wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > HB 2092 > Original Bill
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The Washington state Amtrak Cascades passenger rail advisory committee to the department is hereby established. The legislative authorities of counties with a population of 750,000 or greater in which there is a rail station on the Amtrak Cascades route shall each appoint a delegation to consist of three members to serve on the passenger rail advisory committee.
The legislative authorities of other counties that contain a rail station on the Amtrak Cascades route shall appoint a delegation to consist of two members to serve on the passenger rail advisory committee.
The department shall conduct a review of community member input on Amtrak Cascades service by soliciting and obtaining feedback from local community groups in order to be properly informed about challenges being experienced within the area served by the Amtrak Cascades route. To promote local representation, the department shall give prior notice of the review to the passenger rail advisory committee established in subsection (1) of this section.
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At least five people appointed to the passenger rail advisory committee established in subsection (1) of this section shall be representatives of an established passenger rail user group or frequent users of the passenger rail system; at least one shall be an individual or representative of a firm using or depending upon the passenger rail corridor for commerce; and at least one member shall be a representative of a local government planning body or its staff. Each member shall reside in the vicinity of a passenger rail station on the Amtrak Cascades route and within the county on whose delegation the member sits.
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The members of the passenger rail advisory committee shall be appointed to four-year terms, except as provided in (b)(ii) of this subsection (3). Any vacancy shall be filled for the remainder of an unexpired term by the appointing authority.
The initial terms of each member of the passenger rail advisory committee shall be staggered as follows: All terms shall commence on July 1, 2026; for delegations with three members, two members of the delegation's terms expire July 1, 2028, and one member of the delegation's term expires July 1, 2030; and for delegations with two members, one member of the delegation's term expires July 1, 2028, and one member of the delegation's term expires July 1, 2030. Each appointing legislative authority shall designate the term length to be served by each initial appointee.
The passenger rail advisory committee established in subsection (1) of this section shall meet three times each year with representatives of the rail, freight, and ports division of the department to review passenger rail concerns. The committee shall appoint three cochairs by majority vote of the committee members and they shall constitute an executive committee of the Washington state Amtrak Cascades passenger rail advisory committee. The executive committee shall meet with the designated representatives of the rail, freight, and ports division of the department to determine the agenda for passenger rail advisory committee meetings based on input from the committee as a whole.
The delegates to be appointed by the county legislative authorities shall serve without fee or compensation.