Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT
                       ENGROSSED SENATE BILL 5824
                       Chapter 266, Laws of 2024
                               68th Legislature
                             2024 Regular Session
      DISSOLUTION OF LIBRARIES AND LIBRARY DISTRICTS—PROCESS
                      EFFECTIVE DATE: June 6, 2024
Passed by the Senate March 4, 2024                   CERTIFICATE
  Yeas 44 Nays 5
                                        I, Sarah Bannister, Secretary of
                                        the   Senate   of   the   State  of
              DENNY HECK                Washington, do hereby certify that
President of the Senate                 the attached is ENGROSSED SENATE
                                        BILL 5824 as passed by the Senate
                                        and the House of Representatives on
                                        the dates hereon set forth.
Passed by the House February 28, 2024
  Yeas 90 Nays 5
                                                  SARAH BANNISTER
            LAURIE JINKINS                                           Secretary
Speaker of the House of
Representatives
Approved March 26, 2024 9:33 AM                         FILED
                                                    March 27, 2024
                                                Secretary of State
              JAY INSLEE                        State of Washington
Governor of the State of Washington
                           ENGROSSED SENATE BILL 5824
                            AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
                   Passed Legislature - 2024 Regular Session
     State of Washington        68th Legislature          2024 Regular Session
     By Senators Hunt, Keiser, Kuderer, Liias, and Nobles; by request of
     Secretary of State
     Prefiled 12/11/23. Read first time 01/08/24.        Referred to Committee
     on State Government & Elections.
 1       AN ACT Relating to the dissolution        of   libraries   and   library
 2   districts; and amending RCW 27.12.320.
 3   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
 4       Sec. 1.   RCW 27.12.320 and 1982 c 123 s 12 are each amended to
 5   read as follows:
 6       (1) A library established or maintained under this chapter
 7   (((except a regional or a rural county library district library, an
 8   intercounty rural library district library, or an island library
 9   district library))) may be abolished ((only in pursuance of a vote of
10   the electors of the governmental unit in which the library is
11   located, taken in the manner prescribed in RCW 27.12.030 for a vote
12   upon the establishment of a library)) upon the petition process found
13   in subsection (3) of this section.
14       (2) If a library of a city or town ((be)) is abolished, the books
15   and other printed or written matter belonging to it shall go to the
16   library of the county whereof the municipality is a part, if there be
17   a county library, but if not, then to the state library. If a library
18   of a county or region ((be)) is abolished, the books and other
19   printed matter belonging to it shall go to the state library. All
20   other library property shall be disposed of as the legislative body
21   of the governmental unit shall direct.
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 1       (3) After a ((rural county library district, an island library
 2   district, or an intercounty rural)) library district established or
 3   maintained under this chapter has been in operation for three or more
 4   years, it may be dissolved pursuant to a majority vote of all of the
 5   qualified electors ((residing outside of incorporated cities and
 6   towns)) of the district voting upon a proposition for its
 7   dissolution, at a general election, which proposition may be placed
 8   upon the ballot at any such election whenever a petition by ((ten))
 9   25   percent  or   more  qualified   voters  residing   ((outside  of
10   incorporated cities or towns)) within a rural county library
11   district, an island library district, or an intercounty rural library
12   district requesting such dissolution shall be filed with the board of
13   trustees of such district not less than ninety days prior to the
14   holding of any such election. An island library district may also be
15   dissolved pursuant to RCW 27.12.450.
16       (4) If a rural county library district is dissolved, the books
17   and other printed matter belonging to it shall go to the state
18   library. All other library property shall be disposed of as the
19   legislative body of the governmental unit shall direct. When an
20   intercounty rural library district is dissolved, the books, funds and
21   other property thereof shall be divided among the participating
22   counties in the most equitable manner possible as determined by the
23   state librarian, who shall give consideration to such items as the
24   original source of property, the amount of funds raised from each
25   county by the district, and the ability of the counties to make
26   further use of such property or equipment for library purposes.
27   Printed material which the state librarian finds will not be used by
28   any of the participating counties for further library purposes shall
29   be turned over to the state library.
30       (5) When an island library district is dissolved pursuant to this
31   section, the books and other printed matter belonging to it shall go
32   to the state library. All other library property shall be disposed of
33   as the legislative body of the governmental unit shall direct. When
34   an island library district is dissolved due to the establishment of a
35   county library district, pursuant to RCW 27.12.450, all property,
36   assets, and liabilities of the preexisting island library district
37   within the area included in the county rural library district shall
38   pass to and be assumed by the county rural library district:
39   PROVIDED, That where within any county rural library district
40   heretofore or hereafter organized under the provisions of this
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 1   chapter a preexisting island library district has incurred a bonded
 2   indebtedness which was outstanding at the time of the formation of
 3   the county rural library district, the preexisting island library
 4   district shall retain its corporate existence insofar as is necessary
 5   for the purpose until the bonded indebtedness outstanding against it
 6   on and after the effective date of the formation has been paid in
 7   full: PROVIDED FURTHER, That a special election may be called by the
 8   board of trustees of the county rural library district, to be held at
 9   the next general or special election held in the respective counties,
10   for the purpose of affording the voters residing within the area
11   outside of the preexisting island library district an opportunity to
12   assume the obligation of the bonded indebtedness of the preexisting
13   island library district or the question may be submitted to the
14   voters as a separate proposition at the election on the proposal for
15   the formation of the county rural library district.
          Passed by the Senate March 4, 2024.
          Passed by the House February 28, 2024.
          Approved by the Governor March 26, 2024.
          Filed in Office of Secretary of State March 27, 2024.
                                  --- END ---
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Statutes affected: 
Original Bill: 27.12.320
Engrossed Bill: 27.12.320
Bill as Passed Legislature: 27.12.320
Session Law: 27.12.320