Opinion ID: 2605818
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: legislative standards

Text: Appellants argue that insufficient legislative standards exist to guide the department in exercising its authority and that therefore its actions are arbitrary and capricious and the product of an unlawful delegation of legislative authority. This argument is without merit. [4, 5] There has been a lawful delegation of authority if the legislature has provided general standards which define in general terms what is to be done and who is to do it, and procedural safeguards exist to control arbitrary administrative action. McDonald v. Hogness, 92 Wn.2d 431, 598 P.2d 707 (1979); Barry & Barry, Inc. v. Department of Motor Vehicles, 81 Wn.2d 155, 500 P.2d 540 (1972). RCW 75.08.012, .080, and .085 grant the department the power to pass rules and regulations governing by whom, how, and when fish can be taken. They further direct the department to consider the well being of the commercial fishery as well as recreational fishery enhancement. As such, they satisfy the general standards part of the test. Likewise, an adequate procedural safeguard does exist to control arbitrary administrative action. RCW 34.04.070 provides that the validity of any regulation can be determined by a declaratory judgment action. Since judicial review has been held to constitute a sufficient procedural safeguard, McDonald, at 446, there has not been an unlawful delegation of legislative authority.