CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

 

             ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5684

 

 

 

 

                        54th Legislature

                      1995 Regular Session

Passed by the Senate April 23, 1995

  YEAS 47   NAYS 0

 

 

 

President of the Senate

 

Passed by the House April 21, 1995

  YEAS 96   NAYS 0

             CERTIFICATE

 

I, Marty Brown, Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5684 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth.

 

 

 

Speaker of the

      House of Representatives

                            Secretary

 

 

Approved Place Style On Codes above, and Style Off Codes below.

                                FILED

          

 

 

Governor of the State of Washington

                   Secretary of State

                  State of Washington


          _______________________________________________

 

               ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5684

          _______________________________________________

 

                      AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

 

             Passed Legislature - 1995 Regular Session

 

State of Washington      54th Legislature     1995 Regular Session

 

By Senate Committee on Law & Justice (originally sponsored by Senators Smith, Winsley, Gaspard, Oke, Wood and Hale; by request of Public Disclosure Commission)

 

Read first time 03/01/95.

 

Consolidating and revising public disclosure laws.



    AN ACT Relating to public disclosure; amending RCW 42.17.020, 42.17.080, 42.17.090, 42.17.105, 42.17.132, 42.17.155, 42.17.190, 42.17.240, 42.17.241, 42.17.260, 42.17.280, 42.17.290, 42.17.300, 42.17.320, 42.17.370, 42.17.420, 42.17.510, 42.17.640, 42.17.680, 42.17.720, 42.17.740, 42.17.750, 42.17.770, 42.17.780, 42.17.790, 42.17.100, 42.17.125, 42.52.180, 42.17.095, 42.17.160, and 42.17.170; reenacting and amending RCW 42.17.2401; adding a new section to chapter 42.17 RCW; creating a new section; repealing RCW 42.17.021, 42.17.630, 42.17.2415, and 42.52.210; providing effective dates; and declaring an emergency.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

 

    Sec. 1.  RCW 42.17.020 and 1992 c 139 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) "Agency" includes all state agencies and all local agencies.  "State agency" includes every state office, department, division, bureau, board, commission, or other state agency.  "Local agency" includes every county, city, town, municipal corporation, quasi-municipal corporation, or special purpose district, or any office, department, division, bureau, board, commission, or agency thereof, or other local public agency.

    (2) "Authorized committee" means the political committee authorized by a candidate, or by the public official against whom recall charges have been filed, to accept contributions or make expenditures on behalf of the candidate or public official.

    (3) "Ballot proposition" means any "measure" as defined by RCW 29.01.110, or any initiative, recall, or referendum proposition proposed to be submitted to the voters of the state or any municipal corporation, political subdivision, or other voting constituency from and after the time when the proposition has been initially filed with the appropriate election officer of that constituency prior to its circulation for signatures.

    (((3))) (4) "Benefit" means a commercial, proprietary, financial, economic, or monetary advantage, or the avoidance of a commercial, proprietary, financial, economic, or monetary disadvantage.

    (5) "Bona fide political party" means:

    (a) An organization that has filed a valid certificate of nomination with the secretary of state under chapter 29.24 RCW;

    (b) The governing body of the state organization of a major political party, as defined in RCW 29.01.090, that is the body authorized by the charter or bylaws of the party to exercise authority on behalf of the state party; or

    (c) The county central committee or legislative district committee of a major political party.  There may be only one legislative district committee for each party in each legislative district.

    (6) "Depository" means a bank designated by a candidate or political committee pursuant to RCW 42.17.050.

    (((4))) (7) "Treasurer" and "deputy treasurer" mean the individuals appointed by a candidate or political committee, pursuant to RCW 42.17.050, to perform the duties specified in that section.

    (((5))) (8) "Candidate" means any individual who seeks nomination for election or election to public office.  An individual ((shall be deemed to seek)) seeks nomination or election when he or she first:

    (a) Receives contributions or makes expenditures or reserves space or facilities with intent to promote his or her candidacy for office; ((or))

    (b) Announces publicly or files for office;

    (c) Purchases commercial advertising space or broadcast time to promote his or her candidacy; or

    (d) Gives his or her consent to another person to take on behalf of the individual any of the actions in (a) or (c) of this subsection.

    (9) "Caucus political committee" means a political committee organized and maintained by the members of a major political party in the state senate or state house of representatives.

    (((6))) (10) "Commercial advertiser" means any person who sells the service of communicating messages or producing printed material for broadcast or distribution to the general public or segments of the general public whether through the use of newspapers, magazines, television and radio stations, billboard companies, direct mail advertising companies, printing companies, or otherwise.

    (((7))) (11) "Commission" means the agency established under RCW 42.17.350.

    (((8))) (12) "Compensation" unless the context requires a narrower meaning, includes payment in any form for real or personal property or services of any kind:  PROVIDED, That for the purpose of compliance with RCW 42.17.241, the term "compensation" shall not include per diem allowances or other payments made by a governmental entity to reimburse a public official for expenses incurred while the official is engaged in the official business of the governmental entity.

    (((9))) (13) "Continuing political committee" means a political committee that is an organization of continuing existence not established in anticipation of any particular election campaign.

    (((10))) (14)(a) "Contribution" includes:

    (i) A loan, gift, deposit, subscription, forgiveness of indebtedness, donation, advance, pledge, payment, transfer of funds between political committees, or ((transfer of)) anything of value, including personal and professional services for less than full consideration((, but does not include interest on moneys deposited in a political committee's account, ordinary home hospitality and the rendering of personal services of the sort commonly performed by volunteer campaign workers, or incidental expenses personally incurred by volunteer campaign workers not in excess of fifty dollars personally paid for by the worker.  Volunteer services, for the purposes of this chapter, means services or labor for which the individual is not compensated by any person.  For the purposes of this chapter, contributions other than money or its equivalents shall be deemed to have a money value equivalent to the fair market value of the contribution.  Sums paid for tickets to fund-raising events such as dinners and parties are contributions; however, the amount of any such contribution may be reduced for the purpose of complying with the reporting requirements of this chapter, by the actual cost of consumables furnished in connection with the purchase of the tickets, and only the excess over the actual cost of the consumables shall be deemed a contribution));

    (ii) An expenditure made by a person in cooperation, consultation, or concert with, or at the request or suggestion of, a candidate, a political committee, or their agents;

    (iii) The financing by a person of the dissemination, distribution, or republication, in whole or in part, of broadcast, written, graphic, or other form of political advertising prepared by a candidate, a political committee, or its authorized agent;

    (iv) Sums paid for tickets to fund-raising events such as dinners and parties, except for the actual cost of the consumables furnished at the event.

    (b) "Contribution" does not include:

    (i) Standard interest on money deposited in a political committee's account;

    (ii) Ordinary home hospitality;

    (iii) A contribution received by a candidate or political committee that is returned to the contributor within five business days of the date on which it is received by the candidate or political committee;

    (iv) A news item, feature, commentary, or editorial in a regularly scheduled news medium that is of primary interest to the general public, that is in a news medium controlled by a person whose business is that news medium, and that is not controlled by a candidate or a political committee;

    (v) An internal political communication primarily limited to the members of or contributors to a political party organization or political committee, or to the officers, management staff, or stockholders of a corporation or similar enterprise, or to the members of a labor organization or other membership organization;

    (vi) The rendering of personal services of the sort commonly performed by volunteer campaign workers, or incidental expenses personally incurred by volunteer campaign workers not in excess of fifty dollars personally paid for by the worker.  "Volunteer services," for the purposes of this section, means services or labor for which the individual is not compensated by any person;

    (vii) Messages in the form of reader boards, banners, or yard or window signs displayed on a person's own property or property occupied by a person.  However, a facility used for such political advertising for which a rental charge is normally made must be reported as an in-kind contribution and counts towards any applicable contribution limit of the person providing the facility;

    (viii) Legal or accounting services rendered to or on behalf of:

    (A) A political party or caucus political committee if the person paying for the services is the regular employer of the person rendering such services; or

    (B) A candidate or an authorized committee if the person paying for the services is the regular employer of the individual rendering the services and if the services are solely for the purpose of ensuring compliance with state election or public disclosure laws.

    (c) Contributions other than money or its equivalent are deemed to have a monetary value equivalent to the fair market value of the contribution.  Services or property or rights furnished at less than their fair market value for the purpose of assisting any candidate or political committee are deemed a contribution.  Such a contribution must be reported as an in-kind contribution at its fair market value and counts towards any applicable contribution limit of the provider.

    (((11))) (15) "Elected official" means any person elected at a general or special election to any public office, and any person appointed to fill a vacancy in any such office.

    (((12))) (16) "Election" includes any primary, general, or special election for public office and any election in which a ballot proposition is submitted to the voters:  PROVIDED, That an election in which the qualifications for voting include other than those requirements set forth in Article VI, section 1 (Amendment 63) of the Constitution of the state of Washington shall not be considered an election for purposes of this chapter.

    (((13))) (17) "Election campaign" means any campaign in support of or in opposition to a candidate for election to public office and any campaign in support of, or in opposition to, a ballot proposition.

    (((14))) (18) "Election cycle" means the period beginning on the first day of December after the date of the last previous general election for the office that the candidate seeks and ending on November 30th after the next election for the office.  In the case of a special election to fill a vacancy in an office, "election cycle" means the period beginning on the day the vacancy occurs and ending on November 30th after the special election.

    (19) "Expenditure" includes a payment, contribution, subscription, distribution, loan, advance, deposit, or gift of money or anything of value, and includes a contract, promise, or agreement, whether or not legally enforceable, to make an expenditure.  The term "expenditure" also includes a promise to pay, a payment, or a transfer of anything of value in exchange for goods, services, property, facilities, or anything of value for the purpose of assisting, benefiting, or honoring any public official or candidate, or assisting in furthering or opposing any election campaign.  For the purposes of this chapter, agreements to make expenditures, contracts, and promises to pay may be reported as estimated obligations until actual payment is made.  The term "expenditure" shall not include the partial or complete repayment by a candidate or political committee of the principal of a loan, the receipt of which loan has been properly reported.

    (((15))) (20) "Final report" means the report described as a final report in RCW 42.17.080(2).

    (((16))) (21) "General election" means the election that results in the election of a person to a state office.  It does not include a primary.

    (22) "Gift," ((for the purposes of RCW 42.17.170 and 42.17.2415, means a rendering of anything of value in return for which reasonable consideration is not given and received and includes a rendering of money, property, services, discount, loan forgiveness, payment of indebtedness, or reimbursements from or payments by persons (other than the federal government, or the state of Washington or any agency or political subdivision thereof) for travel or anything else of value.  The term "reasonable consideration" refers to the approximate range of consideration that exists in transactions not involving donative intent.  However, the value of the gift of partaking in a single hosted reception shall be determined by dividing the total amount of the cost of conducting the reception by the total number of persons partaking in the reception.  "Gift" for the purposes of RCW 42.17.170 and 42.17.2415 does not include:

    (a) A gift, other than a gift of partaking in a hosted reception, with a value of fifty dollars or less;

    (b) The gift of partaking in a hosted reception if the value of the gift is one hundred dollars or less;

    (c) A contribution that is required to be reported under RCW 42.17.090 or 42.17.243;

    (d) Informational material that is transferred for the purpose of informing the recipient about matters pertaining to official business of the governmental entity of which the recipient is an official or officer, and that is not intended to confer on that recipient any commercial, proprietary, financial, economic, or monetary advantage, or the avoidance of any commercial, proprietary, financial, economic, or monetary disadvantage;

    (e) A gift that is not used and that, within thirty days after receipt, is returned to the donor or delivered to a charitable organization.  However, this exclusion from the definition does not apply if the recipient of the gift delivers the gift to a charitable organization and claims the delivery as a charitable contribution for tax purposes;

    (f) A gift given under circumstances where it is clear beyond any doubt that the gift was not made as part of any design to gain or maintain influence in the governmental entity of which the recipient is an officer or official or with respect to any legislative matter or matters of that governmental entity; or

    (g) A gift given prior to September 29, 1991)) is as defined in RCW 42.52.010.

    (((17))) (23) "Immediate family" includes the spouse, dependent children, and other dependent relatives, if living in the household.  For the purposes of RCW 42.17.640 through 42.17.790, "immediate family" means an individual's spouse, and child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, brother, half brother, sister, or half sister of the individual and the spouse of any such person and a child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, brother, half brother, sister, or half sister of the individual's spouse and the spouse of any such person.

    (24) "Independent expenditure" means an expenditure that has each of the following elements:

    (a) It is made in support of or in opposition to a candidate for office by a person who is not (i) a candidate for that office, (ii) an authorized committee of that candidate for that office, (iii) a person who has received the candidate's encouragement or approval to make the expenditure, if the expenditure pays in whole or in part for political advertising supporting that candidate or promoting the defeat of any other candidate or candidates for that office, or (iv) a person with whom the candidate has collaborated for the purpose of making the expenditure, if the expenditure pays in whole or in part for political advertising supporting that candidate or promoting the defeat of any other candidate or candidates for that office;

    (b) The expenditure pays in whole or in part for political advertising that either specifically names the candidate supported or opposed, or clearly and beyond any doubt identifies the candidate without using the candidate's name; and

    (c) The expenditure, alone or in conjunction with another expenditure or other expenditures of the same person in support of or opposition to that candidate, has a value of five hundred dollars or more.  A series of expenditures, each of which is under five hundred dollars, constitutes one independent expenditure if their cumulative value is five hundred dollars or more.

    (25)(a) "Intermediary" means an individual who transmits a contribution to a candidate or committee from another person unless the contribution is from the individual's employer, immediate family as defined for purposes of RCW 42.17.640 through 42.17.790, or an association to which the individual belongs.

    (b) A treasurer or a candidate is not an intermediary for purposes of the committee that the treasurer or candidate serves.

    (c) A professional fund-raiser is not an intermediary if the fund-raiser is compensated for fund-raising services at the usual and customary rate.

    (d) A volunteer hosting a fund-raising event at the individual's home is not an intermediary for purposes of that event.

    (((18))) (26) "Legislation" means bills, resolutions, motions, amendments, nominations, and other matters pending or proposed in either house of the state legislature, and includes any other matter that may be the subject of action by either house or any committee of the legislature and all bills and resolutions that, having passed both houses, are pending approval by the governor.

    (((19))) (27) "Lobby" and "lobbying" each mean attempting to influence the passage or defeat of any legislation by the legislature of the state of Washington, or the adoption or rejection of any rule, standard, rate, or other legislative enactment of any state agency under the state Administrative Procedure Act, chapter 34.05 RCW.  Neither "lobby" nor "lobbying" includes an association's or other organization's act of communicating with the members of that association or organization.

    (((20))) (28) "Lobbyist" includes any person who lobbies either in his or her own or another's behalf.

    (((21))) (29) "Lobbyist's employer" means the person or persons by whom a lobbyist is employed and all persons by whom he or she is compensated for acting as a lobbyist.

    (((22))) (30) "Person" includes an individual, partnership, joint venture, public or private corporation, association, federal, state, or local governmental entity or agency however constituted, candidate, committee, political committee, political party, executive committee thereof, or any other organization or group of persons, however organized.

    (((23))) (31) "Person in interest" means the person who is the subject of a record or any representative designated by that person, except that if that person is under a legal disability, the term "person in interest" means and includes the parent or duly appointed legal representative.

    (((24))) (32) "Political advertising" includes any advertising displays, newspaper ads, billboards, signs, brochures, articles, tabloids, flyers, letters, radio or television presentations, or other means of mass communication, used for the purpose of appealing, directly or indirectly, for votes or for financial or other support in any election campaign.

    (((25))) (33) "Political committee" means any person (except a candidate or an individual dealing with his or her own funds or property) having the expectation of receiving contributions or making expenditures in support of, or opposition to, any candidate or any ballot proposition.

    (((26))) (34) "Primary" means the procedure for nominating a candidate to state office under chapter 29.18 or 29.21 RCW or any other primary for an election that uses, in large measure, the procedures established in chapter 29.18 or 29.21 RCW.

    (35) "Public office" means any federal, state, county, city, town, school district, port district, special district, or other state political subdivision elective office.

    (((27))) (36) "Public record" includes any writing containing information relating to the conduct of government or the performance of any governmental or proprietary function prepared, owned, used, or retained by any state or local agency regardless of physical form or characteristics.  For the office of the secretary of the senate and the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives, public records means legislative records as defined in RCW 40.14.100 and also means the following:  All budget and financial records; personnel leave, travel, and payroll records; records of legislative sessions; reports submitted to the legislature; and any other record designated a public record by any official action of the senate or the house of representatives.

    (((28))) (37) "Recall campaign" means the period of time beginning on the date of the filing of recall charges under RCW 29.82.015 and ending thirty days after the recall election.

    (38) "State legislative office" means the office of a member of the state house of representatives or the office of a member of the state senate.

    (39) "State office" means state legislative office or the office of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, commissioner of public lands, insurance commissioner, superintendent of public instruction, state auditor, or state treasurer.

    (40) "State official" means a person who holds a state office.

    (41) "Surplus funds" mean, in the case of a political committee or candidate, the balance of contributions that remain in the possession or control of that committee or candidate subsequent to the election for which the contributions were received, and that are in excess of the amount necessary to pay remaining debts incurred by the committee or candidate prior to that election.  In the case of a continuing political committee, "surplus funds" mean those contributions remaining in the possession or control of the committee that are in excess of the amount necessary to pay all remaining debts when it makes its final report under RCW 42.17.065.

    (((29))) (42) "Writing" means handwriting, typewriting, printing, photostating, photographing, and every other means of recording any form of communication or representation, including, but not limited to, letters, words, pictures, sounds, or symbols, or combination thereof, and all papers, maps, magnetic or paper tapes, photographic films and prints, motion picture, film and video recordings, magnetic or punched cards, discs, drums, diskettes, sound recordings, and other documents including existing data compilations from which information may be obtained or translated.

    As used in this chapter, the singular shall take the plural and any gender, the other, as the context requires.

 

    Sec. 2.  RCW 42.17.080 and 1989 c 280 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) On the day the treasurer is designated, each candidate or political committee shall file with the commission and the county auditor or elections officer of the county in which the candidate resides, or in the case of a political committee, the county in which the treasurer resides, in addition to any statement of organization required under RCW 42.17.040 or 42.17.050, a report of all contributions received and expenditures made prior to that date, if any.

    (2) At the following intervals each treasurer shall file with the commission and the county auditor or elections officer of the county in which the candidate resides, or in the case of a political committee, the county in which the committee maintains its office or headquarters, and if there is no office or headquarters then in the county in which the treasurer resides, a report containing the information required by RCW 42.17.090:

    (a) On the twenty-first day and the seventh day immediately preceding the date on which the election is held; and

    (b) On the tenth day of the first month after the election:  PROVIDED, That this report shall not be required following a primary election from:

    (i) A candidate whose name will appear on the subsequent general election ballot; or

    (ii) Any continuing political committee; and

    (c) On the tenth day of each month in which no other reports are required to be filed under this section:  PROVIDED, That such report shall only be filed if the committee has received a contribution or made an expenditure in the preceding calendar month and either the total contributions received or total expenditures made since the last such report exceed two hundred dollars.

    When there is no outstanding debt or obligation, and the campaign fund is closed, and the campaign is concluded in all respects, and in the case of a political committee, the committee has ceased to function and has dissolved, the treasurer shall file a final report.  Upon submitting a final report, the duties of the treasurer shall cease and there shall be no obligation to make any further reports.

     The report filed twenty-one days before the election shall report all contributions received and expenditures made as of the end of the fifth business day before the date of the report.  The report filed seven days before the election shall report all contributions received and expenditures made as of the end of the one business day before the date of the report.  Reports filed on the tenth day of the month shall report all contributions received and expenditures made from the closing date of the last report filed through the last day of the month preceding the date of the current report.

    (3) For the period beginning the first day of the fourth month preceding the date on which the special or general election is held and ending on the date of that election, each Friday the treasurer shall file with the commission and the appropriate county elections officer a report of each ((contribution received)) bank deposit made during ((that period at the time that contribution is deposited pursuant to RCW 42.17.060(1))) the previous seven calendar days.  The report shall contain the name of each person contributing the funds so deposited and the amount contributed by each person.  However, contributions of no more than twenty-five dollars in the aggregate from any one person may be deposited without identifying the contributor.  A copy of the report shall be retained by the treasurer for his or her records.  In the event of deposits made by a deputy treasurer, the copy shall be forwarded to the treasurer ((to be retained by him)) for his or her records.  Each report shall be certified as correct by the treasurer or deputy treasurer making the deposit.

    (4) The treasurer or candidate shall maintain books of account accurately reflecting all contributions and expenditures on a current basis within five business days of receipt or expenditure.  During the eight days immediately preceding the date of the election the books of account shall be kept current within one business day and shall be open for public inspection for at least two consecutive hours Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays, between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., as specified in the committee's statement of organization filed pursuant to RCW 42.17.040, at the principal headquarters or, if there is no headquarters, at the address of the treasurer or such other place as may be authorized by the commission.  The treasurer or candidate shall preserve books of account, bills, receipts, and all other financial records of the campaign or political committee for not less than five calendar years following the year during which the transaction occurred.

    (5) All reports filed pursuant to subsections (1) or (2) of this section shall be certified as correct by the candidate and the treasurer.

    (6) Copies of all reports filed pursuant to this section shall be readily available for public inspection for at least two consecutive hours Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays, between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., as specified in the committee's statement of organization filed pursuant to RCW 42.17.040, at the principal headquarters or, if there is no headquarters, at the address of the treasurer or such other place as may be authorized by the commission.

    (7) The commission shall adopt administrative rules establishing requirements for filer participation in any system designed and implemented by the commission for the electronic filing of reports.

 

    Sec. 3.  RCW 42.17.090 and 1993 c 256 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) Each report required under RCW 42.17.080 (1) and (2) shall disclose the following:

    (a) The funds on hand at the beginning of the period;

    (b) Only the name and address of each person who has made one or more contributions during the period, together with the money value and date of such contributions and the aggregate value of all contributions received from each such person during the campaign or in the case of a continuing political committee, the current calendar year:  PROVIDED, That pledges in the aggregate of less than one hundred dollars from any one person need not be reported:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That the income which results from a fund-raising activity conducted in accordance with RCW 42.17.067 may be reported as one lump sum, with the exception of that portion of such income which was received from persons whose names and addresses are required to be included in the report required by RCW 42.17.067:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That contributions of no more than twenty-five dollars in the aggregate from any one person during the election campaign may be reported as one lump sum so long as the campaign treasurer maintains a separate and private list of the name, address, and amount of each such contributor:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That the money value of contributions of postage shall be the face value of such postage;

    (c) Each loan, promissory note, or security instrument to be used by or for the benefit of the candidate or political committee made by any person, together with the names and addresses of the lender and each person liable directly, indirectly or contingently and the date and amount of each such loan, promissory note, or security instrument;

    (d) All other contributions not otherwise listed or exempted;

    (e) ((The name and address of each candidate or political committee to which any transfer of funds was made, together with the amounts and dates of such transfers;

    (f))) The name and address of each person to whom an expenditure was made in the aggregate amount of more than fifty dollars during the period covered by this report, and the amount, date, and purpose of each such expenditure.  ((A candidate for state executive or state legislative office or the political committee of such a candidate shall report this information for an expenditure under one of the following categories, whichever is appropriate:  (i) Expenditures for the election of the candidate; (ii) expenditures for nonreimbursed public office-related expenses; (iii) expenditures required to be reported under (e) of this subsection; or (iv) expenditures of surplus funds and other expenditures.  The report of such a candidate or committee shall contain a separate total of expenditures for each category and a total sum of all expenditures.  Other candidates and political committees need not report information regarding expenditures under the categories listed in (i) through (iv) of this subsection or under similar such categories unless required to do so by the commission by rule.))  The report ((of such an other candidate or committee shall)) must also contain the total sum of all expenditures;

    (((g))) (f) The name and address of each person to whom any expenditure was made directly or indirectly to compensate the person for soliciting or procuring signatures on an initiative or referendum petition, the amount of such compensation to each such person, and the total of the expenditures made for this purpose.  Such expenditures shall be reported under this subsection (1)(((g))) (f) whether the expenditures are or are not also required to be reported under (((f))) (e) of this subsection;

    (((h))) (g) The name and address of any person and the amount owed for any debt, obligation, note, unpaid loan, or other liability in the amount of more than two hundred fifty dollars or in the amount of more than fifty dollars that has been outstanding for over thirty days;

    (((i))) (h) The surplus or deficit of contributions over expenditures;

    (((j))) (i) The disposition made in accordance with RCW 42.17.095 of any surplus funds;

    (((k))) (j) Such other information as shall be required by the commission by rule in conformance with the policies and purposes of this chapter; and

    (((l))) (k) Funds received from a political committee not otherwise required to report under this chapter (a "nonreporting committee").  Such funds shall be forfeited to the state of Washington unless the nonreporting committee has filed or within ten days following such receipt files with the commission a statement disclosing:  (i) Its name and address; (ii) the purposes of the nonreporting committee; (iii) the names, addresses, and titles of its officers or if it has no officers, the names, addresses, and titles of its responsible leaders; (iv) the name, office sought, and party affiliation of each candidate in the state of Washington whom the nonreporting committee is supporting, and, if such committee is supporting the entire ticket of any party, the name of the party; (v) the ballot proposition supported or opposed in the state of Washington, if any, and whether such committee is in favor of or opposed to such proposition; (vi) the name and address of each person residing in the state of Washington or corporation which has a place of business in the state of Washington who has made one or more contributions in the aggregate of more than twenty-five dollars to the nonreporting committee during the current calendar year, together with the money value and date of such contributions; (vii) the name and address of each person in the state of Washington to whom an expenditure was made by the nonreporting committee on behalf of a candidate or political committee in the aggregate amount of more than fifty dollars, the amount, date, and purpose of such expenditure, and the total sum of such expenditures; (viii) such other information as the commission may prescribe by rule, in keeping with the policies and purposes of this chapter.  A nonreporting committee incurring an obligation to file additional reports in a calendar year may satisfy the obligation by filing with the commission a letter providing updating or amending information.

    (2) The treasurer and the candidate shall certify the correctness of each report.

 

    Sec. 4.  RCW 42.17.105 and 1991 c 157 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) Campaign treasurers shall prepare and deliver to the commission a special report regarding any contribution or aggregate of contributions which:  Exceeds five hundred dollars; is from a single person or entity; and is received during a special reporting period.

    Any political committee making a contribution or an aggregate of contributions to a single entity which exceeds five hundred dollars shall also prepare and deliver to the commission the special report if the contribution or aggregate of contributions is made during a special reporting period.

    For the purposes of subsections (1) through (7) of this section:

    (a) Each of the following intervals is a special reporting period:  (i) The interval beginning after the period covered by the last report required by RCW 42.17.080 and 42.17.090 to be filed before a primary and concluding on the end of the day before that primary; and (ii) the interval composed of the twenty-one days preceding a general election; and

    (b) An aggregate of contributions includes only those contributions received from a single entity during any one special reporting period or made by the contributing political committee to a single entity during any one special reporting period.

    (2) If a campaign treasurer files a special report under this section for one or more contributions received from a single entity during a special reporting period, the treasurer shall also file a special report under this section for each subsequent contribution of any size which is received from that entity during the special reporting period.  If a political committee files a special report under this section for a contribution or contributions made to a single entity during a special reporting period, the political committee shall also file a special report for each subsequent contribution of any size which is made to that entity during the special reporting period.

    (3) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, the special report required by this section shall be delivered electronically or in written form, including but not limited to mailgram, telegram, or nightletter.  The special report required of a contribution recipient by subsection (1) of this section shall be delivered to the commission within forty-eight hours of the time, or on the first working day after:  The contribution exceeding five hundred dollars is received by the candidate or treasurer; the aggregate received by the candidate or treasurer first exceeds five hundred dollars; or the subsequent contribution that must be reported under subsection (2) of this section is received by the candidate or treasurer.  The special report required of a contributor by subsection (1) of this section or RCW 42.17.175 shall be delivered to the commission, and the candidate or political committee to whom the contribution or contributions are made, within twenty-four hours of the time, or on the first working day after:  The contribution is made; the aggregate of contributions made first exceeds five hundred dollars; or the subsequent contribution that must be reported under subsection (2) of this section is made.

    (4) The special report may be transmitted orally by telephone to the commission to satisfy the delivery period required by subsection (3) of this section if the written form of the report is also mailed to the commission and postmarked within the delivery period established in subsection (3) of this section or the file transfer date of the electronic filing is within the delivery period established in subsection (3) of this section.

    (5) The special report shall include at least:

    (a) The amount of the contribution or contributions;

    (b) The date or dates of receipt;

    (c) The name and address of the donor;

    (d) The name and address of the recipient; and

    (e) Any other information the commission may by rule require.

    (6) Contributions reported under this section shall also be reported as required by other provisions of this chapter.

    (7) The commission shall ((publish)) prepare daily a summary of the special reports made under this section and RCW 42.17.175.

    (8) It is a violation of this chapter for any person to make, or for any candidate or political committee to accept from any one person, contributions reportable under RCW 42.17.090 in the aggregate exceeding fifty thousand dollars for any campaign for state-wide office or exceeding five thousand dollars for any other campaign subject to the provisions of this chapter within twenty-one days of a general election.  This subsection does not apply to contributions made by, or accepted from, a ((major Washington state)) bona fide political party as defined in ((RCW 29.01.090)) this chapter, excluding the county central committee or legislative district committee.

    (9) Contributions governed by this section include, but are not limited to, contributions made or received indirectly through a third party or entity whether the contributions are or are not reported to the commission as earmarked contributions under RCW 42.17.135.

 

    Sec. 5.  RCW 42.17.132 and 1993 c 2 s 25 are each amended to read as follows:

    ((During the twelve-month period preceding the expiration of a state legislator's term in office, no incumbent to that office may mail to a constituent at public expense a letter, newsletter, brochure, or other piece of literature that is not in direct response to that constituent's request for a response or for information.  However,))

    During the twelve-month period preceding the last day for certification of the election results for a state legislator's election to office, the legislator may not mail to a constituent at public expense a letter, newsletter, brochure, or other piece of literature except as provided in this section.

    The legislator may mail one mailing ((mailed within)) no later than thirty days after the start of a regular legislative session and one mailing ((mailed within)) no later than sixty days after the end of a regular legislative session of identical newsletters to constituents ((are permitted)).

    The legislator may mail an individual letter to an individual constituent who (1) has contacted the legislator regarding the subject matter of the letter during the legislator's current term of office; or (2) holds a governmental office with jurisdiction over the subject matter of the letter.

    A violation of this section constitutes use of the facilities of a public office for the purpose of assisting a campaign under RCW ((42.17.130)) 42.52.180.

    The house of representatives and senate shall specifically limit expenditures per member for the total cost of mailings, including but not limited to production costs, printing costs, and postage.

 

    Sec. 6.  RCW 42.17.155 and 1985 c 367 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:

    Each lobbyist shall at the time he or she registers submit to the commission a recent photograph of himself or herself of a size and format as determined by rule of the commission, together with the name of the lobbyist's employer, the length of his or her employment as a lobbyist before the legislature, a brief biographical description, and any other information he or she may wish to submit not to exceed fifty words in length.  Such photograph and information shall be published at least ((annually)) biennially in a booklet form by the commission for distribution to legislators and the public.

 

    Sec. 7.  RCW 42.17.190 and 1986 c 239 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) ((Every legislator and every committee of the legislature shall file with the commission quarterly reports listing the names, addresses, and salaries of all persons employed by the person or committee making the filing for the purpose of aiding in the preparation or enactment of legislation or the performance of legislative duties of such legislator or committee during the preceding quarter.  The reports shall be made in the form and the manner prescribed by the commission and shall be filed between the first and tenth days of each calendar quarter:  PROVIDED, That the information required by this subsection may be supplied, insofar as it is available, by the chief clerk of the house of representatives or by the secretary of the senate on a form prepared by the commission.)) The house of representatives and the senate shall report annually:  The total budget; the portion of the total attributed to staff; and the number of full-time and part-time staff positions by assignment, with dollar figures as well as number of positions.

    (2) Unless authorized by subsection (3) of this section or otherwise expressly authorized by law, no public funds may be used directly or indirectly for lobbying:  PROVIDED, This does not prevent officers or employees of an agency from communicating with a member of the legislature on the request of that member; or communicating to the legislature, through the proper official channels, requests for legislative action or appropriations which are deemed necessary for the efficient conduct of the public business or actually made in the proper performance of their official duties:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That this subsection does not apply to the legislative branch.

    (3) Any agency, not otherwise expressly authorized by law, may expend public funds for lobbying, but such lobbying activity shall be limited to (a) providing information or communicating on matters pertaining to official agency business to any elected official or officer or employee of any agency or (b) advocating the official position or interests of the agency to any elected official or officer or employee of any agency:  PROVIDED, That public funds may not be expended as a direct or indirect gift or campaign contribution to any elected official or officer or employee of any agency.  For the purposes of this subsection, the term "gift" means a voluntary transfer of any thing of value without consideration of equal or greater value, but does not include informational material transferred for the sole purpose of informing the recipient about matters pertaining to official agency business((:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That)).  This section does not permit the printing of a state publication which has been otherwise prohibited by law.

    (4) No elective official or any employee of his or her office or any person appointed to or employed by any public office or agency may use or authorize the use of any of the facilities of a public office or agency, directly or indirectly, in any effort to support or oppose an initiative to the legislature.  "Facilities of a public office or agency" has the same meaning as in RCW 42.17.130 and 42.52.180.  The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to the following activities:

    (a) Action taken at an open public meeting by members of an elected legislative body to express a collective decision, or to actually vote upon a motion, proposal, resolution, order, or ordinance, or to support or oppose an initiative to the legislature so long as (i) any required notice of the meeting includes the title and number of the initiative to the legislature, and (ii) members of the legislative body or members of the public are afforded an approximately equal opportunity for the expression of an opposing view;

    (b) A statement by an elected official in support of or in opposition to any initiative to the legislature at an open press conference or in response to a specific inquiry;

    (c) Activities which are part of the normal and regular conduct of the office or agency;

    (d) Activities conducted regarding an initiative to the legislature that would be permitted under RCW 42.17.130 and 42.52.180 if conducted regarding other ballot measures.

    (5) Each state agency, county, city, town, municipal corporation, quasi-municipal corporation, or special purpose district which expends public funds for lobbying shall file with the commission, except as exempted by (d) of this subsection, quarterly statements providing the following information for the quarter just completed:

    (a) The name of the agency filing the statement;

    (b) The name, title, and job description and salary of each elected official, officer, or employee who lobbied, a general description of the nature of the lobbying, and the proportionate amount of time spent on the lobbying;

    (c) A listing of expenditures incurred by the agency for lobbying including but not limited to travel, consultant or other special contractual services, and brochures and other publications, the principal purpose of which is to influence legislation;

    (d) For purposes of this subsection the term "lobbying" does not include:

    (i) Requests for appropriations by a state agency to the office of financial management pursuant to chapter 43.88 RCW nor requests by the office of financial management to the legislature for appropriations other than its own agency budget requests;

    (ii) Recommendations or reports to the legislature in response to a legislative request expressly requesting or directing a specific study, recommendation, or report by an agency on a particular subject;

    (iii) Official reports including recommendations submitted to the legislature on an annual or biennial basis by a state agency as required by law;

    (iv) Requests, recommendations, or other communication between or within state agencies or between or within local agencies;

    (v) Any other lobbying to the extent that it includes:

    (A) Telephone conversations or preparation of written correspondence;

    (B) In-person lobbying on behalf of an agency of no more than four days or parts thereof during any three-month period by officers or employees of that agency and in-person lobbying by any elected official of such agency on behalf of such agency or in connection with the powers, duties, or compensation of such official:  PROVIDED, That the total expenditures of nonpublic funds made in connection with such lobbying for or on behalf of any one or more members of the legislature or state elected officials or public officers or employees of the state of Washington do not exceed fifteen dollars for any three-month period:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That the exemption under this subsection is in addition to the exemption provided in (A) of this subsection;

    (C) Preparation or adoption of policy positions.

    The statements shall be in the form and the manner prescribed by the commission and shall be filed within one month after the end of the quarter covered by the report.

    (6) In lieu of reporting under subsection (5) of this section any county, city, town, municipal corporation, quasi municipal corporation, or special purpose district may determine and so notify the public disclosure commission, that elected officials, officers, or employees who on behalf of any such local agency engage in lobbying reportable under subsection (5) of this section shall register and report such reportable lobbying in the same manner as a lobbyist who is required to register and report under RCW 42.17.150 and 42.17.170.  Each such local agency shall report as a lobbyist employer pursuant to RCW 42.17.180.

    (7) The provisions of this section do not relieve any elected official or officer or employee of an agency from complying with other provisions of this chapter, if such elected official, officer, or employee is not otherwise exempted.

    (8) The purpose of this section is to require each state agency and certain local agencies to report the identities of those persons who lobby on behalf of the agency for compensation, together with certain separately identifiable and measurable expenditures of an agency's funds for that purpose.  This section shall be reasonably construed to accomplish that purpose and not to require any agency to report any of its general overhead cost or any other costs which relate only indirectly or incidentally to lobbying or which are equally attributable to or inseparable from nonlobbying activities of the agency.

    The public disclosure commission may adopt rules clarifying and implementing this legislative interpretation and policy.

 

    Sec. 8.  RCW 42.17.240 and 1993 c 2 s 31 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) Every elected official and every executive state officer shall after January 1st and before April 15th of each year file with the commission a statement of financial affairs for the preceding calendar year.  However, any local elected official whose term of office expires immediately after December 31st shall file the statement required to be filed by this section for the year that ended on that December 31st.  ((In addition to and in conjunction with the statement of financial affairs, every official and officer shall file a statement describing any gifts received during the preceding calendar year.))

    (2) Every candidate shall within two weeks of becoming a candidate file with the commission a statement of financial affairs for the preceding twelve months.

    (3) Every person appointed to a vacancy in an elective office or executive state officer position shall within two weeks of being so appointed file with the commission a statement of financial affairs for the preceding twelve months.

    (4) A statement of a candidate or appointee filed during the period from January 1st to April 15th shall cover the period from January 1st of the preceding calendar year to the time of candidacy or appointment if the filing of the statement would relieve the individual of a prior obligation to file a statement covering the entire preceding calendar year.

    (5) No individual may be required to file more than once in any calendar year.

    (6) Each statement of financial affairs filed under this section shall be sworn as to its truth and accuracy.

    (7) Every elected official and every executive state officer shall file with their statement of financial affairs a statement certifying that they have read and are familiar with RCW 42.17.130 or 42.52.180, whichever is applicable.

    (8) For the purposes of this section, the term "executive state officer" includes those listed in RCW 42.17.2401.

    (((8))) (9) This section does not apply to incumbents or candidates for a federal office or the office of precinct committee officer.

 

    Sec. 9.  RCW 42.17.241 and 1984 c 34 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

    FINANCIAL AFFAIRS REPORT‑-GIFTS.  (1) The statement of financial affairs required by RCW 42.17.240 shall disclose for the reporting individual and each member of his or her immediate family:

    (a) Occupation, name of employer, and business address; and

    (b) Each bank or savings account or insurance policy in which any such person or persons owned a direct financial interest that exceeded five thousand dollars at any time during the reporting period; each other item of intangible personal property in which any such person or persons owned a direct financial interest, the value of which exceeded five hundred dollars during the reporting period; the name, address, and nature of the entity; and the nature and highest value of each such direct financial interest during the reporting period; and

    (c) The name and address of each creditor to whom the value of five hundred dollars or more was owed; the original amount of each debt to each such creditor; the amount of each debt owed to each creditor as of the date of filing; the terms of repayment of each such debt; and the security given, if any, for each such debt:  PROVIDED, That debts arising out of a "retail installment transaction" as defined in chapter 63.14 RCW (Retail Installment Sales Act) need not be reported; and

    (d) Every public or private office, directorship, and position held as trustee; and

    (e) All persons for whom any legislation, rule, rate, or standard has been prepared, promoted, or opposed for current or deferred compensation:  PROVIDED, That for the purposes of this subsection, "compensation" does not include payments made to the person reporting by the governmental entity for which such person serves as an elected official or state executive officer or professional staff member for his service in office; the description of such actual or proposed legislation, rules, rates, or standards; and the amount of current or deferred compensation paid or promised to be paid; and

    (f) The name and address of each governmental entity, corporation, partnership, joint venture, sole proprietorship, association, union, or other business or commercial entity from whom compensation has been received in any form of a total value of five hundred dollars or more; the value of the compensation; and the consideration given or performed in exchange for the compensation; and

    (g) The name of any corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, union, or other entity in which is held any office, directorship, or any general partnership interest, or an ownership interest of ten percent or more; the name or title of that office, directorship, or partnership; the nature of ownership interest; and with respect to each such entity:  (i) With respect to a governmental unit in which the official seeks or holds any office or position, if the entity has received compensation in any form during the preceding twelve months from the governmental unit, the value of the compensation and the consideration given or performed in exchange for the compensation; (ii) the name of each governmental unit, corporation, partnership, joint venture, sole proprietorship, association, union, or other business or commercial entity from which the entity has received compensation in any form in the amount of two thousand five hundred dollars or more during the preceding twelve months and the consideration given or performed in exchange for the compensation:  PROVIDED, That the term "compensation" for purposes of this subsection (1)(g)(ii) does not include payment for water and other utility services at rates approved by the Washington state utilities and transportation commission or the legislative authority of the public entity providing the service:  PROVIDED, FURTHER, That with respect to any bank or commercial lending institution in which is held any office, directorship, partnership interest, or ownership interest, it shall only be necessary to report either the name, address, and occupation of every director and officer of the bank or commercial lending institution and the average monthly balance of each account held during the preceding twelve months by the bank or commercial lending institution from the governmental entity for which the individual is an official or candidate or professional staff member, or all interest paid by a borrower on loans from and all interest paid to a depositor by the bank or commercial lending institution if the interest exceeds six hundred dollars; and

    (h) A list, including legal or other sufficient descriptions as prescribed by the commission, of all real property in the state of Washington, the assessed valuation of which exceeds two thousand five hundred dollars in which any direct financial interest was acquired during the preceding calendar year, and a statement of the amount and nature of the financial interest and of the consideration given in exchange for that interest; and

    (i) A list, including legal or other sufficient descriptions as prescribed by the commission, of all real property in the state of Washington, the assessed valuation of which exceeds two thousand five hundred dollars in which any direct financial interest was divested during the preceding calendar year, and a statement of the amount and nature of the consideration received in exchange for that interest, and the name and address of the person furnishing the consideration; and

    (j) A list, including legal or other sufficient descriptions as prescribed by the commission, of all real property in the state of Washington, the assessed valuation of which exceeds two thousand five hundred dollars in which a direct financial interest was held:  PROVIDED, That if a description of the property has been included in a report previously filed, the property may be listed, for purposes of this provision, by reference to the previously filed report; and

    (k) A list, including legal or other sufficient descriptions as prescribed by the commission, of all real property in the state of Washington, the assessed valuation of which exceeds five thousand dollars, in which a corporation, partnership, firm, enterprise, or other entity had a direct financial interest, in which corporation, partnership, firm, or enterprise a ten percent or greater ownership interest was held; and

    (l) A list of each occasion, specifying date, donor, and amount,  at which food and beverage in excess of fifty dollars was accepted under RCW 42.52.150(5);

    (m) A list of each occasion, specifying date, donor, and amount, at which items specified in RCW 42.52.010(9) (d) and (f) were accepted;

    (n) Such other information as the commission may deem necessary in order to properly carry out the purposes and policies of this chapter, as the commission shall prescribe by rule.

    (2) Where an amount is required to be reported under subsection (1)((, paragraphs)) (a) through (((k))) (m) of this section, it shall be sufficient to comply with the requirement to report whether the amount is less than one thousand dollars, at least one thousand dollars but less than five thousand dollars, at least five thousand dollars but less than ten thousand dollars, at least ten thousand dollars but less than twenty-five thousand dollars, or twenty-five thousand dollars or more.  An amount of stock may be reported by number of shares instead of by market value.  No provision of this subsection may be interpreted to prevent any person from filing more information or more detailed information than required.

    (3) Items of value given to an official's or employee's spouse or family member are attributable to the official or employee, except the item is not attributable if an independent business, family, or social relationship exists between the donor and the spouse or family member.

 

    Sec. 10.  RCW 42.17.2401 and 1993 sp.s. c 2 s 18, 1993 c 492 s 488, and 1993 c 281 s 43 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

    For the purposes of RCW 42.17.240, the term "executive state officer" includes:

    (1) The chief administrative law judge, the director of agriculture, the administrator of the office of marine safety, the administrator of the Washington basic health plan, the director of the department of services for the blind, the director of the state system of community and technical colleges, the director of community, trade, and economic development, the secretary of corrections, the director of ecology, the commissioner of employment security, the chairman of the energy facility site evaluation council, the director of the energy office, the secretary of the state finance committee, the director of financial management, the director of fish and wildlife, the executive secretary of the forest practices appeals board, the director of the gambling commission, the director of general administration, the secretary of health, the administrator of the Washington state health care authority, the executive secretary of the health care facilities authority, the executive secretary of the higher education facilities authority, the executive secretary of the horse racing commission, the executive secretary of the human rights commission, the executive secretary of the indeterminate sentence review board, the director of the department of information services, the director of the interagency committee for outdoor recreation, the executive director of the state investment board, the director of labor and industries, the director of licensing, the director of the lottery commission, the director of the office of minority and women's business enterprises, the director of parks and recreation, the director of personnel, the executive director of the public disclosure commission, the director of retirement systems, the director of revenue, the secretary of social and health services, the chief of the Washington state patrol, the executive secretary of the board of tax appeals, ((the director of trade and economic development,)) the secretary of transportation, the secretary of the utilities and transportation commission, the director of veterans affairs, the president of each of the regional and state universities and the president of The Evergreen State College, each district and each campus president of each state community college;

    (2) Each professional staff member of the office of the governor;

    (3) Each professional staff member of the legislature; and

    (4) Central Washington University board of trustees, board of trustees of each community college, each member of the state board for community and technical colleges, state convention and trade center board of directors, committee for deferred compensation, Eastern Washington University board of trustees, Washington economic development finance authority, The Evergreen State College board of trustees, executive ethics board, forest practices appeals board, forest practices board, gambling commission, Washington health care facilities authority, each member of the Washington health services commission, higher education coordinating board, higher education facilities authority, horse racing commission, state housing finance commission, human rights commission, indeterminate sentence review board, board of industrial insurance appeals, information services board, interagency committee for outdoor recreation, state investment board, commission on judicial conduct, legislative ethics board, liquor control board, lottery commission, marine oversight board, ((oil and gas conservation committee,)) Pacific Northwest electric power and conservation planning council, parks and recreation commission, personnel appeals board, board of pilotage commissioners, pollution control hearings board, public disclosure commission, public pension commission, shorelines hearing board, public employees' benefits board, board of tax appeals, transportation commission, University of Washington board of regents, utilities and transportation commission, Washington state maritime commission, Washington personnel resources board, Washington public power supply system executive board, Washington State University board of regents, Western Washington University board of trustees, and fish and wildlife commission.

 

    Sec. 11.  RCW 42.17.260 and 1992 c 139 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) Each agency, in accordance with published rules, shall make available for public inspection and copying all public records, unless the record falls within the specific exemptions of subsection (6) of this section, RCW 42.17.310, 42.17.315, or other statute which exempts or prohibits disclosure of specific information or records.  To the extent required to prevent an unreasonable invasion of personal privacy interests protected by RCW 42.17.310 and 42.17.315, an agency shall delete identifying details in a manner consistent with RCW 42.17.310 and 42.17.315 when it makes available or publishes any public record; however, in each case, the justification for the deletion shall be explained fully in writing.

    (2) For informational purposes, each agency shall publish and maintain a current list containing every law, other than those listed in this chapter, that the agency believes exempts or prohibits disclosure of specific information or records of the agency.  An agency's failure to list an exemption shall not affect the efficacy of any exemption.

    (3) Each local agency shall maintain and make available for public inspection and copying a current index providing identifying information as to the following records issued, adopted, or promulgated after January 1, 1973:

    (a) Final opinions, including concurring and dissenting opinions, as well as orders, made in the adjudication of cases;

    (b) Those statements of policy and interpretations of policy, statute, and the Constitution which have been adopted by the agency;

    (c) Administrative staff manuals and instructions to staff that affect a member of the public;

    (d) Planning policies and goals, and interim and final planning decisions;

    (e) Factual staff reports and studies, factual consultant's reports and studies, scientific reports and studies, and any other factual information derived from tests, studies, reports, or surveys, whether conducted by public employees or others; and

    (f) Correspondence, and materials referred to therein, by and with the agency relating to any regulatory, supervisory, or enforcement responsibilities of the agency, whereby the agency determines, or opines upon, or is asked to determine or opine upon, the rights of the state, the public, a subdivision of state government, or of any private party.

    (4) A local agency need not maintain such an index, if to do so would be unduly burdensome, but it shall in that event:

    (a) Issue and publish a formal order specifying the reasons why and the extent to which compliance would unduly burden or interfere with agency operations; and

    (b) Make available for public inspection and copying all indexes maintained for agency use.

    (5) Each state agency shall, by rule, establish and implement a system of indexing for the identification and location of the following records:

    (a) All records issued before July 1, 1990, for which the agency has maintained an index;

    (b) Final orders entered after June 30, 1990, that are issued in adjudicative proceedings as defined in RCW 34.05.010(1) and that contain an analysis or decision of substantial importance to the agency in carrying out its duties;

    (c) Declaratory orders entered after June 30, 1990, that are issued pursuant to RCW 34.05.240 and that contain an analysis or decision of substantial importance to the agency in carrying out its duties;

    (d) Interpretive statements as defined in RCW 34.05.010(8) that were entered after June 30, 1990; and

    (e) Policy statements as defined in RCW 34.05.010(14) that were entered after June 30, 1990.

Rules establishing systems of indexing shall include, but not be limited to, requirements for the form and content of the index, its location and availability to the public, and the schedule for revising or updating the index.  State agencies that have maintained indexes for records issued before July 1, 1990, shall continue to make such indexes available for public inspection and copying.  Information in such indexes may be incorporated into indexes prepared pursuant to this subsection.  State agencies may satisfy the requirements of this subsection by making available to the public indexes prepared by other parties but actually used by the agency in its operations.  State agencies shall make indexes available for public inspection and copying.  State agencies may charge a fee to cover the actual costs of providing individual mailed copies of indexes.

    (6) A public record may be relied on, used, or cited as precedent by an agency against a party other than an agency and it may be invoked by the agency for any other purpose only ifC

    (a) It has been indexed in an index available to the public; or

    (b) Parties affected have timely notice (actual or constructive) of the terms thereof.

    (7) This chapter shall not be construed as giving authority to any agency, the office of the secretary of the senate, or the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives to give, sell or provide access to lists of individuals requested for commercial purposes, and agencies, the office of the secretary of the senate, and the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives shall not do so unless specifically authorized or directed by law:  PROVIDED, HOWEVER, That lists of applicants for professional licenses and of professional licensees shall be made available to those professional associations or educational organizations recognized by their professional licensing or examination board, upon payment of a reasonable charge therefor:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That such recognition may be refused only for a good cause pursuant to a hearing under the provisions of chapter 34.05 RCW, the Administrative Procedure Act.

 

    Sec. 12.  RCW 42.17.280 and 1973 c 1 s 28 are each amended to read as follows:

    Public records shall be available for inspection and copying during the customary office hours of the agency, the office of the secretary of the senate, and the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives:  PROVIDED, That if the ((agency)) entity does not have customary office hours of at least thirty hours per week, the public records shall be available from nine o'clock a.m. to noon and from one o'clock p.m. to four o'clock p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays, unless the person making the request and the agency, the office of the secretary of the senate, or the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives or its representative agree on a different time.

 

    Sec. 13.  RCW 42.17.290 and 1992 c 139 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:

    Agencies shall adopt and enforce reasonable rules and regulations, and the office of the secretary of the senate and the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives shall adopt reasonable procedures allowing for the time, resource, and personnel constraints associated with legislative sessions, consonant with the intent of this chapter to provide full public access to public records, to protect public records from damage or disorganization, and to prevent excessive interference with other essential functions of the agency, the office of the secretary of the senate, or the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives.  Such rules and regulations shall provide for the fullest assistance to inquirers and the most timely possible action on requests for information.  Nothing in this section shall relieve agencies, the office of the secretary of the senate, and the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives from honoring requests received by mail for copies of identifiable public records.

    If a public record request is made at a time when such record exists but is scheduled for destruction in the near future, the agency, the office of the secretary of the senate, or the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives shall retain possession of the record, and may not destroy or erase the record until the request is resolved.

 

    Sec. 14.  RCW 42.17.300 and 1973 c 1 s 30 are each amended to read as follows:

    No fee shall be charged for the inspection of public records.  ((Agencies may impose)) A reasonable charge may be imposed for providing copies of public records and for the use by any person of agency equipment or equipment of the office of the secretary of the senate or the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives to copy public records, which charges shall not exceed the amount necessary to reimburse the agency, the office of the secretary of the senate, or the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives for its actual costs incident to such copying.

 

    Sec. 15.  RCW 42.17.320 and 1992 c 139 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:

    Responses to requests for public records shall be made promptly by agencies, the office of the secretary of the senate, and the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives.  Within five business days of receiving a public record request, an agency, the office of the secretary of the senate, or the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives must respond by either (1) providing the record; (2) acknowledging that the agency, the office of the secretary of the senate, or the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives has received the request and providing a reasonable estimate of the time the agency, the office of the secretary of the senate, or the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives will require to respond to the request; or (3) denying the public record request.  Additional time required to respond to a request may be based upon the need to clarify the intent of the request, to locate and assemble the information requested, to notify third persons or agencies affected by the request, or to determine whether any of the information requested is exempt and that a denial should be made as to all or part of the request.  In acknowledging receipt of a public record request that is unclear, an agency, the office of the secretary of the senate, or the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives may ask the requestor to clarify what information the requestor is seeking.  If the requestor fails to clarify the request, the agency, the office of the secretary of the senate, or the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives need not respond to it.  Denials of requests must be accompanied by a written statement of the specific reasons therefor.  Agencies, the office of the secretary of the senate, and the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives shall establish mechanisms for the most prompt possible review of decisions denying inspection, and such review shall be deemed completed at the end of the second business day following the denial of inspection and shall constitute final agency action or final action by the office of the secretary of the senate or the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives for the purposes of judicial review.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 16.  A new section is added to chapter 42.17 RCW, to be codified after RCW 42.17.340, to read as follows:

    The procedures in RCW 42.17.340 govern denials of an opportunity to inspect or copy a public record by the office of the secretary of the senate or the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives.

 

    Sec. 17.  RCW 42.17.370 and 1994 c 40 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

    The commission is empowered to:

    (1) Adopt, promulgate, amend, and rescind suitable administrative rules to carry out the policies and purposes of this chapter, which rules shall be adopted under chapter 34.05 RCW.  Any rule relating to campaign finance, political advertising, or related forms that would otherwise take effect after June 30th of a general election year shall take effect no earlier than the day following the general election in that year;

    (2) Appoint and set, within the limits established by the committee on agency officials' salaries under RCW 43.03.028, the compensation of an executive director who shall perform such duties and have such powers as the commission may prescribe and delegate to implement and enforce this chapter efficiently and effectively.  The commission shall not delegate its authority to adopt, amend, or rescind rules nor shall it delegate authority to determine whether an actual violation of this chapter has occurred or to assess penalties for such violations;

    (3) Prepare and publish such reports and technical studies as in its judgment will tend to promote the purposes of this chapter, including reports and statistics concerning campaign financing, lobbying, financial interests of elected officials, and enforcement of this chapter;

    (4) Make from time to time, on its own motion, audits and field investigations;

    (5) Make public the time and date of any formal hearing set to determine whether a violation has occurred, the question or questions to be considered, and the results thereof;

    (6) Administer oaths and affirmations, issue subpoenas, and compel attendance, take evidence and require the production of any books, papers, correspondence, memorandums, or other records relevant or material for the purpose of any investigation authorized under this chapter, or any other proceeding under this chapter;

    (7) Adopt and promulgate a code of fair campaign practices;

    (8) Relieve, by rule, candidates or political committees of obligations to comply with the provisions of this chapter relating to election campaigns, if they have not received contributions nor made expenditures in connection with any election campaign of more than one thousand dollars;

    (9) Adopt rules prescribing reasonable requirements for keeping accounts of and reporting on a quarterly basis costs incurred by state agencies, counties, cities, and other municipalities and political subdivisions in preparing, publishing, and distributing legislative information.  The term "legislative information," for the purposes of this subsection, means books, pamphlets, reports, and other materials prepared, published, or distributed at substantial cost, a substantial purpose of which is to influence the passage or defeat of any legislation.  The state auditor in his or her regular examination of each agency under chapter 43.09 RCW shall review the rules, accounts, and reports and make appropriate findings, comments, and recommendations in his or her examination reports concerning those agencies;

    (10) After hearing, by order approved and ratified by a majority of the membership of the commission, suspend or modify any of the reporting requirements of this chapter in a particular case if it finds that literal application of this chapter works a manifestly unreasonable hardship and if it also finds that the suspension or modification will not frustrate the purposes of the chapter.  The commission shall find that a manifestly unreasonable hardship exists if reporting the name of an entity required to be reported under RCW 42.17.241(1)(g)(ii) would be likely to adversely affect the competitive position of any entity in which the person filing the report or any member of his or her immediate family holds any office, directorship, general partnership interest, or an ownership interest of ten percent or more.  Any suspension or modification shall be only to the extent necessary to substantially relieve the hardship.  The commission shall act to suspend or modify any reporting requirements only if it determines that facts exist that are clear and convincing proof of the findings required under this section.  Requests for renewals of reporting modifications may be heard in a brief adjudicative proceeding as set forth in RCW 34.05.482 through 34.05.494 and in accordance with the standards established in this section.  No initial request may be heard in a brief adjudicative proceeding and no request for renewal may be heard in a brief adjudicative proceeding if the initial request was granted more than three years previously or if the applicant is holding an office or position of employment different from the office or position held when the initial request was granted.  The commission shall adopt administrative rules governing the proceedings.  Any citizen has standing to bring an action in Thurston county superior court to contest the propriety of any order entered under this section within one year from the date of the entry of the order; and

    (11) Revise, at least once every five years but no more often than every two years, the monetary reporting thresholds and reporting code values of this chapter.  The revisions shall be only for the purpose of recognizing economic changes as reflected by an inflationary index recommended by the office of financial management.  The revisions shall be guided by the change in the index for the period commencing with the month of December preceding the last revision and concluding with the month of December preceding the month the revision is adopted.  As to each of the three general categories of this chapter (reports of campaign finance, reports of lobbyist activity, and reports of the financial affairs of elected and appointed officials), the revisions shall equally affect all thresholds within each category.  Revisions shall be adopted as rules under chapter 34.05 RCW.  The first revision authorized by this subsection shall reflect economic changes from the time of the last legislative enactment affecting the respective code or threshold through December 1985;

    (12) Develop and provide to filers a system for certification of reports required under this chapter which are transmitted by facsimile or electronically to the commission.  Implementation of the program is contingent on the availability of funds.

 

    Sec. 18.  RCW 42.17.420 and 1983 c 176 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, when any application, report, statement, notice, or payment required to be made under the provisions of this chapter has been deposited postpaid in the United States mail properly addressed, it shall be deemed to have been received on the date of mailing.  It shall be presumed that the date shown by the post office cancellation mark on the envelope is the date of mailing.  The provisions of this section do not apply to reports required to be delivered under RCW 42.17.105 and 42.17.175.

    (2) When a report is filed electronically with the commission, it is deemed to have been received on the file transfer date.  Electronic filing may be used for purposes of filing the special reports required to be delivered under RCW 42.17.105 and 42.17.175.

 

    Sec. 19.  RCW 42.17.510 and 1993 c 2 s 22 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) All written political advertising, whether relating to candidates or ballot propositions, shall include the sponsor's name and address.  All radio and television political advertising, whether relating to candidates or ballot propositions, shall include the sponsor's name.  The use of an assumed name shall be unlawful.  The party with which a candidate files shall be clearly identified in political advertising for partisan office.

    (2) In addition to the materials required by subsection (1) of this section, all political advertising undertaken as an independent expenditure by a person or entity other than a party organization must include the following statement on the communication "NOTICE TO VOTERS (Required by law):  This advertisement is not authorized or approved by any candidate.  It is paid for by (name, address, city, state)."  If the advertisement undertaken as an independent expenditure is undertaken by a nonindividual other than a party organization, then the following notation must also be included:  "Top Five Contributors," followed by a listing of the names of the five persons or entities making the largest contributions reportable under this chapter during the twelve-month period before the date of the advertisement.

    (3) The statements and listings of contributors required by subsections (1) and (2) of this section shall:

    (a) Appear on ((each)) the first page or fold of the written communication in at least ten-point type, or in type at least ten percent of the largest size type used in a written communication directed at more than one voter, such as a billboard or poster, whichever is larger;

    (b) Not be subject to the half-tone or screening process;

    (c) Be ((in a printed or drawn box)) set apart from any other printed matter; and

    (d) Be clearly spoken on any broadcast advertisement.

    (4) Political yard signs are exempt from the requirement of subsections (1) and (2) of this section that the name and address of the sponsor of political advertising be listed on the advertising.  In addition, the public disclosure commission shall, by rule, exempt from the identification requirements of subsections (1) and (2) of this section forms of political advertising such as campaign buttons, balloons, pens, pencils, sky-writing, inscriptions, and other forms of advertising where identification is impractical.

    (5) For the purposes of this section, "yard sign" means any outdoor sign with dimensions no greater than eight feet by four feet.

 

    Sec. 20.  RCW 42.17.640 and 1993 c 2 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) No person, other than a bona fide political party or a caucus ((of the state legislature)) political committee, may make contributions to a candidate for a state legislative office that in the aggregate exceed five hundred dollars or to a candidate for a state office other than a state legislative office that in the aggregate exceed one thousand dollars for each election in which the candidate is on the ballot or appears as a write-in candidate.  Contributions made with respect to a primary may not be made after the date of the primary.  Contributions made with respect to a general election may not be made after the final day of the applicable election cycle.

    (2) No person, other than a bona fide political party or a caucus ((of the state legislature)) political committee, may make contributions to a state official against whom recall charges have been filed, or to a political committee having the expectation of making expenditures in support of the recall of the state official, during a recall campaign that in the aggregate exceed five hundred dollars if for a state legislative office or one thousand dollars if for a state office other than a state legislative office.

    (3)(a) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, no bona fide political party or caucus ((of the state legislature)) political committee may make contributions to a candidate during an election cycle that in the aggregate exceed (i) fifty cents multiplied by the number of eligible registered voters in the jurisdiction from which the candidate is elected if the contributor is a caucus ((of the state legislature)) political committee or the governing body of a state organization, or (ii) twenty-five cents multiplied by the number of registered voters in the jurisdiction from which the candidate is elected if the contributor is a county central committee or a legislative district committee.

    (b) No candidate may accept contributions from a county central committee or a legislative district committee during an election cycle that when combined with contributions from other county central committees or legislative district committees would in the aggregate exceed twenty-five cents times the number of registered voters in the jurisdiction from which the candidate is elected.

    (4)(a) Notwithstanding subsection (2) of this section, no bona fide political party or caucus ((of the state legislature)) political committee may make contributions to a state official against whom recall charges have been filed, or to a political committee having the expectation of making expenditures in support of the state official, during a recall campaign that in the aggregate exceed (i) fifty cents multiplied by the number of eligible registered voters in the jurisdiction entitled to recall the state official if the contributor is a caucus ((of the state legislature of [or])) political committee or the governing body of a state organization, or (ii) twenty-five cents multiplied by the number of registered voters in the jurisdiction from which the candidate is elected if the contributor is a county central committee or a legislative district committee.

    (b) No state official against whom recall charges have been filed, no authorized committee of the official, and no political committee having the expectation of making expenditures in support of the recall of a state official may accept contributions from a county central committee or a legislative district committee during an election cycle that when combined with contributions from other county central committees or legislative district committees would in the aggregate exceed twenty-five cents multiplied by the number of registered voters in the jurisdiction from which the candidate is elected.

    (5) For purposes of determining contribution limits under subsections (3) and (4) of this section, the number of eligible registered voters in a jurisdiction is the number at the time of the most recent general election in the jurisdiction.

    (6) Notwithstanding subsections (1) through (4) of this section, no person other than an individual, bona fide political party, or caucus ((of the state legislature)) political committee may make contributions reportable under this chapter to a caucus ((of the state legislature)) political committee that in the aggregate exceed five hundred dollars in a calendar year or to a bona fide political party that in the aggregate exceed two thousand five hundred dollars in a calendar year.  This subsection does not apply to loans made in the ordinary course of business.

    (((6))) (7) For the purposes of RCW 42.17.640 through 42.17.790, a contribution to the authorized political committee of a candidate, or of a state official against whom recall charges have been filed, is considered to be a contribution to the candidate or state official.

    (((7))) (8) A contribution received within the twelve-month period after a recall election concerning a state office is considered to be a contribution during that recall campaign if the contribution is used to pay a debt or obligation incurred to influence the outcome of that recall campaign.

    (((8))) (9) The contributions allowed by subsection (2) of this section are in addition to those allowed by subsection (1) of this section, and the contributions allowed by subsection (4) of this section are in addition to those allowed by subsection (3) of this section.

    (((9))) (10) RCW 42.17.640 through 42.17.790 apply to a special election conducted to fill a vacancy in a state office.  However, the contributions made to a candidate or received by a candidate for a primary or special election conducted to fill such a vacancy shall not be counted toward any of the limitations that apply to the candidate or to contributions made to the candidate for any other primary or election.

    (((10))) (11) Notwithstanding the other subsections of this section, no corporation or business entity not doing business in Washington state, no labor union with fewer than ten members who reside in Washington state, and no political committee that has not received contributions of ten dollars or more from at least ten persons registered to vote in Washington state during the preceding one hundred eighty days may make contributions reportable under this chapter to a candidate, to a state official against whom recall charges have been filed, or to a political committee having the expectation of making  expenditures in support of the recall of the official.  This subsection does not apply to loans made in the ordinary course of business.

    (((11))) (12) Notwithstanding the other subsections of this section, no county central committee or legislative district committee may make contributions reportable under this chapter to a candidate, state official against whom recall charges have been filed, or political committee having the expectation of making expenditures in support of the recall of a state official if the county central committee or legislative district committee is outside of the jurisdiction entitled to elect the candidate or recall the state official.

    (((12))) (13) No person may accept contributions that exceed the contribution limitations provided in this section.

    (14) The following contributions are exempt from the contribution limits of this section:

    (a) An expenditure or contribution earmarked for voter registration, for absentee ballot information, for precinct caucuses, for get-out-the-vote campaigns, for precinct judges or inspectors, for sample ballots, or for ballot counting, all without promotion of or political advertising for individual candidates; or

    (b) An expenditure by a political committee for its own internal organization or fund raising without direct association with individual candidates.

 

    Sec. 21.  RCW 42.17.680 and 1993 c 2 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) No employer or labor organization may increase the salary of an officer or employee, or give an emolument to an officer, employee, or other person or entity, with the intention that the increase in salary, or the emolument, or a part of it, be contributed or spent to support or oppose a candidate, state official against whom recall charges have been filed, political party, or political committee.

    (2) No employer or labor organization may discriminate against an officer or employee in the terms or conditions of employment for (((a))) the failure to contribute to((, (b))) or the failure in any way to support or oppose((, or (c) in any way supporting or opposing)) a candidate, ballot proposition, political party, or political committee.

    (3) No employer or other person or entity responsible for the disbursement of funds in payment of wages or salaries may withhold or divert a portion of an employee's wages or salaries for contributions to political committees or for use as political contributions except upon the written request of the employee.  The request must be made on a form prescribed by the commission informing the employee of the prohibition against employer and labor organization discrimination described in subsection (2) of this section.  The request is valid for no more than twelve months from the date it is made by the employee.

    (4) Each person or entity who withholds contributions under subsection (3) of this section shall maintain open for public inspection for a period of no less than three years, during normal business hours, documents and books of accounts that shall include a copy of each employee's request, the amounts and dates funds were actually withheld, and the amounts and dates funds were transferred to a political committee.  Copies of such information shall be delivered to the commission upon request.

 

    Sec. 22.  RCW 42.17.720 and 1993 c 2 s 12 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) A loan is considered to be a contribution from the ((maker)) lender and ((the)) any guarantor of the loan and is subject to the contribution limitations of this chapter.  The full amount of the loan shall be attributed to the lender and to each guarantor.

    (2) A loan to a candidate for public office or the candidate's political committee must be by written agreement.

    (3) The proceeds of a loan made to a candidate for public office:

    (a) By a commercial lending institution;

    (b) Made in the regular course of business; and

    (c) On the same terms ordinarily available to members of the public((; and

    (d) That is secured or guaranteed)),

are not subject to the contribution limits of this chapter.

 

    Sec. 23.  RCW 42.17.740 and 1993 c 2 s 14 are each amended to read as follows:

    TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS.  (1) ((An individual)) A person may not make a contribution of more than fifty dollars, other than an in-kind contribution, except by a written instrument containing the name of the donor and the name of the payee.

    (2) A political committee may not make a contribution, other than in-kind, except by a written instrument containing the name of the donor and the name of the payee.

 

    Sec. 24.  RCW 42.17.750 and 1993 c 2 s 15 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) No state or local official or state or local official's agent may knowingly solicit, directly or indirectly, a contribution to a candidate for public office, political party, or political committee from an employee in the state or local official's agency.

    (2) No state or local official or ((state)) public employee may provide an advantage or disadvantage to an employee or applicant for employment in the classified civil service concerning the applicant's or employee's:

    (a) Employment;

    (b) Conditions of employment; or

    (c) Application for employment,

based on the employee's or applicant's contribution or promise to contribute or failure to make a contribution or contribute to a political party or political committee.

 

    Sec. 25.  RCW 42.17.770 and 1993 c 2 s 17 are each amended to read as follows:

    A person ((or entity)) may not solicit from a candidate for public office, political committee, political party, or other person ((or entity)) money or other property as a condition or consideration for an endorsement, article, or other communication in the news media promoting or opposing a candidate for public office, political committee, or political party.

 

    Sec. 26.  RCW 42.17.780 and 1993 c 2 s 18 are each amended to read as follows:

    A person ((or entity)) may not, directly or indirectly, reimburse another person ((or entity)) for a contribution to a candidate for public office, political committee, or political party.

 

    Sec. 27.  RCW 42.17.790 and 1993 c 2 s 19 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, a candidate for public office or the candidate's political committee may not use or permit the use of contributions, whether or not surplus, solicited for or received by the candidate for public office or the candidate's political committee to further the candidacy of the individual for an office other than the office designated on the statement of organization.  A contribution solicited for or received on behalf of the candidate for public office is considered solicited or received for the candidacy for which the individual is then a candidate if the contribution is solicited or received before the general elections for which the candidate for public office is a nominee or is unopposed.

    (2) With the written approval of the contributor, a candidate for public office or the candidate's political committee may use or permit the use of contributions, whether or not surplus, solicited for or received by the candidate for public office or the candidate's political committee from that contributor to further the candidacy of the individual for an office other than the office designated on the statement of organization.  If the contributor does not approve the use of his or her contribution to further the candidacy of the individual for an office other than the office designated on the statement of organization at the time of the contribution, the contribution must be considered surplus funds and disposed of in accordance with RCW 42.17.095.

 

    Sec. 28.  RCW 42.17.100 and 1989 c 280 s 10 are each amended to read as follows:

    INTERNAL POLITICAL COMMUNICATIONS‑-INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURE.  (1) For the purposes of this section and RCW 42.17.550 the term "independent ((campaign)) expenditure" means any expenditure that is made in support of or in opposition to any candidate or ballot proposition and is not otherwise required to be reported pursuant to RCW 42.17.060, 42.17.080, or 42.17.090.  "Independent expenditure" does not include:  An internal political communication primarily limited to the contributors to a political party organization or political action committee, or the officers, management staff, and stockholders of a corporation or similar enterprise, or the members of a labor organization or other membership organization; or the rendering of personal services of the sort commonly performed by volunteer campaign workers, or incidental expenses personally incurred by volunteer campaign workers not in excess of fifty dollars personally paid for by the worker.  "Volunteer services," for the purposes of this section, means services or labor for which the individual is not compensated by any person.

    (2) Within five days after the date of making an independent ((campaign)) expenditure that by itself or when added to all other such independent ((campaign)) expenditures made during the same election campaign by the same person equals one hundred dollars or more, or within five days after the date of making an independent ((campaign)) expenditure for which no reasonable estimate of monetary value is practicable, whichever occurs first, the person who made the independent ((campaign)) expenditure shall file with the commission and the county elections officer of the county of residence for the candidate supported or opposed by the independent ((campaign)) expenditure (or in the case of an expenditure made in support of or in opposition to a local ballot proposition, the county of residence for the person making the expenditure) an initial report of all independent ((campaign)) expenditures made during the campaign prior to and including such date.

    (3) At the following intervals each person who is required to file an initial report pursuant to subsection (2) of this section shall file with the commission and the county elections officer of the county of residence for the candidate supported or opposed by the independent ((campaign)) expenditure (or in the case of an expenditure made in support of or in opposition to a ballot proposition, the county of residence for the person making the expenditure) a further report of the independent ((campaign)) expenditures made since the date of the last report:

    (a) On the twenty-first day and the seventh day preceding the date on which the election is held; and

    (b) On the tenth day of the first month after the election; and

    (c) On the tenth day of each month in which no other reports are required to be filed pursuant to this section.  However, the further reports required by this subsection (3) shall only be filed if the reporting person has made an independent ((campaign)) expenditure since the date of the last previous report filed.

    The report filed pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection (3) shall be the final report, and upon submitting such final report the duties of the reporting person shall cease, and there shall be no obligation to make any further reports.

    (4) All reports filed pursuant to this section shall be certified as correct by the reporting person.

    (5) Each report required by subsections (2) and (3) of this section shall disclose for the period beginning at the end of the period for the last previous report filed or, in the case of an initial report, beginning at the time of the first independent ((campaign)) expenditure, and ending not more than one business day before the date the report is due:

    (a) The name and address of the person filing the report;

    (b) The name and address of each person to whom an independent ((campaign)) expenditure was made in the aggregate amount of more than fifty dollars, and the amount, date, and purpose of each such expenditure.  If no reasonable estimate of the monetary value of a particular independent ((campaign)) expenditure is practicable, it is sufficient to report instead a precise description of services, property, or rights furnished through the expenditure and where appropriate to attach a copy of the item produced or distributed by the expenditure;

    (c) The total sum of all independent ((campaign)) expenditures made during the campaign to date; and

    (d) Such other information as shall be required by the commission by rule in conformance with the policies and purposes of this chapter.

 

    Sec. 29.  RCW 42.17.125 and 1993 c 2 s 21 are each amended to read as follows:

    TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS.  Contributions received and reported in accordance with RCW 42.17.060 through 42.17.090 may only be transferred to the personal account of a candidate, or of a treasurer or other individual or expended for such individual's personal use under the following circumstances:

    (1) Reimbursement for or loans to cover lost earnings incurred as a result of campaigning or services performed for the political committee.  Such lost earnings shall be verifiable as unpaid salary, or when the individual is not salaried, as an amount not to exceed income received by the individual for services rendered during an appropriate, corresponding time period.  All lost earnings incurred shall be documented and a record thereof shall be maintained by the individual or the individual's political committee.  The political committee shall include a copy of such record when its expenditure for such reimbursement is reported pursuant to RCW 42.17.090.

    (2) Reimbursement for direct out-of-pocket election campaign and postelection campaign related expenses made by the individual.  To receive reimbursement from the political committee, the individual shall provide the political committee with written documentation as to the amount, date, and description of each expense, and the political committee shall include a copy of such information when its expenditure for such reimbursement is reported pursuant to RCW 42.17.090.

    (3) Repayment of loans made by the individual to political committees, which repayment shall be reported pursuant to RCW 42.17.090.  However, contributions may not be used to reimburse a candidate for loans totaling more than three thousand dollars made by the candidate to the candidate's own ((authorized)) political committee or campaign.

 

    Sec. 30.  RCW 42.52.180 and 1994 c 154 s 118 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) No state officer or state employee may use or authorize the use of facilities of an agency, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of assisting a campaign for election of a person to an office or for the promotion of or opposition to a ballot proposition.  Knowing acquiescence by a person with authority to direct, control, or influence the actions of the state officer or state employee using public resources in violation of this section constitutes a violation of this section.  Facilities of an agency include, but are not limited to, use of stationery, postage, machines, and equipment, use of state employees of the agency during working hours, vehicles, office space, publications of the agency, and clientele lists of persons served by the agency.

    (2) This section shall not apply to the following activities:

    (a) Action taken at an open public meeting by members of an elected legislative body to express a collective decision, or to actually vote upon a motion, proposal, resolution, order, or ordinance, or to support or oppose a ballot proposition as long as (i) required notice of the meeting includes the title and number of the ballot proposition, and (ii) members of the legislative body or members of the public are afforded an approximately equal opportunity for the expression of an opposing view;

    (b) A statement by an elected official in support of or in opposition to any ballot proposition at an open press conference or in response to a specific inquiry.  For the purposes of this subsection, it is not a violation of this section for an elected official to respond to an inquiry regarding a ballot proposition, to make incidental remarks concerning a ballot proposition in an official communication, or otherwise comment on a ballot proposition without an actual, measurable expenditure of public funds.  The ((public disclosure commission shall, after consultation with the)) ethics boards((,)) shall adopt by rule a definition of measurable expenditure;

    (c) Activities that are part of the normal and regular conduct of the office or agency; and

    (d) De minimis use of public facilities by state-wide elected officials and legislators incidental to the preparation or delivery of permissible communications, including written and verbal communications initiated by them of their views on ballot propositions that foreseeably may affect a matter that falls within their constitutional or statutory responsibilities.

    (3) As to state officers and employees, this section operates to the exclusion of RCW 42.17.130.

 

    Sec. 31.  RCW 42.17.095 and 1993 c 2 s 20 are each amended to read as follows:

    The surplus funds of a candidate, or of a political committee supporting or opposing a candidate, may only be disposed of in any one or more of the following ways:

    (1) Return the surplus to a contributor in an amount not to exceed that contributor's original contribution;

    (2) Transfer the surplus to the candidate's personal account as reimbursement for lost earnings incurred as a result of that candidate's election campaign.  Such lost earnings shall be verifiable as unpaid salary or, when the candidate is not salaried, as an amount not to exceed income received by the candidate for services rendered during an appropriate, corresponding time period.  All lost earnings incurred shall be documented and a record thereof shall be maintained by the candidate or the candidate's political committee.  The committee shall include a copy of such record when its expenditure for such reimbursement is reported pursuant to RCW 42.17.090;

    (3) Transfer the surplus without limit to a political party or to a caucus ((of the state legislature)) political committee;

    (4) Donate the surplus to a charitable organization registered in accordance with chapter 19.09 RCW;

    (5) Transmit the surplus to the state treasurer for deposit in the general fund; or

    (6) Hold the surplus in the campaign depository or depositories designated in accordance with RCW 42.17.050 for possible use in a future election campaign for the same office last sought by the candidate and report any such disposition in accordance with RCW 42.17.090:  PROVIDED, That if the candidate subsequently announces or publicly files for office, information as appropriate is reported to the commission in accordance with RCW 42.17.040 through 42.17.090.  If a subsequent office is not sought the surplus held shall be disposed of in accordance with the requirements of this section.

    (7) Hold the surplus campaign funds in a separate account for nonreimbursed public office-related expenses or as provided in this section, and report any such disposition in accordance with RCW 42.17.090.  The separate account required under this subsection shall not be used for deposits of campaign funds that are not surplus.

    (8) No candidate or authorized committee may transfer funds to any other candidate or other political committee.

    The disposal of surplus funds under this section shall not be considered a contribution for purposes of this chapter.

 

    Sec. 32.  RCW 42.17.160 and 1982 c 147 s 12 are each amended to read as follows:

    The following persons and activities shall be exempt from registration and reporting under RCW 42.17.150, 42.17.170, and 42.17.200:

    (1) Persons who limit their lobbying activities to appearing before public sessions of committees of the legislature, or public hearings of state agencies;

    (2) Activities by lobbyists or other persons whose participation has been solicited by an agency under RCW 34.05.310(2);

    (3) News or feature reporting activities and editorial comment by working members of the press, radio, or television and the publication or dissemination thereof by a newspaper, book publisher, regularly published periodical, radio station, or television station;

    (((3))) (4) Persons who lobby without compensation or other consideration for acting as a lobbyist:  PROVIDED, Such person makes no expenditure for or on behalf of any member of the legislature or elected official or public officer or employee of the state of Washington in connection with such lobbying.  The exemption contained in this subsection is intended to permit and encourage citizens of this state to lobby any legislator, public official, or state agency without incurring any registration or reporting obligation provided they do not exceed the limits stated above.  Any person exempt under this subsection (((3))) (4) may at his or her option register and report under this chapter;

    (((4))) (5) Persons who restrict their lobbying activities to no more than four days or parts thereof during any three-month period and whose total expenditures during such three-month period for or on behalf of any one or more members of the legislature or state elected officials or public officers or employees of the state of Washington in connection with such lobbying do not exceed twenty-five (([dollars])) dollars:  PROVIDED, That the commission shall promulgate regulations to require disclosure by persons exempt under this subsection or their employers or entities which sponsor or coordinate the lobbying activities of such persons if it determines that such regulations are necessary to prevent frustration of the purposes of this chapter.  Any person exempt under this subsection (((4))) (5) may at his or her option register and report under this chapter;

    (((5))) (6) The governor;

    (((6))) (7) The lieutenant governor;

    (((7))) (8) Except as provided by RCW 42.17.190(1), members of the legislature;

    (((8))) (9) Except as provided by RCW 42.17.190(1), persons employed by the legislature for the purpose of aiding in the preparation or enactment of legislation or the performance of legislative duties;

    (((9))) (10) Elected officials, and officers and employees of any agency reporting under RCW 42.17.190(4) as now or hereafter amended.

 

    Sec. 33.  RCW 42.17.170 and 1991 sp.s. c 18 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) Any lobbyist registered under RCW 42.17.150 and any person who lobbies shall file with the commission periodic reports of his or her activities signed by the lobbyist.  The reports shall be made in the form and manner prescribed by the commission.  They shall be due monthly and shall be filed within fifteen days after the last day of the calendar month covered by the report.

    (2) Each such monthly periodic report shall contain:

    (a) The totals of all expenditures for lobbying activities made or incurred by such lobbyist or on behalf of such lobbyist by the lobbyist's employer during the period covered by the report.  Such totals for lobbying activities shall be segregated according to financial category, including compensation; food and refreshments; living accommodations; advertising; travel; contributions; and other expenses or services.  Each individual expenditure of more than twenty-five dollars for entertainment shall be identified by date, place, amount, and the names of all persons in the group partaking in or of such entertainment including any portion thereof attributable to the lobbyist's participation therein, ((without)) and shall include amounts actually expended on each person where calculable, or allocating any portion of ((such)) the expenditure to individual participants.  ((However, if the expenditure for a single hosted reception is more than one hundred dollars per person partaking therein, the report shall specify the per person amount, which shall be determined by dividing the total amount of the expenditure by the total number of persons partaking in the reception.))

    Notwithstanding the foregoing, lobbyists are not required to report the following:

    (i) Unreimbursed personal living and travel expenses not incurred directly for lobbying;

    (ii) Any expenses incurred for his or her own living accommodations;

    (iii) Any expenses incurred for his or her own travel to and from hearings of the legislature;

    (iv) Any expenses incurred for telephone, and any office expenses, including rent and salaries and wages paid for staff and secretarial assistance.

    (b) In the case of a lobbyist employed by more than one employer, the proportionate amount of such expenditures in each category incurred on behalf of each of his employers.

    (c) An itemized listing of each such expenditure, whether contributed by the lobbyist personally or delivered or transmitted by the lobbyist, in the nature of a contribution of money or of tangible or intangible personal property to any candidate, elected official, or officer or employee of any agency, or any political committee supporting or opposing any ballot proposition, or for or on behalf of any candidate, elected official, or officer or employee of any agency, or any political committee supporting or opposing any ballot proposition.  All contributions made to, or for the benefit of, any candidate, elected official, or officer or employee of any agency, or any political committee supporting or opposing any ballot proposition shall be identified by date, amount, and the name of the candidate, elected official, or officer or employee of any agency, or any political committee supporting or opposing any ballot proposition receiving, or to be benefited by each such contribution.

    (d) The subject matter of proposed legislation or other legislative activity or rule-making under chapter 34.05 RCW, the state Administrative Procedure Act, and the state agency considering the same, which the lobbyist has been engaged in supporting or opposing during the reporting period, unless exempt under RCW 42.17.160(2).

    (e) Such other information relevant to lobbying activities as the commission shall by rule prescribe.  Information supporting such activities as are required to be reported is subject to audit by the commission.

    (f) ((A listing of each gift, as defined in RCW 42.17.020, made to a state elected official or executive state officer or to a member of the immediate family of such an official or officer.  Such a gift shall be separately identified by the date it was given, the approximate value of the gift, and the name of the recipient.  However, for a hosted reception where the average per person amount is reported under (a) of this subsection, the approximate value for the gift of partaking in the event is such average per person amount.  The commission shall adopt forms to be used for reporting the giving of gifts under this subsection (2)(f).  The forms shall be designed to permit a lobbyist to report on a separate form for each recipient the reportable gifts given to that recipient during the reporting period or, alternatively, to report on one form all reportable gifts given by the lobbyist during the reporting period)) A listing of each payment for an item specified in RCW 42.52.150(5) in excess of fifty dollars and each item specified in RCW 42.52.010(9) (d) and (f) made to a state elected official, state officer, or state employee.  Each item shall be identified by recipient, date, and approximate value of the item.

    (g) The total expenditures made during the reporting period by the lobbyist for lobbying purposes, whether through or on behalf of a lobbyist or otherwise.  As used in this subsection, "expenditures" includes amounts paid or incurred during the reporting period for (i) political advertising as defined in RCW 42.17.020; and (ii) public relations, telemarketing, polling, or similar activities if such activities, directly or indirectly, are intended, designed, or calculated to influence legislation or the adoption or rejection of a rule, standard, or rate by an agency under the administrative procedure act.  The report shall specify the amount, the person to whom the amount was paid, and a brief description of the activity.

    (3) If a state elected official or a member of such an official's immediate family is identified by a lobbyist in such a report as having received from the lobbyist ((a gift, as defined in RCW 42.17.020)) an item specified in RCW 42.52.150(5) or 42.52.010(9) (d) or (f), the lobbyist shall transmit to the official a copy of the completed form used to identify the ((gift)) item in the report at the same time the report is filed with the commission.

    (4) The commission may adopt rules to vary the content of lobbyist reports to address specific circumstances, consistent with this section.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 34.  The following acts or parts of acts are each repealed:

    (1) RCW 42.17.021 and 1993 c 2 s 30;

    (2) RCW 42.17.630 and 1993 c 2 s 3;

    (3) RCW 42.17.2415 and 1991 sp.s. c 18 s 3; and

    (4) RCW 42.52.210 and 1959 c 320 s 5.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 35.  Sections 1 through 32, 34, and 37 of this act are necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect July 1, 1995.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 36.  Section 33 of this act takes effect September 1, 1995.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 37.  Captions as used in this act constitute no part of the law.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 38.  If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

 


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