whether the organization was created by the government.