Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGO 1974 NO. 15 >

(1) The governing body of a state institution may not, in the exercise of its statutory authority to employ and fix the salaries and duties of the various administrative officers and employees of that institution, provide those officers and employees with the unrestricted use of an automobile owned or leased by the institution for that purpose.  (2) Where the statutory authority of a state institution is to "employ," or "employ and compensate" its necessary officials or employees, that institution may, in the exercise of this authority, contract to provide the unrestricted use of an automobile leased by the institution for that purpose, but it may not so contract in the case of a state‑owned automobile in view of WAC 82-28-200 which provides that state cars shall be used only for official business.