The Horse Racing Commission is responsible for encouraging the training and development of the equine industry and promoting the economic benefits derived from the industry. It annually provides purse funds to nonprofit racetracks, collects and distributes the Washington bred owners’ bonus funds, and provides funds to nonprofit racetracks for the maintenance and upgrade of racecourses and equine quartering areas.

The Horse Racing Commission is responsible for regulating pari-mutuel horse racing. It licenses, regulates, and supervises pari-mutuel horse race meets and licenses individuals who participate in pari-mutuel horse racing to ensure public confidence in the integrity of racing and pari-mutuel wagering.

The County Road Administration Board (CRAB) maintains the statewide inventory of county roads used as the basis for grant program eligibility and fuel tax calculations, and prepares the calculations for the annual fuel tax allocation for each county. The Board sets standards of operation for all county road agencies and enforces these standards through a system of annual reporting and site visits. It also provides technical and administrative assistance to counties, including information technology services and training. (Rural Arterial Account-State, Motor Vehicle Account-State, County Arterial Account-State)

Rural Arterial Account monies are distributed to the counties in the form of project grants to improve rural arterial and collector roads and to provide transportation engineering assistance. Counties compete regionally for these construction dollars by submitting projects which are then rated by CRAB staff against objective criteria established for each region.

Grants are awarded based upon each county’s total arterial lane miles as certified by the county road log at CRAB. To remain eligible for this program, each county must certify to CRAB’s satisfaction that a pavement management system is in use which meets or exceeds the board’s standards.

The Commission represents the public's interest in the long-term planning, financing, and delivery of statewide transportation systems and services. It actively engages the public and stakeholders in the statewide planning and policy development process. One approach taken to gather public input is via online surveys conducted through its Ferry Riders Opinion Group (FROG) survey panel. The FROG has over 20,000 active members. All survey results from both panels are statistically valid and projectable. The Commission also recommends transportation policy needs and changes to the Legislature and the Governor's Office, based upon knowledge gained from outreach, studies, and meetings. The Commission is designated as the state's tolling authority and also sets ferry fares and related fare policy for Washington State Ferries. In setting ferry fares and highway tolls, the Commission conducts an extensive public input process prior to making fare and toll decisions. It is required to develop the 20-year statewide Washington Transportation Plan. This plan establishes the state's general transportation policy direction and funding priorities that the Department of Transportation, regional and local transportation agencies are required to structure their various plans around. The Commission has oversight responsibilities for the Department of Transportation's Public Private Partnership (PPP) program, ensuring that a fully independent proposal, bid, and contract execution protocol is followed. It also holds final decision authority on all PPP contracts. The Commission conducts various policy and financing studies as directed by the Legislature and Governor and advises them of the studies' findings and makes recommendations.

The Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board (FMSIB) develops a comprehensive and coordinated state policy that facilitates freight movement within the state. Part of this activity involves ongoing, predictable funding that is dedicated to building FMSIB projects.

FMSIB coordinates planning efforts between public and private partners to ensure that resources are used most effectively to support increased trade, expedite regional manufacturing and agricultural products through communities, and improve the state's economic competitiveness.

The board performs public outreach to develop support for freight mobility projects. It also proposes dedicated funding for freight mobility projects, manages grant needs, and monitors congressional freight policy and federal freight appropriations.

The Arts Commission advances and supports arts and culture in Washington State through leadership, knowledge, funding, and resources that build participation in and access to the arts. Washington residents and visitors have expanded opportunities to participate in the arts as a result of the agency's investment in arts activities, artists, and targeted initiatives throughout the state. Funding and services are focused to strengthen local communities and to provide arts opportunities for the public, including geographically remote, economically disadvantaged, disabled, and ethnic communities.

The Arts Commission invests in a range of public and nonprofit arts organizations through competitive grant funding to increase access to the arts and strengthen arts organizations across the state. State funding leverages additional public and private funds from local, state, and federal sources, and reduces admission prices. Arts Commission grants require organizations to demonstrate accountability, and to document and evaluate the results of state investments.

Public art enhances state buildings and spaces, and encourages community dialogue and participation. The Arts Commission's Art in Public Places program has a mandated responsibility (RCW 43.46.090) to acquire and place artwork in publicly accessible places throughout Washington State. The State Art Collection includes 4,600 artworks acquired since 1974. Acquisition, stewardship, conservation, and education efforts are focused on preserving the state's investment, minimizing future maintenance needs, and ensuring the quality of the collection for future generations to experience.

The agency invests in learning in, through, and about the arts for children, youth, and adults. The Arts Commission supports high quality and effective arts education programs for all K-12 students across the state through community-based arts learning partnerships. The arts improve student achievement and contribute to increased attendance, student leadership, and graduation rates. Arts education helps students develop 21st century skills such as creativity, critical thinking, creative problem solving, collaborative learning, interpersonal communication, and cultural awareness. Through Arts Commission investments, teachers and teaching artists receive training in the Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs) in the Arts; they also learn to integrate the arts into other subject areas, and to improve student assessment techniques. The agency also invests in arts learning opportunities for adults including professional development for artists and arts leaders, workshops, convenings, and folk arts apprenticeships.

The mission of the Washington State Human Rights Commission is to enforce RCW 49.60, the Washington State Law Against Discrimination. The Commission works to eliminate and prevent discrimination throughout the state in employment; real estate transactions; credit and insurance transactions; and in places of public accommodation based on race; creed; color; national origin; sex; sexual orientation; gender identity; marital status; familial status; age; disability; and honorably discharged veterans or military status; HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C status; the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability; use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability; status as a mother breastfeeding her child; whistleblower retaliation of the following types: state employees, state hospital residents or employees, conveyances, Dept of Health, Healthcare, and DSHS Public Benefits; and retaliation for opposing an unfair practice. Administrative support provides the infrastructure to ensure that the core work of the agency can be done effectively and efficiently. The five Commission members, appointed by the Governor, engage in rule making, set overall agency policy direction, and approve all findings for complaints investigated by staff.

The five Human Rights Commission members and staff work to prevent discrimination in employment, real estate, credit and insurance transactions, and in places of public accommodations through education, training, community forums, and respond to and help resolve controversial and sensitive human rights problems around the state.

The Board of Pilotage Commissioners is a regulatory board appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate, consisting of nine part-time members and two full-time staff. Marine pilots are trained, tested, licensed, and regulated by the board in order to provide efficient compulsory pilotage services, maintain a safe marine environment, and develop and encourage waterborne commerce for Washington State. The board annually sets tariffs which a pilot must charge for pilotage services performed aboard vessels; adopts rules and regulations; and may take disciplinary action against pilots and/or vessel owners who violate state pilotage laws. (Pilotage Account-State)

This activity provides statewide toll facility maintenance and preservation of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, Interstate 405 and State Route 167, State Route 520, and State Route 99.

This activity is responsible for current and future statewide toll collection operations, including toll account management, customer service, and toll payment enforcement in order to safeguard state assets. The activity manages the quality and efficiency of toll operations for state transportation facilities financed through direct user fees or tolls. Toll Operations is responsible to forecast and analyze traffic, revenue, operations, and maintenance costs for recommending toll schedule adjustments to the toll setting authority. It also provides statewide tolling operations, which currently include the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, Interstate 405 and State Route 167, State Route 520, and State Route 99.

This activity provides management of the department's information technology systems’ architecture and security environments for enterprise business applications.  It also includes project management knowledge and expertise, project planning, project execution, project coordination, and oversight of enterprise technology projects.

This activity provides operational coordination of distributed technologies across the department statewide.  This coordination supports geographically dispersed business units, including the department's six regional locations and the Washington State Ferries that require on-site technology, operational support, and services.  These dispersed technology groups also serve the department's more remote locations such as maintenance shops and highway construction project offices.

This activity provides management and support services for the enterprise mainframe operations, server operations, network infrastructure, data management, enterprise software licensing, desktop and laptop lifecycle replacements, and support and maintenance of enterprise business applications. It also includes cybersecurity operations.

This activity operates, maintains, and is responsible for capital improvements and preservation of 968 department owned buildings and structures at 279 separate sites across the state. Sites include region headquarters, maintenance shops, project engineer offices, laboratories, materials storage sites, communication sites, pits, quarries, and stock pile storage areas.

This activity includes replacement, preservation, and improvements to the department's buildings and related sites. It focuses on providing a safe and efficient work environment by preserving the department's assets. The activity also performs preservation projects such life safety issues, building code compliance issues, ADA concerns, HVAC repairs and replacements, roof replacements, site environmental cleanups, and other code compliance requirements for facilities.

This activity includes services by the Transportation Equipment Fund that owns, operates, and maintains 126 vehicle fuel stations throughout the state, which provide fuel to the Department of Transportation, State Patrol, and approximately 100 other governmental agencies. This includes ensuring 24-hour access to fuel during regular operations as well as during inclement weather, earthquakes, or other emergencies.

This activity includes services by the Transportation Equipment Fund that provide mission critical vehicles and equipment to agency programs so that they can accomplish their missions, such as emergency response, snow and ice removal, roadway maintenance, bridge maintenance, field engineering, traffic control, highway construction, and responding to natural disasters. It also includes the costs of equipment replacement, maintenance and repair, fleet management, logistical support, equipment disposal, and inventory management.

This activity preserves and fosters the development of aeronautics and the state’s aviation system of 133 public use airports, promotes the benefits of airports, advocates for aviation safety, provides air search and rescue, and manages state airports. Activities include the airport aid grant and loan programs, aviation system and land use planning, air search and rescue operations, aviation emergency services planning, aircraft registration, and maintenance of 15 state-operated airports, seven of which are owned by the state. State grants, loan opportunities and technical assistance are provided to public use airports for infrastructure preservation and improvements, planning, safety, and security. The grant program relies on data obtained and prioritized by the Statewide Capital Improvement Program to inform grant awards.

The Program Delivery, Management, and Support program includes the essential functions and activities needed to implement the highway construction program. The program includes executive management and support at headquarters and in the six regions. These executive management and support services reflect core functions necessary for program delivery regardless of the size of the highway construction program. It also includes the regions’ administrative services. The department’s Environmental Services Office resides in this program.

This activity provides technical, policy, and regulatory support to project teams and offices. Key objectives are minimizing impacts to air, land, and water; protecting biological resources; protecting cultural resources; improving and streamlining environmental documentation; and improving regulatory coordination and compliance. Activities include supporting the department’s fish passage commitments and sustainable transportation objectives, obtaining statewide environmental approvals and permits , setting environmental compliance expectations and improvements, implementing WSDOT's stormwater permit, maintaining statewide environmental procedures, and providing statewide environmental leadership and issue resolution. This activity involves close coordination with external groups and governments that have environmental interests related to transportation.

This activity funds projects that increase highway capacity at strategic locations, with the long term goal of reducing congestion, increasing mobility, and funding urban bike lane connections. Examples include completing the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane system in the Puget Sound Region, improving the level of service on rural highways, and mitigating congestion on urban highways in cooperation with local and regional jurisdictions.

This activity funds projects for collision reduction and prevention to improve the safety and security of transportation customers and the transportation system. Examples include correcting deficiencies in high accident locations, corridors, and pedestrian crossings; making improvements at potentially hazardous locations; addressing roadway intersections; and including railroad crossings on multi-lane highways.

Provides for state highway system improvements that contribute direct economic benefits, enhancing the movement of people and goods to ensure a prosperous economy. Examples include strengthening highways where travel is restricted due to freeze-thaw closures, improving bridges and overpasses that have height or weight restrictions, constructing truck climbing lanes, and constructing new safety rest areas.

This activity provides funding to correct or reduce environmental impacts from existing highway systems to meet environmental requirements that have emerged since the highways were built. Examples include addressing highway storm water runoff, removing fish passage barriers that are caused by the highway, and reducing public exposure to noise by constructing noise abatement walls along highways.

This activity explores and cultivates opportunities to create public and private sector partnerships that can help advance transportation projects, programs, and policies. This is accomplished by the following: 1) analysis and assessment of new ideas and possibilities for achieving transportation goals; 2) consulting with and advising agency administrators, project engineers, and elected or appointed officials who seek innovative solutions for transportation issues; 3) assisting businesses that have expertise or resources that the department may need, by explaining state laws, policies and programs, and helping them find a way to do business with the department; and 4) assisting in the development of a project once the value to be gained has been demonstrated. This activity includes a pilot program that supports the construction of Transit Oriented Development facilities, where appropriate on department owned Right of Way. In addition, this activity includes programs to deploy electric vehicle charging and hydrogen refueling infrastructure, supported by private financing, to advance the adoption and use of zero emission vehicles.

All expenditures related to managing maintenance of highways that cannot be readily distributed to specific maintenance projects or control sections. Limited to allocations, expenditures including salaries, wages, fringe benefits, travel expenses, materials, supplies, and other expenses incurred by headquarters and certain region positions.

The Maintenance-On State Highway subprogram includes the essential functions and activities needed to implement the highway maintenance and operations for state highways, bridges, operated traffic signal systems. In addition, the program maintains 47 safety rest areas year-round and keeps open ten major mountain passes throughout the winter months. Highway Maintenance Operations must also prepare for and respond to weather-related events including wildfires, snow and ice, storms, or other emergencies including traffic-related events.

Supports reimbursable maintenance of streets, roads, and other services provided to cities, counties, and other local entities.

Supports acquisition and administration of stores and stockpile activities. Significant items are signs, traffic signal parts, illumination parts, engineering supplies, pits, and processed mineral aggregates in stockpiles.

Supports material production and storage sites for beginning and ending inventory activities. Significant items are manufacturing materials in progress and sign manufacturing.

This activity provides funds to preserve, replace, rehabilitate, and extend the life of state owned roadways. Projects include chips sealing, asphalt overlays, and concrete replacement and other strategic preservation activities that restore or extend the life of the roadway surface. It also restores basic safety features associated with the roadway.

This activity funds the preservation of other facilities and highway features for which the department is responsible, such as basic safety features, rest areas and weigh stations. Projects include rehabilitating drainage systems, stabilizing slopes, restoring safety features related to preservation of paving and bridge structures, and refurbishing existing rest areas and weigh stations to extend their service life.

This activity is directed at maximizing highway transportation system efficiency, and working toward ensuring the safe use and operation of the highway system. The activity includes, but is not limited to, the following: traffic management centers; high occupancy vehicle operation and analysis; express lane and ramp meter operation and analysis; commercial vehicle information systems and networks; traffic signal operations; 511 traveler information; outdoor advertising control; radio operations; and safety investigations and responding to public concerns.

This activity minimizes the traffic impact of disabled vehicles, collisions, and other roadway incidents through early detection and quick clearance. Its main function is clearing roads and helping drivers to restore the normal flow of traffic as safely and quickly as possible. The activity also maintains operational readiness to respond to and expedite the safe clearance of major traffic incidents in cooperation and coordination with other responding entities under the National Incident Traffic Management System.

This activity includes low cost/high return projects that can be implemented quickly to improve the operational safety or reduce congestion on the highway system. Projects generally target problem areas identified in either the priority programming process, or by constituents, or elected officials. This activity can also be used to respond quickly to emerging issues related to roadway safety. Typical projects include: traffic control signing improvements; roadway striping, rumble strip installation or other road marking improvements; installation or improvement of traffic signals or other electronic devices; and roadway access control through channelization or lane reconfiguration.

This activity constructs Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) projects that improve traveler information and provide safety and congestion relief to the traveling public by applying advanced technology to the transportation system. Typical capital projects include: traffic cameras; variable message signs; highway advisory radios; road/weather information systems; ramp meters; traffic data collectors; and traffic management centers.

This activity provides agency-wide executive management and support service functions. The functions funded in this program benefit the whole organization; they cannot easily be tied to any one product produced by the department but, instead, support all product and service delivery.

This activity supports planning functions within the Multimodal Planning Division, as well as Active Transportation, Management of Mobility and Access, Connected and Automated Transportation, Washington State Ferries planning, Capital Program Development and Management, Freight Systems, Public Transportation, Research, Strategic Assessment and planning units within WSDOT Regions. Federal funds for the State Planning and Research (SPR), provides the data, information, analysis, plans, and research needed by decision makers when making transportation system investment decisions. Units supported by SPR funds collaborate with local governments, regional transportation planning organizations, other state agencies, tribal transportation planners, and federal transportation agencies, to make efficient use of resources as well as provide an integrated transportation system that supports our communities, economy, and environment. Work conducted includes: • Statewide and regional multimodal transportation planning; • Self-initiated and legislatively requested corridor studies; • Data activities including the collection and analysis of roadway characteristics and conditions, traffic, bike and pedestrian volumes, vehicle speeds and traffic crashes; • Mapping and Geographic Information System services; • Research activities concerning construction and materials, traffic management, environment, design and safety, bridges and structures, security, maintenance, and multimodal transportation. The Multimodal Planning Division oversees federal (PL) pass through and state appropriated funds distributed directly to federal designated Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) and state Regional Transportation Planning Organizations (RTPO) respectively.

This activity administers state and federal grants awarded to public and private transportation organizations serving rural communities, the elderly, and persons with disabilities and provides the overall administration, policy development, and reporting for public transportation programs. Staff is responsible for planning and providing technical assistance to public and private transportation organizations, including transit agencies and local jurisdictions. Staff also provide support for improved coordination of transportation throughout the state.

This activity administers a competitive grant process to fund projects that maximize and increase the efficiency of transportation corridors, working statewide to improve connections and integrate public transportation and highway systems. State and federal grants are awarded to public transportation organizations, local jurisdictions, and major employers for public transportation projects focused on trip reduction, ridesharing, and vanpooling. Staff is responsible for administering the statewide Commute Trip Reduction program and its distribution of funds, as well as a vanpool grant program for public transit agencies to add vanpool vehicles to their fleet. Staff also provides technical assistance, coordination, trip reduction strategies, and educational materials to the public, the department's regional offices, local and regional jurisdictions, and public transportation providers. These efforts support statewide programs to reduce single-occupancy vehicle use and vehicle miles traveled. This activity also includes the statewide oversight of safety and security functions for local rail transit systems.

This activity supports the statewide mobility of people, goods, and services by preserving ferry system terminals that facilitate users of the transportation system moving between marine and land modes of travel. A terminal capital preservation project extends the life of an existing facility without significantly changing its use. Its focus is refurbishment or replacement of the systems making up the terminal that have reached the end of their life cycles. Examples of these systems include trestles, towers, transfer spans, bridge seats, dolphins, wingwalls, buildings, vehicle holding areas, utility infrastructure, and toll booths.

This activity supports the statewide mobility of people, goods, and services by building new terminals, increasing existing terminal throughput capacity and connectivity to other modes of travel, improving terminal conditions, accommodating changes in service or clientele, promoting efficient and effective operation of the ferry system, achieving cost savings and generating new revenue, protecting the environment, securing system resiliency, ensuring the safety of people and property, and responding to emergencies. Examples of this type of activity include building a new multimodal terminal, adding a new operating slip to facilitate more vessel landings and sailings, expanding vehicle holding lanes, building a pedestrian bridge from the ferry terminal to a commuter rail station, building a food court inside a terminal building, replanting eel grass displaced by expansion of a terminal's footprint, and implementing safety systems either voluntarily or in accordance with regulatory agency mandates.

This activity supports the statewide mobility of people, goods, and services by preserving the systems that comprise the vessels that provide the public with marine transportation services. A vessel preservation project refurbishes or replaces the systems making up the vessel that have reached the end of their life cycles. This type of investment extends the lives of existing vessel systems without significantly changing their uses. Examples of these systems include the hull, engines, propulsion controls, sprinkler piping, radars, auto decks, and passenger spaces.

This activity supports the statewide mobility of people and services by acquiring new hybrid-electric vessels either to replace retiring vessels or to increase the carrying capacity of the fleet, converting existing vessels to hybrid-electric propulsion, expanding the capacity of existing vessels, improving vessel conditions, accommodating changes in service or clientele, promoting efficient and effective operation of the ferry system, achieving cost savings and generating new revenue, protecting the environment, ensuring the safety of people and property, and responding to emergencies. Examples of this type of activity include new hybrid electric vessel construction, installation of fuel consumption equipment to facilitate greater fuel economy, generating revenue through advertising, and implementing safety systems either voluntarily or in accordance with regulatory agency mandates.

This activity directly supports the legislatively-approved service schedule and service hours for the ferry system. It includes labor, fuel, and materials for deck and engine operations of the fleet.

This activity directly supports the legislatively approved service schedule and service hours for the ferry system. It includes labor and materials for terminal operations, revenue collection costs, traffic control costs and costs for contracted terminal agents in the San Juan Islands and at Sidney, British Columbia..

This activity includes labor, materials, repair contracts, and miscellaneous costs associated with vessel maintenance. It also includes the labor costs for engine room crews when vessels are in maintenance or lay-up status. Vessel maintenance is accomplished by Washington State Ferries at its dedicated maintenance facility at Eagle Harbor. Larger vessel maintenance contracts and drydockings are performed at commercial shipyards around Puget Sound.

This activity includes labor, materials, repair contracts, and miscellaneous costs associated with terminal maintenance. Terminal maintenance includes routine asset maintenance and inspection performed by Eagle Harbor maintenance facility staff, and contracted maintenance for major maintenance needs.

This activity is responsible for funding, planning, and implementing rail passenger service; supporting operation of state sponsored service between Vancouver, British Columbia and Portland, Oregon; maintaining railroad infrastructure and state owned equipment used for state-sponsored operations.

This activity funds capital investments in the passenger rail program, including track improvements, and acquisition of passenger train equipment.

This activity analyzes conditions, trends, light density rail issues, and potential needs of Washington's freight rail system; oversees operations of state owned rail lines in Eastern Washington; and provides grants for investments to preserve and improve freight rail service in the state.

This activity provides funding program and policy oversight for pedestrian facilities, bike facilities, shared use paths, traffic calming, crossing improvements, and safe routes to schools. It also provides technical assistance on pedestrian and bicycle projects and planning for the department and local agencies; coordinates training for local public works agencies and regional staff; and assists local agencies.

This activity manages the local agency federal aid program that provides funds to cities, counties, ports, tribal governments, transit systems, and metropolitan and regional planning organizations for transportation improvement projects off and on the state highway system. This activity also administers state-funded, local agency grant programs. This includes the responsibility for ensuring reasonable compliance with state and federal regulations for FHWA and state-funded projects.

This activity works statewide to improve connections between transit services and to improve the integration between public transportation and the highway system. OTM was established through specific legislation (RCW 47.01.330) as a resource and catalyst for transportation system efficiency and integration. Staff provide technical assistance to local jurisdictions, transit agencies and WSDOT corridor projects on system integration and administer a competitive grant process to fund projects that maximize and improve the efficiency of transportation corridors.

This activity administers a vanpool grant program for public transit agencies to add vanpool vehicles to their fleet. Funds can also be used for incentives for employers to increase employee vanpool use.

This activity includes pavement patching and repair, crack sealing and chip seals, shoulder maintenance, sweeping and cleaning, and safety patrol activities.

This activity funds capital investments in Freight and Ports, including port electrification projects and grants and truck parking projects.

This program awards grants through a competitive process to counties with urban areas, cities and towns within an urban area, and cities with a population of 5,000 or greater. Project selection criteria include safety, mobility, physical condition, economic development, sustainability, and constructability. (Fund 144 Transportation Improvement Account-State)

This program provides funding for pedestrian projects, and is available to small city and urban agencies through a competitive grant process. Selection criteria include safety, pedestrian access, and local support. (Fund 112 Urban Arterial Trust Account-State)

This activity provides for the administration of the Transportation Improvement Board’s six programs. (Fund 144 Transportation Improvement Account State)

This program provides funding through a competitive process to preserve and improve the arterial roadway system in cities and towns with a population less than 5,000. Project selection criteria include safety, pavement condition, and local support. (Fund 112 Urban Arterial Trust Account-State)

This program provides funding for chip seal and overlay of existing pavement and associated sidewalk maintenance in incorporated cities with populations less than 5,000. Project selection criteria include pavement condition, roadway width, roadway loading, and sidewalk maintenance. (Fund 08M Small City Pavement and Sidewalk Account–State and 106 Highway Safety Account–State)

This program provides funding for cities with low assessed valuation to help repair and maintain the arterial road system. Project selection criteria include pavement condition, route classification, existing sidewalk, and frequency of prior funding for this program. (Fund 144 Transportation Improvement Account–State and 106 Highway Safety Account–State)

The Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) is responsible for regulating the insurance industry in Washington State and protecting consumers through education and timely communications. The activities of the OIC are primarily funded by fees from insurance organizations. Agency management develops policies, regulations, and codes to ensure that the citizens of Washington are able to access affordable insurance; it also provides the administrative support necessary for other divisions within the agency to carry out their functions.

This activity ensures compliance with all requirements applicable to insurance producers, surplus line brokers, adjusters, life settlement brokers, and other licensees including determination of eligibility for license issuance and renewal; performance of financial examinations of licensees; and compliance with the requirements applicable to their post-licensure activities including those relating to continuing education.

The agency responds to oral, written and face-to-face complaints and inquiries from consumers regarding insurance companies. Staff advocate, provide dispute resolution services, and educate consumers to ensure they can make informed choices about their insurance needs and rights. Assistance is rendered to enforce the various provisions of the insurance code with the primary function of ensuring that consumer rights have not been violated.

This activity includes monitoring the solvency of insurance carriers, health care service contractors, health maintenance organizations, certified health plans, and self-funded Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements authorized to conduct business in Washington State. Solvency issues, or conduct that may lead to issues with solvency, may be identified through market conduct oversight activities, financial examinations, or financial analysis of statements filed by insurers.

This activity handles enforcement actions against insurance companies, health carriers, insurance producers, and others; identifies and investigates consumer complaints, violations of the insurance code and criminal insurance fraud; provides information and counsel to other agency divisions; and supports the public policy activities of the agency.

Staff review and take final disposition on insurance product filings to ensure compliance with state and federal law and rules when they are sold in Washington State. Rate filings, which include complex actuarial formulas, assumptions, and experience data, are reviewed to ensure that rates are neither excessive, inadequate, nor unfairly discriminatory. Policy forms (the insurance contract) and provider contracts (between health carriers and healthcare providers) are reviewed to ensure that the terms and conditions comply with state and federal laws.