wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > SB 6290 > Original Bill
The Washington state liquor and cannabis board is a state agency composed of two separate boards:
The Washington state liquor board; and
The Washington state cannabis board.
The liquor board consists of five members appointed as follows:
Two members appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;
Two members appointed by the president of the senate;
One member appointed by the governor.
The cannabis board consists of five members appointed in the same manner as provided in subsection (2) of this section.
The governor may designate one member of each board as chair of that board.
A majority of the members of each board constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business by that board.
Each member shall be paid an annual salary to be fixed by the governor in accordance with RCW 43.03.040.
The director appointed under section 4 of this act, subject to the direction of the liquor board and cannabis board within their respective jurisdictions, may employ such number of employees as are required from time to time.
Members of the liquor board and cannabis board appointed under RCW 66.08.012 shall be appointed for terms of six years and shall hold office until their successors are appointed and qualified. Of the initial members, one member must be appointed for a two-year term, two members must be appointed for a four-year term, and two members must be appointed for six-year terms.
In case of a vacancy, the vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority that made the appointment for the unexpired portion of the term in which the vacancy occurs.
A vacancy in the membership of either board does not impair the right of the remaining members of that board to act, except as otherwise provided by law.
The principal office of the Washington state liquor and cannabis board shall be at the state capitol, and the board may establish such other offices as it deems necessary.
Any member of the liquor board or cannabis board may be removed for inefficiency, malfeasance, or misfeasance in office, upon specific written charges filed by the appointing authority that appointed the member, who shall transmit such written charges to the member accused and to the chief justice of the supreme court. The chief justice shall thereupon designate a tribunal composed of three judges of the superior court to hear and adjudicate the charges. The tribunal shall fix the time of the hearing, which shall be public, and the procedure for the hearing, and the decision of the tribunal shall be final and not subject to review by the supreme court. Removal of any member of the liquor board or cannabis board by the tribunal shall disqualify such member for reappointment.
Each member of the liquor board and cannabis board shall devote his or her entire time to the duties of office and may not hold any other public office.
Before entering upon the duties of office, each member shall enter into a surety bond executed by a surety company authorized to do business in this state, payable to the state of Washington, to be approved by the governor in the penal sum of $50,000 conditioned upon the faithful performance of duties, and shall take and subscribe to the oath of office prescribed for elective state officers. The oath and bond shall be filed with the secretary of state. The premium for the bond shall be paid by the Washington state liquor and cannabis board.
The liquor board and cannabis board, acting jointly, shall employ a director to administer the Washington state liquor and cannabis board.
The director serves at the pleasure of the liquor board and cannabis board acting jointly, and may be removed only upon the affirmative vote of a majority of the members of each board.
Each board has authority to set policy and priorities within its jurisdiction. The director is responsible for the executive and administrative functions of the agency and shall implement the lawful policies and orders of each board within that board's jurisdiction.
The director is the appointing authority for agency employees and may assign employees to support one or both boards. The director shall ensure each board receives staff support necessary to carry out its duties, including support for meetings, public records, and rule development and implementation within the board's jurisdiction.
The director shall appoint two deputy directors:
A deputy director for liquor, tobacco, and vapor programs, responsible for staff support and program administration for matters within the jurisdiction of the liquor board, including administration and enforcement of this title and chapter 70.155 RCW; and
A deputy director for cannabis programs, responsible for staff support and program administration for matters within the jurisdiction of the cannabis board, including administration and enforcement of chapters 69.50 and 69.51A RCW to the extent they relate to cannabis.
The director shall provide shared administrative services and centralized support functions for both boards, including budget, human resources, information technology, finance, contracting, and public records.
The director shall develop and submit a single agency budget request. The director shall maintain internal accounting that identifies revenues and expenditures attributable to each board's programs and to shared services, and shall allocate staff and other resources, including shared services costs, among the boards and shared services after consultation with each board.
Beginning with the first enacted operating budget for the Washington state liquor and cannabis board after the effective date of this section, the director must establish a baseline internal allocation of the agency's operating expenditures and spending authority between: (a) Programs and activities within the jurisdiction of the liquor board; and (b) programs and activities within the jurisdiction of the cannabis board. The baseline allocation must be calculated using the most recent enacted operating budget and allotment data as the baseline, and must reflect, as a percentage of total agency operating expenditures, the proportion of operating expenditures that were budgeted and allotted for programs, activities, and program support corresponding to each board's jurisdiction. The director must use the baseline allocation for internal budgeting, allotment, and cost allocation purposes, including allocation of shared services costs, unless otherwise provided in the enacted operating budget. Nothing in this subsection creates a separate appropriation or modifies amounts appropriated by the legislature.
When direction from the boards conflicts on a matter that materially affects both boards, the director shall request joint direction from the boards. Until joint direction is provided, the director may take actions necessary to maintain continuity of operations and to protect public health and safety. Nothing in this subsection limits a board's authority over matters within its jurisdiction.
For contested cases and other adjudicative proceedings, the director shall ensure appropriate separation between staff engaged in investigation or prosecution of an alleged violation and staff providing decision support to a board. Nothing in this subsection affects procedures under chapter 34.05 RCW.
The Washington state cannabis board is the successor to the Washington state liquor and cannabis board for all powers, duties, and functions that relate to cannabis under this chapter and chapter 69.51A RCW.
The Washington state liquor board is the successor to the Washington state liquor and cannabis board for all other powers, duties, and functions of the Washington state liquor and cannabis board, including powers, duties, and functions relating to tobacco products and vapor products under chapter 70.155 RCW, unless specifically assigned to the cannabis board by law.
Existing rules, orders, contracts, and licenses issued by the Washington state liquor and cannabis board remain in effect and are not affected by the division of authority under this section.
All rules adopted by the Washington state liquor and cannabis board in existence on the effective date of this section remain in effect until amended, repealed, or superseded by the successor board with jurisdiction over the subject matter.
All proceedings pending before the Washington state liquor and cannabis board on the effective date of this section, including adjudicative proceedings under chapter 34.05 RCW, must be continued and completed by the successor board with jurisdiction over the subject matter, without prejudice to the parties.
All documents and records of the Washington state liquor and cannabis board relating primarily to cannabis must be available to the cannabis board, and all other documents and records, including those relating to tobacco products and vapor products, must be available to the liquor board. The director shall administer the custody and access to records and shall provide for efficient shared access.
All employees of the Washington state liquor and cannabis board remain employees of the Washington state liquor and cannabis board, and their employment is not interrupted by this act.
Except as otherwise provided in this section, all references in the Revised Code of Washington to the Washington state liquor and cannabis board, the Washington state liquor control board, or a substantially similar term, must be construed as referring to the Washington state liquor board or the Washington state cannabis board, as applicable.
In its next technical corrections bill, the office of the code reviser must prepare legislation that: (a) Changes statutory references consistent with subsection (3) of this section; and (b) makes other conforming changes.
To assist the office of the code reviser in drafting legislation under subsection (2) of this section, statutory references must be construed as follows unless the context clearly requires otherwise:
References that occur in, or primarily relate to, subject matter governed by, Title 66 RCW or chapter 70.155 RCW must be construed as referring to the Washington state liquor board;
References that occur in, or primarily relate to, subject matter governed by chapter 69.50 or 69.51A RCW, to the extent the provisions relate to cannabis, must be construed as referring to the Washington state cannabis board; and
If a provision relates to both liquor and cannabis, or if the appropriate board is not clear from context, the reference must be construed as referring to both boards jointly. In making determinations under this section, the office of the code reviser may consult with the director appointed under section 4 of this act, the house of representatives' office of program research staff, and senate committee services staff.
The office of the code reviser shall note, wherever the predecessor board or its duties are used or referred to in statute, that the agency's governance has changed as a result of this act.