Agency Rule Making

State agencies follow rules written into the state legislative codes. This section will help you learn about DSB and the Rule Making process.

 

WASHINGTON STATE RULE MAKING

Agencies adopt rules that have been created to implement state and federal laws. In Washington, laws are compiled in the Revised Code of Washington (RCW).

The rules based on those laws are known as the Washington Administrative Code (WAC). The requirements for creating the rules are found in the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 34.05 RCW).

DSB RULE MAKING

The Washington State laws that govern the Department of Services for the Blind (DSB) are in Chapter 74.18 RCW. The rules that DSB works under are in Title 67 WAC.

How Rules Are Made

Rule Making can be a pretty complex process. DSB usually changes or adopts new rules in response to changes in state of federal laws affecting the agency.

To learn more about the processes involved in rule making, click on the links below.

  • Washington’s rule making process – Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance
  • Public Participation in Rule Making
Contact Information

We are here to answer your questions. If you want to know more about Washington law and/or DSB rules, please contact our Rules Coordinator:

Kristina Cox, Rules Coordinator
Department of Services for the Blind
PO Box 40933
Olympia, WA 98504-0933
360-725-3836
kristina.cox@dsb.wa.gov

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN RULE MAKING

Your input is important and we encourage the public to participate in the rule making process. You can be a part of state rule making by:

Reviewing proposed rules

Proposed rules are also available online. If you would like to receive copies of proposed rule changes in print or alternative formats, contact the DSB Rules Coordinator by phone, mail, or email. If you want to receive the information by mail, make sure to include your return address.

Sending in comments

Let us know what you think about proposed rules by sending your comments. Mail or email your comments to the DSB Rules Coordinator. Make sure to include your mailing address in your comments.

Attending hearings

When considering proposed rule changes, DSB will hold hearings to gain public comment. You can participate by coming to the meetings in person or joining the conference call using a toll-free number. At the hearing, you can:

  • Share your thoughts in person (testify). See the schedule of upcoming hearings.
  • Present your comments in writing, if you don’t want to speak during the hearing. Writing a letter carries the same weight as speaking in person.
  • Just come and listen. Your attendance lets us know this process is important to you.
Requesting a rule change

You can let us know if there are problems with an existing rule and petition to get it changed. The Office of Financial Management (OFM) created a form for people or groups who want to petition a state agency or institution of higher education to adopt, amend, or repeal an administrative rule. You can use this form to submit your request, or contact us by letter or email. We will give full consideration to your request and respond to you within 60 days of receiving your petition.

For more information on the rule petition process, see:

  • Chapter 82-05 of the Washington Administrative Code (WAC)
  • RCW 34.05.330, Petition for adoption, amendment, repeal – Agency action – appeal
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DSB PROPOSED RULES AND UPCOMING PUBLIC HEARINGS

Proposed Rules

When DSB needs to change or adopt new rules to align with state or federal laws, those proposed rules (also called preproposals), will be posted in the table below.

State agencies use preproposals to let the public know that they are considering a rule proposal. These are also used to let you know how you can become involved in the process. For more information, please see RCW 34.05.310.

DSB preproposals are filed with the Code Reviser's Office for publication in the Washington State Register (WSR) and assigned a number. If you click on a WSR number below, you will go directly to the full preproposal notice on the WSR website.

WSR # TOPIC

There are no proposed rules at this time.

Upcoming Public Hearings

There are no public hearings scheduled.

RECENT DSB RULES AND OTHER FILINGS

On occasion, DSB makes filings in the Washington State Register (WSR). Some of these filings are for rule changes that keep the agency up to date with changes to state or federal law. Some filings are more administrative in nature.

The following items were filed in the Washington State Register with the Office of the Code Reviser (OCR) in the past 12 months. You can see a complete list of DSB filings on the WSR website.

  • There are no filings in the past 12 months