Unless otherwise clearly required by the context, the following definitions apply: (1) "Attack" means any acts of aggression taken against the United States causing substantial damage or injury to persons or property in the United States and in the state of Washington. (2)(a) "Catastrophic incident" means any natural or human-caused incident, including terrorism and enemy attack, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions. (b) "Catastrophic incident" does not include an event resulting from individuals exercising their rights, under the first amendment, of freedom of speech, and of the people to peaceably assemble. (3) "Emergency or disaster" means an event or set of circumstances which: (a) Demands immediate action to preserve public health, protect life, protect public property, or to provide relief to any stricken community overtaken by such occurrences; or (b) reaches such a dimension or degree of destructiveness as to warrant the governor proclaiming a state of emergency pursuant to RCW 43.06.010. (4) "Unavailable" means either that a vacancy in the office exists or that the lawful incumbent of the office is absent or unable to exercise the powers and discharge the duties of the office following a catastrophic incident and a proclamation of existing emergency by the governor or his or her successor. [ 2019 c 471 s 4; 2012 c 117 s 106; 1963 c 203 s 2.]
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