Senate unanimously passes AG-request bill to strengthen open meetings law

Legislation to increase 45-year-old penalty from $100 to $500; enact $1,000 repeat-violator penalty

OLYMPIA — The Washington State Senate today approved Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s agency-request bill to increase transparency in government by enhancing penalties for violations of Washington’s Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA), in a unanimous 49-0 vote.

The OPMA requires that all meetings of multimember governing bodies of local and state public agencies be open and accessible to the public.

Senate Bill 6171 would increase the penalties for knowingly violating the Act’s requirements from $100 to $500, roughly in line with inflation since the law was enacted in 1971.  The bill also adds an increased penalty of $1,000 for repeat knowing violations.

“This common-sense bill promotes the open and honest government Washingtonians demand and deserve,” said Ferguson. “When the law requires an open meeting yet officials knowingly close the door on the public, they must be held accountable with meaningful penalties.”

“To hold government accountable, we need to know what’s going on,” said bill prime sponsor Sen. Pam Roach, R—Sumner. “No more secret meetings. Those officials who knowingly and repeatedly violate our open meeting laws should face a penalty painful enough to discourage them from ever doing so again.”

State Sen. Maralyn Chase, D—Edmonds, was instrumental in ensuring the bill was pulled from the Rules Committee and brought to the Senate floor for a vote.

“Our laws are no good without the teeth to change bad behaviors, and the size of the penalties had grown insignificant over time,” said Chase. “This updates the penalties to a level that should encourage compliance.”

The companion legislation, House Bill 2353, sponsored by Rep. Sam Hunt, D—Olympia, was approved by the House State Government Committee and is currently before that chamber’s Rules Committee.

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The Office of the Attorney General is the chief legal office for the state of Washington with attorneys and staff in 27 divisions across the state providing legal services to roughly 200 state agencies, boards and commissions. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.

Contact:

Peter Lavallee, Communications Director, (360) 586-0725; PeterL@atg.wa.gov