BILL REQ. #:  S-2085.1 

Read first time 02/22/2007.   Referred to Committee on Water, Energy & Telecommunications.

     AN ACT Relating to creating the office of Washington state climatologist; and adding a new chapter to Title 43 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The office of Washington state climatologist is created.
     (2) The office of Washington state climatologist consists of the director of the office, who is the state climatologist, and appropriate staff and administrative support as necessary to carry out the powers and duties of the office as enumerated in section 2 of this act.
     (3) The director of the office of Washington state climatologist must be appointed jointly by the president of Washington State University and the president of the University of Washington. The office of Washington state climatologist is administered as determined jointly by these two presidents.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   The office of Washington state climatologist has the following powers and duties:
     (1) To serve as a credible and expert source of climate and weather information for state and local decision makers and agencies working on drought, flooding, climate change, and other related issues;
     (2) To gather and disseminate, and where practicable archive, in the most cost-effective manner possible, all climate and weather information that is or could be of value to policy and decision makers in the state;
     (3) To act as the representative of the state in all climatological and meteorological matters, both within and outside of the state, when requested by the legislative or executive branches of the state government;
     (4) To prepare, publish, and disseminate climate summaries for those individuals, agencies, and organizations whose activities are related to the welfare of the state and are affected by climate and weather;
     (5) To supply critical information for drought preparedness and emergency response as needed to implement the state's drought contingency response plan maintained by the department of ecology under RCW 43.83B.410, and to serve as a member of the state's drought water supply and emergency response committees as may be formed in response to a drought event;
     (6) To conduct and report on studies of climate and weather phenomena of significant socioeconomic importance to the state; and
     (7) To evaluate the significance of natural and man-made changes in important features of the climate affecting the state, and to report this information to those agencies and organizations in the state who are likely to be affected by these changes.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   Sections 1 and 2 of this act constitute a new chapter in Title 43 RCW.