Any alien may acquire and hold lands, or any right thereto, or interest therein, by purchase, devise, or descent; and he or she may convey, mortgage, and devise the same, and if he or she shall die intestate, the same shall descend to his or her heirs, and in all cases such lands shall be held, conveyed, mortgaged, or devised, or shall descend in like manner and with like effect as if such alien were a native citizen of this state or of the United States.

1967 c 163 adopted to implement Amendment 42: "This act is adopted by the legislature to implement amendment 42 to the state Constitution approved by the voters of the state on November 8, 1966. Amendment 42 removed constitutional restrictions against alien ownership of land by repealing Article II, section 33 of the state Constitution, as amended and Amendments 24 and 29." [ 1967 c 163 s 1.]

Severability—1967 c 163: "If any provision of this act, or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act, or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected." [ 1967 c 163 s 9.]

The above two annotations apply to 1967 c 163. For codification of that act, see Codification Tables.

All lands and all estates or interests in lands, within the state of Washington, which were conveyed or attempted to be conveyed to, or acquired or attempted to be acquired by, any alien or aliens, prior to the date of the adoption of this act, are hereby confirmed to the respective persons at present owning or claiming to own the title thereto derived by, through or under any such alien ownership or attempted ownership, to the extent that title was vested in or conveyed by said alien or aliens: PROVIDED, That nothing in this section shall be construed to affect, adversely or otherwise, any title to any such lands, or to any interest or estate therein, held or claimed by any private person or corporation adversely to the title hereby confirmed.

Reviser's note: 1967 c 163 carried an emergency clause and was approved by the governor on March 21, 1967.