Compiling a Washington State Regulatory History
Tracing Washington State regulatory history involves a similar process as explained under Federal Regulatory History. See our guide to Administrative Law: Online Resources for links to access the Washington Administrative Code and the Washington State Register online.
- Start with your citation to the Washington Administrative Code (WAC).
- Once you have found your WAC regulation, look at the bottom of the text. You'll see a citation to the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) granting authority for the regulation.
- In this same section, you will also find a citation to the Washington State Register (WSR) where these regulations are published prior to being codified in the WAC. The WSR will contain historical information regarding the regulation, including providing a statement of purpose for the proposed rules. You may also find other documents preproposal or interpretive statements.
