RCW 42.52.070
Special privileges and exemptions—Application of section to legislature.
(1) Except as required to perform duties within the scope of employment, no state officer or state employee may use his or her position to secure special privileges or exemptions for himself or herself, or his or her spouse, child, parents, or other persons.
(2) For purposes of this section, and only as applied to legislators, activities within the scope of employment include but are not limited to duties enumerated in law and activities that have a tangible legislative nexus. Activities with a legislative nexus include but are not limited to:
(a) Communications directly pertaining to any legislative proposal which has been introduced in either chamber of the legislature; and
(b) Posting information to a legislator's official legislative website, including an official legislative social media account, about:
(i) Emergencies;
(ii) Federal holidays, state and legislatively recognized holidays established under RCW 1.16.050, and religious holidays;
(iii) Information originally provided or published by other government entities which provide information about government resources; and
(iv) Achievements, honors, or awards of extraordinary distinction.
(3) It is not a violation of this section for a legislator or an appropriate legislative staff designee to engage in activities listed in subsection (2) of this section.
(4) For purposes of this section, and only as applied to legislators and employees of the legislative branch, "special privileges" includes, but is not limited to, engaging in behavior that constitutes harassment. As used in this section:
(a) "Harassment" means engaging in physical, verbal, visual, or psychological conduct that:
(i) Has the purpose or effect of interfering with the person's work performance;
(ii) Creates a hostile, intimidating, or offensive work environment; or
(iii) Constitutes sexual harassment.
(b) "Sexual harassment" means unwelcome or unwanted sexual advances, requests for sexual or romantic favors, sexually motivated bullying, or other verbal, visual, physical, or psychological conduct or communication of a sexual or romantic nature, when:
(i) Submission to the conduct or communication is either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of current or future employment;
(ii) Submission to or rejection of the conduct or communication is used as the basis of an employment decision affecting the person; or
(iii) The conduct or communication unreasonably interferes with the person's job performance or creates a work environment that is hostile, intimidating, or offensive.
[ 2022 c 37 § 1; 2019 c 383 § 1; 1994 c 154 § 107.]
Structure Revised Code of Washington
Title 42 - Public Officers and Agencies
Chapter 42.52 - Ethics in Public Service.
42.52.020 - Activities incompatible with public duties.
42.52.030 - Financial interests in transactions.
42.52.040 - Assisting in transactions.
42.52.050 - Confidential information—Improperly concealed records.
42.52.060 - Testimony of state officers and state employees.
42.52.070 - Special privileges and exemptions—Application of section to legislature.
42.52.080 - Employment after public service.
42.52.090 - Limited assistance by former state officers and employees.
42.52.110 - Compensation for official duties or nonperformance.
42.52.120 - Compensation for outside activities.
42.52.150 - Limitations on gifts.
42.52.160 - Use of persons, money, or property for private gain.
42.52.170 - Giving, paying, loaning, etc., any thing of economic value to state employee.
42.52.180 - Use of public resources for political campaigns.
42.52.185 - Restrictions on mailings by legislators.
42.52.310 - Legislative ethics board.
42.52.320 - Authority of legislative ethics board.
42.52.340 - Transfer of jurisdiction.
42.52.350 - Executive ethics board.
42.52.360 - Authority of executive ethics board.
42.52.365 - Executive branch agencies—Ethics advisors—Ethics training.
42.52.370 - Authority of commission on judicial conduct.
42.52.380 - Political activities of board members.
42.52.390 - Hearing and subpoena authority.
42.52.400 - Enforcement of subpoena authority.
42.52.410 - Filing complaint—Whistleblower protection—Penalty for reprisal or retaliation.
42.52.425 - Dismissal of complaint.
42.52.430 - Public hearing—Findings.
42.52.450 - Complaint against legislator or statewide elected official.
42.52.470 - Referral for enforcement.
42.52.490 - Action by attorney general.
42.52.500 - Optional hearings by administrative law judge.
42.52.510 - Rescission of state action.
42.52.520 - Disciplinary action.
42.52.530 - Additional investigative authority.
42.52.540 - Limitations period.
42.52.550 - Compensation of ethics boards.
42.52.575 - Information about scholarship opportunities.
42.52.801 - Exemption—Solicitation to promote tourism.
42.52.8021 - Exemption—Solicitation for Washington state flag account.
42.52.8022 - Exemption—Informational or educational meetings regarding legislative issues.
42.52.8023 - Exemption—Gina Grant Bull memorial legislative page scholarship account.
42.52.8024 - Exemption—Rosa Franklin legislative internship program scholarship.
42.52.803 - Exemption—Solicitation for legislative oral history account.
42.52.804 - Exemption—Health profession board or commission—Professional opinions.
42.52.810 - Solicitation for the legislative international trade account—Report.
42.52.820 - Solicitation for hosting national legislative association conference.
42.52.821 - Exemption—Solicitation to host conference of a national association.
42.52.900 - Legislative declaration.
42.52.901 - Liberal construction.
42.52.903 - Serving on board, committee, or commission not prevented.
42.52.904 - Effective date—1994 c 154.
42.52.906 - Construction—Chapter applicable to state registered domestic partnerships—2009 c 521.