RCW 43.21B.005 Environmental and land use hearings office created—Composition—Administrative appeals judges—Contracts for services—Public access to rulings, decisions, and orders.

(1) There is created an environmental and land use hearings office of the state of Washington. The environmental and land use hearings office consists of the pollution control hearings board created in RCW 43.21B.010, the shorelines hearings board created in RCW 90.58.170, and the growth management hearings board created in RCW 36.70A.250. The governor shall designate one of the members of the pollution control hearings board or growth management hearings board to be the director of the environmental and land use hearings office during the term of the governor. Membership, powers, functions, and duties of the pollution control hearings board, the shorelines hearings board, and the growth management hearings board shall be as provided by law.

(2) The director of the environmental and land use hearings office may appoint one or more administrative appeals judges in cases before the environmental boards and, with the consent of the chair of the growth management hearings board, one or more hearing examiners in cases before the land use board comprising the office. The administrative appeals judges shall possess the powers and duties conferred by the administrative procedure act, chapter 34.05 RCW, have a demonstrated knowledge of environmental law, and shall be admitted to the practice of law in the state of Washington. The hearing examiners possess the powers and duties provided for in RCW 36.70A.270.

(3) Administrative appeals judges are not subject to chapter 41.06 RCW. The administrative appeals judges appointed under subsection (2) of this section are subject to discipline and termination, for cause, by the director of the environmental and land use hearings office. Upon written request by the person so disciplined or terminated, the director of the environmental and land use hearings office shall state the reasons for such action in writing. The person affected has a right of review by the superior court of Thurston county on petition for reinstatement or other remedy filed within thirty days of receipt of such written reasons.

(4) The director of the environmental and land use hearings office may appoint, discharge, and fix the compensation of such administrative or clerical staff as may be necessary.

(5) The director of the environmental and land use hearings office may also contract for required services.

(6) The director of the environmental and land use hearings office must ensure that timely and accurate growth management hearings board rulings, decisions, and orders are made available to the public through searchable databases accessible through the environmental and land use hearings office web sites. To ensure uniformity and usability of searchable databases and web sites, the director must coordinate with the growth management hearings board, the department of commerce, and other interested stakeholders to develop and maintain a rational system of categorizing growth management hearings board rulings, decisions, and orders. The environmental and land use hearings office web sites must allow a user to search growth management hearings board decisions and orders by topic, party, and geographic location or by natural language. All rulings, decisions, and orders issued before January 1, 2019, must be published by June 30, 2021.

[ 2019 c 452 § 1; 2018 c 22 § 10. Prior: 2010 1st sp.s. c 7 § 39; 2010 c 210 § 4; (2010 c 210 § 3 expired July 1, 2011); prior: 2003 c 393 § 18; 2003 c 39 § 22; 1999 c 125 § 1; 1990 c 65 § 1; 1986 c 173 § 3; 1979 ex.s. c 47 § 2.]

NOTES:

Explanatory statement—2018 c 22: See note following RCW 1.20.051.

Effective date—2010 1st sp.s. c 26; 2010 1st sp.s. c 7: See note following RCW 43.03.027.

Intent—Effective dates—Application—Pending cases and rules—2010 c 210: See notes following RCW 43.21B.001.

Expiration dates—2010 c 210 §§ 3, 5, and 7: See note following RCW 43.21B.110.

Intent—1979 ex.s. c 47: "It is the intent of the legislature to consolidate administratively the pollution control hearings board, the forest practices appeals board, and the shorelines hearings board into one agency of state government with minimum disturbance to these boards. It is not the intent of the legislature in consolidating these boards to change the existing membership of these boards.

All full-time employees of the pollution control hearings board and the full-time employee of the forest practices appeals board shall be full-time employees of the environmental hearings office without loss of rights. Property and obligations of these boards and the shorelines hearings board shall be property and obligations of the environmental hearings office." [ 1979 ex.s. c 47 § 1.]