(1) For purposes of RCW 50.40.073, a county establishes that it has an active accessible community advisory committee by submitting a letter of assurance to the governor's committee on disability issues and employment containing the following:

(a) Submittal by the county legislative authority or an agent or officer acting under that authority;

(b) For a voting access advisory committee expansion, signature of the county auditor, or proof of approval by the county auditor;

(c) Description of how the county will ensure that the membership of the committee includes individuals with a diverse range of disabilities, and who are knowledgable in identifying and eliminating attitudinal, programmatic, communication, and physical barriers encountered by persons with disabilities;

(d) Description of how the county will ensure that 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, and involvement, and access for persons with disabilities within the community; and

(e) If the committee will serve more than one county, proof of approval by the authorities for each participating county and a recent population count for each participating county including the source of the data. 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.

(2) The letter of assurance must be renewed at two-year intervals.

(1) For travel, per diem, and accommodation expenses to be eligible for reimbursement from this fund, the accessible community advisory committee meeting or sponsored activity must be approved in advance by the governor's committee on disability issues and employment. A form will be available on the accessible communities website for this purpose, and will require an estimate of the projected travel, per diem, and accommodation expenses for that advisory committee meeting or sponsored activity. Prior approval of an accessible community advisory committee meeting or sponsored activity as eligible for reimbursement of travel, per diem, and accommodation expenses for the participation of committee members will be based on the following:

(a) Availability of funds;

(b) Active committee status;

(c) Elimination of the more significant travel, communication, or physical barriers to participation by people with disabilities in committee meetings or committee sponsored activities; and

(d) Support of opportunities for diverse participation on accessible community advisory committees.

(2) Travel and per diem for preapproved meetings and activities will be reimbursed following receipt, review, and approval of completed travel vouchers. The reimbursement will be at the same rates as those adopted for state employees by the office of financial management.

(1) To the extent money is available, the governor's committee on disability issues and employment will publish on the accessible communities website any grant opportunities and forms for applying for accessible community grants.

(2) The grant opportunities will be based on emerging issues and opportunities within the state. All evaluation and selection criteria will be included in the opportunity notification. Grant proposals will be required to include a plan for tracking, reporting and evaluating outcomes.