The bill amends the open public meetings act to allow publicly owned natural gas utilities to hold executive sessions specifically for the purpose of discussing greenhouse gas allowance auction bidding information, which is required to remain confidential under the climate commitment act. This change addresses the conflict faced by these utilities, which are governed by elected city councils and are subject to public meeting requirements, while also needing to comply with regulations that protect sensitive auction participation information.

The new legal language inserted into RCW 42.30.110 includes a provision that explicitly permits municipal gas utilities, as authorized under Title 35 or 35A RCW, to consider greenhouse gas allowance auction bidding information that is prohibited from public disclosure. This addition aims to ensure that publicly owned utilities can effectively participate in the greenhouse gas allowance market without compromising their compliance with public meeting laws.