H-4160.3 _______________________________________________
HOUSE BILL 2880
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 52nd Legislature 1992 Regular Session
By Representatives R. Johnson, Sheldon and Riley
Read first time 01/31/92. Referred to Committee on State Government.
AN ACT Relating to campaign expenditures; and adding new sections to chapter 42.17 RCW.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) By January 1 of each year following a regular election for a public office the public disclosure commission shall publish the state-wide average total expenditure by a candidate for that public office. To compile the average, the commission shall gather data from commercial advertisers, candidates for public office, and persons who reported independent campaign expenditures. The commission may by rule require special reports detailing this information from persons who must maintain or submit, or both, reports to the commission under this chapter.
(2) The commission shall monitor reports submitted by candidates under RCW 42.17.080 and 42.17.090 during an election campaign to determine how much each candidate or the candidate's political committee, or both, is spending. If a candidate's election campaign spends more than the state-wide average for that public office, and when the commission discovers the first expenditure in excess of the state-wide average, the commission shall:
(a) Immediately notify the candidate by certified mail that the candidate must comply with section 2 of this act;
(b) Hold a press conference on the Wednesday following the day the first dollar of excess expenditure is discovered to report the excess expenditure and that the candidate must comply with section 2 of this act; and
(c) Each Wednesday following the initial press conference, issue a press release to all the major media organizations that states: (i) The name of the candidate; (ii) the public office the candidate is seeking; (iii) the amount of excess expenditure the candidate has spent; and (iv) that the candidate is required to comply with section 2 of this act.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) When a candidate or a candidate's political committee, or both, spends more than the state-wide average expenditure in the previous election for the public office the candidate seeks, as computed by the public disclosure commission under section 1 of this act, the candidate and the candidate's political committee shall place the statement described in subsection (2) of this section with all political advertising for the candidate. The candidate must comply with this section the day after the first dollar in excess of the state-wide average is spent.
(2)(a) The following statement must appear on all printed or written political advertising purchased by a candidate or the candidate's political committee spending more than the state-wide average. The statement must appear in twelve-point type, bold face, and be clearly distinguishable from the text and format of the advertising. The statement shall read:
NOTICE:THIS CAMPAIGN IS SPENDING MORE THAN WAS SPENT ON THE AVERAGE STATE-WIDE FOR THIS POSITION IN THE PREVIOUS ELECTION.
(b) The statement in (a) of this subsection shall be broadcast at the end of each television or radio advertisement purchased by the candidate or the candidate's political committee. The statement must be audible and spoken at a speed that is easily understood.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. Sections 1 and 2 of this act are each added to chapter 42.17 RCW.