PROCLAMATION BY THE GOVERNOR
AMENDING AND EXTENDING
PROCLAMATIONS 20-05, 20-28, 20-28.1, 28.2, and 28.3
20-28.4
Open Public Meetings Act and Public Records Act
WHEREAS, on February 29, 2020, I issued Proclamation 20-05, proclaiming a State
of Emergency for all counties throughout the state of Washington as a result of the
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in the United States and confirmed
person-to-person spread of COVID-19 in Washington State; and
WHEREAS, as a result of the continued worldwide spread of COVID-19, its significant
progression in Washington State, and the high risk it poses to our most vulnerable
populations, I have subsequently issued amendatory Proclamations 20-06 through 20-53
and 20-55 through 20-57, exercising my emergency powers under RCW 43.06.220 by
prohibiting certain activities and waiving and suspending specified laws and regulations;
and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 disease, caused by a virus that spreads easily from person
to person which may result in serious illness or death and has been classified by the
World Health Organization as a worldwide pandemic, has broadly spread throughout
Washington State, seriously increasing the threat of serious associated health risks
statewide; and
WHEREAS, on March 24, 2020, I issued Proclamation 20-28, waiving and suspending
laws and rules concerning RCW 42.56, the Public Records Act, and RCW 42.30, the Open
Public Meetings Act, that require any activity that occurs in an in-person setting to prevent
further spread of the virus; and
WHEREAS, on April 23, 2020, under the provisions of RCW 43.06.220(4), the statutory
waivers and suspensions of Proclamation 20-28 were extended by the leadership of the
Washington State Senate and House of Representatives until the termination of the
COVID-19 State of Emergency or May 4, 2020, whichever occurs first; and
WHEREAS, on April 23, 2020, I issued Proclamation 20-28.1 acknowledging the
extension of statutory waivers and suspensions therein by the leadership of the
Washington State Senate and House of Representatives until the termination of the

 COVID-19 State of Emergency or May 4, 2020, whichever occurs first, and similarly
extending its prohibitions; and
WHEREAS, on May 4, 2020, under the provisions of RCW 43.06.220(4), the statutory
waivers and suspensions of Proclamations 20-28 and 20-28.1 were again extended by the
leadership of the Washington State Senate and House of Representatives until the
termination of the COVID-19 State of Emergency or May 31, 2020, whichever occurs
first, with the exception of RCW 42.56.520(1), which the leadership of the Washington
State Senate and House of Representatives extended until the termination of the COVID19 State of Emergency or May 11, 2020; and
WHEREAS, on May 5, 2020, I issued Proclamation 20-28.2 acknowledging the
extension of statutory waivers and suspensions therein by the leadership of the
Washington State Senate and House of Representatives until the termination of the
COVID-19 State of Emergency or May 31, 2020, whichever occurs first, and similarly
extending its prohibitions, with the exception of RCW 42.56.520(1), which I extended to
May 11, 2020, as authorized by the leadership of the Washington State Senate and House
of Representatives; and
WHEREAS, on May 11, 2020, under the provisions of RCW 43.06.220(4), the statutory
waiver and suspension of RCW 42.56.520(1) in Proclamation 20-28, 20-28.1, and 20-28.2
were again extended by the leadership of the Washington State Senate and House of
Representatives until the termination of the COVID-19 State of Emergency or May 31,
2020; however, the waiver of RCW 42.56.520(1) no longer applied to requests for public
records received by an agency electronically; and
WHEREAS, on May 12, 2020, I issued Proclamation 20-28.3 acknowledging the
extension of the statutory waiver and suspension therein by the leadership of the
Washington State Senate and House of Representatives until the termination of the
COVID-19 State of Emergency or May 31, 2020, whichever occurs first, and similarly
extending its prohibitions to May 31, 2020, as authorized by the leadership of the
Washington State Senate and House of Representatives; and
WHEREAS on May 29, 2020, under the provisions of RCW 43.06.220(4), the statutory
waiver and suspensions in Proclamation 20-28, as subsequently amended in 20-28.1, 2028.2 and 20-28.3 were again extended by the leadership of the Washington State Senate
and House of Representatives until the termination of the COVID-19 State of Emergency
or June 17, 2020;
WHEREAS, the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic and its progression in Washington
State continues to threaten the life and health of our people as well as the economy of
Washington State, and remains a public disaster affecting life, health, property or the
public peace; and
WHEREAS, the Washington State Department of Health continues to maintain a
Public Health Incident Management Team in coordination with the State Emergency
Operations Center and other supporting state agencies to manage the public health
aspects of the incident; and

 WHEREAS, the Washington State Military Department Emergency Management
Division, through the State Emergency Operations Center, continues coordinating
resources across state government to support the Department of Health and local health
officials in alleviating the impacts to people, property, and infrastructure, and continues
coordinating with the Department of Health in assessing the impacts and long-term effects
of the incident on Washington State and its people.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Jay Inslee, Governor of the state of Washington, as a result of
the above-noted situation, and under RCW 38.08, 38.52 and 43.06, do hereby proclaim
that a State of Emergency continues to exist in all counties of Washington State, that
Proclamation 20-05 and all amendments thereto remain in effect as otherwise amended,
and that Proclamations 20-28, 20-28.1, 20-28.2, 20-28.3 are amended to recognize the
extension of the statutory waiver and suspension of RCW 42.56.520(1) by the leadership
of the Washington State Senate and House of Representatives until 11:59 p.m. on June 27,
2020 as described below.
I again direct that the plans and procedures of the Washington State Comprehensive
Emergency Management Plan be implemented throughout state government. State
agencies and departments are directed to continue utilizing state resources and doing
everything reasonably possible to support implementation of the Washington State
Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan and to assist affected political
subdivisions in an effort to respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
I continue to order into active state service the organized militia of Washington State to
include the National Guard and the State Guard, or such part thereof as may be necessary
in the opinion of The Adjutant General to address the circumstances described above, to
perform such duties as directed by competent authority of the Washington State Military
Department in addressing the outbreak. Additionally, I continue to direct the Department
of Health, the Washington State Military Department Emergency Management Division,
and other agencies to identify and provide appropriate personnel for conducting necessary
and ongoing incident related assessments.
FURTHERMORE, based on the above situation and under the provisions of RCW
43.06.220(1)(h), I find that RCW 42.30, as applied to all public agencies statewide,
involves the conduct of state business, and to help preserve and maintain life, health,
property or the public peace, I hereby amend Proclamation 20-05, and 20-28 et seq., to
prohibit public agencies as follows:
Any public agency, subject to RCW 42.30, is prohibited from conducting any
meeting, subject to RCW 42.30 unless (a) the meeting is not conducted inperson and instead provides an option(s) for the public to attend the
proceedings through, at minimum, telephonic access, and may also include
other electronic, internet or other means of remote access, and (b) provides
the ability for all persons attending the meeting to hear each other at the same
time.

 Remote meeting resources include the Department of Enterprise Services
Master Contract for teleconferencing and web-based meeting platforms,
which can be found here:
Software Resellers (06016):
https://apps.des.wa.gov/DESContracts/Home/ContractSummary/06016
Cloud Solutions (05116):
https://apps.des.wa.gov/DESContracts/Home/ContractSummary/05116
Other resources can be found online by searching for free conference call services and for
other e-based meeting services. Additional guidance for remote meetings may be found on
at the Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC, www.mrsc.org).
FURTHERMORE, based on the above noted situation and under the provisions of
RCW 43.06.220(2)(g), I continue to find that strict compliance with the following
portions of statutory and regulatory obligations or limitations will prevent, hinder, or
delay necessary action for coping with the COVID-19 State of Emergency by bringing
people in contact with one another at a time when the virus is rapidly spreading, and that
the language of each statutory provision specified below is hereby waived and
suspended as provided herein until 11:59 p.m. on June 17, 2020:
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RCW 42.30.030 – the following words only:
“and all persons shall be permitted to attend any meeting of the governing body
of a public agency, except as otherwise provided in this chapter”
RCW 42.30.040 – in its entirety; however, agencies are strongly encouraged to
utilize a remote meeting option that complies, to the greatest extent possible,
with this statute
RCW 42.30.050 – as to the following word only: “room” in the first sentence
RCW 42.30.070 – as to the following word only: the first usage of “site” - in the
fourth sentence
RCW 42.30.075 – as to the following words only:
“Notice of any change from such meeting schedule shall be published in the state
register for distribution at least twenty days prior to the rescheduled meeting
date.”
RCW 42.30.080(2)(c) – as to the following words only:
“Prominently displayed at the main entrance of the agency's principal location
and the meeting site if it is not held at the agency's principal location.”
RCW 42.30.090 – as to the following words only:
“on or near the door of the place where the regular, adjourned regular, special, or
adjourned special meeting was held.”

FURTHERMORE, based on the above noted situation and under the provisions of
RCW 43.06.220(2)(g), I find that RCW 42.56, as applied to all public agencies statewide
involves the conduct of state business and I also continue to find that strict compliance
with the following statutory and regulatory obligations or limitations will prevent,
hinder, or delay necessary action for coping with the COVID-19 State of Emergency in
responding to public records requests by bringing people in contact with one another at a

 time when the virus is rapidly spreading, and that the language of each statutory
provision specified below is hereby waived and suspended as provided herein until
11:59 p.m. on June 17, 2020:
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RCW 42.56.080(2), as to the following words only:
o “Agency facilities shall be made available to any person for the
copying of public records except when and to the extent that this
would unreasonably disrupt the operations of the agency.”
o “in person during an agency's normal office hours, or”
RCW 42.56.090, as to the first sentence only
RCW 42.56.100, as to the following word only in the first sentence: “full”
RCW 42.56.520(1), as to the following words only in the second sentence:
o “Within five business days of receiving a public records request,”
o This statutory suspension at 42.56.520(1) does not apply to requests
for public records received by an agency electronically.

Violators of this order may be subject to criminal penalties pursuant to RCW 43.06.220(5).
Signed and sealed with the official seal of the state of Washington on this 29th day of
May, A.D., Two Thousand and Twenty at Olympia, Washington.
By:
/s/
Jay Inslee, Governor

BY THE GOVERNOR:
/s/
Secretary of State