(1) Within one hundred twenty days after a redistricting committee is established under this chapter, the committee must prepare and publish a draft districting plan dividing the county into five commissioner districts. The committee must hold public meetings in preparing the draft, in compliance with chapter 42.30 RCW, and records of the committee must be available for public disclosure, pursuant to chapter 42.56 RCW.

(2) Within sixty days of publishing the draft districting plan, the committee must:

(a) Solicit written public comment on the draft;

(b) Hold at least one public hearing on the plan, including notice and public comment;

(c) Amend the draft as necessary after the public comment and hearing; and

(d) Either:

(i) Adopt the original or amended districting plan by a vote of at least three of the four voting committee members, and promptly file the adopted districting plan with the county auditor; or

(ii) Notify the state redistricting commission, established under chapter 44.05 RCW, with instructions to approve a districting plan for the county.

(3) If the committee instructs the state redistricting commission to approve a districting plan for the county, the state redistricting commission must convene or reconvene for purposes of approving a districting plan for the county, in addition to its duties under chapter 44.05 RCW. The committee may submit any proposed plans drafted by the committee or a committee member to assist the state redistricting commission. The state redistricting commission must approve a districting plan for the county within sixty days of receiving notice from the committee, and promptly file the plan with the county auditor.

(4) The districting plan is effective upon filing the plan with the county auditor either by the committee or by the state redistricting commission.

(5) County commissioner elections pursuant to the districting plan filed with the county auditor must begin in the next even-numbered year, and conducted in accordance with RCW 36.32.050.

(6) Each commissioner district established by a redistricting committee under this section must comprise as nearly as possible one-fifth of the population of the county. The boundaries of commissioner districts must:

(a) Correspond as nearly as practicable to election precinct boundaries; and

(b) Create districts with compact, contiguous territory containing geographic units, natural communities, and approximately equal populations.

(7) Upon filing of the adopted districting plan with the county auditor, or sixty days after providing notice to the state redistricting commission, the redistricting committee is dissolved until such time as a new redistricting committee is established as provided in RCW 36.32.051.

Findings—Short title—2018 c 301: See notes following RCW 36.32.051.