(1) There is hereby created a joint administrative rules review committee which shall be a bipartisan committee consisting of four senators and four representatives from the state legislature. The senate members of the committee shall be appointed by the president of the senate, and the house members of the committee shall be appointed by the speaker of the house. Not more than two members from each house may be from the same political party. The appointing authorities shall also appoint one alternate member from each caucus of each house. All appointments to the committee are subject to approval by the caucuses to which the appointed members belong.

(2)(a) Members and alternates shall be appointed as soon as possible after the legislature convenes in regular session in an odd-numbered year. Except when filling a vacancy, a successor to any member or alternate must be appointed in an odd-numbered year as soon as possible after the legislature convenes in regular session, but no later than by June 30th of the same year. A vacancy on the committee must be filled in accordance with subsection (4) of this section within thirty days of the vacancy occurring. Members and alternates may be reappointed to the committee.

(b) The term of any member or alternate appointed to the committee extends until a successor is appointed and qualified, or until the member or alternate no longer serves in the legislature, whichever occurs first.

(3) The president of the senate shall appoint the chairperson and the vice chairperson from among the committee membership as soon as possible after the legislature convenes in regular session in January 2016. The speaker of the house shall appoint the chairperson and the vice chairperson in alternating even-numbered years beginning in the year 2018 from among the committee membership. The secretary of the senate shall appoint the chairperson and the vice chairperson in the alternating even-numbered years beginning in the year 2020 from among the committee membership. Appointments of the chairperson and vice chairperson shall be made in each even-numbered year as soon as possible after a legislative session convenes in regular session, but no later than by June 30th of the same year.

(4) The chairperson of the committee shall cause all meeting notices and committee documents to be sent to the members and alternates. A vacancy must be filled by appointment of a legislator from the same political party as the original appointment. The appropriate appointing authority shall make the appointment within thirty days of the vacancy occurring.

Legislative affirmation—Severability—1981 c 324: See notes following RCW 34.05.010.