PROCLAMATION BY THE GOVERNOR
AMENDING PROCLAMATION 20-05 and RESCINDING 20-20, et seq.
20-20.12
Department of Revenue — Relief from Penalties, Fees, Interest, Due Dates
WHEREAS, on February 29, 2020, I issued Proclamation 20-05, proclaiming a State of Emergency for all counties throughout Washington State of 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 worldwide spread of COVID-19, the high risk it posed and continues to pose to vulnerable populations, its spread and continued persistence in Washington State, and the unprecedented nature of the emergency, I subsequently issued numerous amendatory proclamations, exercising my emergency powers under RCW 43.06.220, that prohibited certain activities and waived and suspended specified laws and regulations; and
WHEREAS, although the COVID-19 disease continues to persist as an ongoing and present threat in Washington State, the measures we have taken together as Washingtonians over the past 16 months, including the willingness of Washingtonians to take advantage of the remarkable, life-saving vaccines being administered throughout the state, have made a difference and have altered the course of the pandemic in fundamental ways; and
WHEREAS, over the past 16 months, health experts and epidemiological modeling experts, including those at the Department of Health, the United States Center for Disease Control, and our state universities, have gained critical knowledge regarding the spread of COVID-19, including a better understanding of the risks associated with certain activities and the measures that can be taken to reduce those risks; and
WHEREAS, although Department of Health statistics reflect the continued persistence of COVID-19 and support the continuation of the state of emergency, health experts and epidemiological modeling experts believe that as a state we have made adequate progress against COVID-19 to begin rescinding or modifying amendatory proclamations related to specific health issues; and
WHEREAS, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken to combat its spread and severity have had profound, varied, and lasting impacts on our state, including economic, educational, and societal impacts, and those impacts will fade at different rates for different people; and
WHEREAS, on March 18, 2020, I issued Proclamation 20-20, waiving and suspending laws and rules relating to tax penalties, fees, interest, and due dates in order to provide tax relief through the Department of Revenue; and
WHEREAS, under the provisions of RCW 43.06.220(4), the statutory waivers and suspensions of Proclamation 20-20, et seq., have been periodically extended by the leadership of the Washington State Senate and House of Representatives, and which I subsequently acknowledged and similarly extended the prohibitions therein in subsequent sequentially numbered proclamations; and
WHEREAS, the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic and its persistence in Washington State continue to threaten the life and health of our people as well as the economy of Washington State, and remain 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 R. Inslee, Governor of the state of Washington, terminate and rescind Emergency Proclamation 20-20, et seq., pursuant to RCW 43.06.210, effective at 11:59 p.m. on September 30, 2021.
I continue to 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.
As a result of this event, 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.
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 27th day of July, A.D., Two Thousand and Twenty-One at Olympia, Washington.
By:
Jay Inslee, Governor
BY THE GOVERNOR:
Secretary of State