(1) A county has the option to expand the scope of an advisory committee established and maintained under *RCW 29A.46.260 to that of an accessible community advisory committee, or to create an accessible community advisory committee.

(2) A county that has an active accessible community advisory committee may be reimbursed within available funds from the accessible communities account created in RCW 50.40.071 for travel, per diem, and reasonable accommodation expenses for the participation of that committee's members in committee meetings and sponsored activities.

(3) A county establishes that it has an active accessible community advisory committee by submitting biennial assurances to the governor's committee on disability issues and employment that:

(a) The decision to establish an accessible community advisory committee was made by the county legislative authority, or by agents or officers acting under that authority.

(b) If an accessible community advisory committee is established by expanding the advisory committee established and maintained under *RCW 29A.46.260, the county auditor supports that expansion.

(c) Committee members include persons with a diverse range of disabilities who are knowledgeable in identifying and eliminating attitudinal, programmatic, communication, and physical barriers encountered by persons with disabilities.

(d) The committee is actively involved in the following activities: Advising on addressing the needs of persons with disabilities in emergency plans; advising the county and other local governments within the county on access to programs services and activities, new construction or renovation projects, sidewalks, other pedestrian routes of travel, and disability parking enforcement; and developing local initiatives and activities to promote greater awareness of disability issues, and acceptance, involvement, and access for persons with disabilities within the community.

(4) Counties may form joint accessible community advisory committees, as long as no more than one of the participating counties has a population greater than seventy thousand.

*Reviser's note: RCW 29A.46.260 was recodified as RCW 29A.04.223 pursuant to 2011 c 10 s 87.

Findings—2010 c 215: See note following RCW 50.40.071.