Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research	BILL ANALYSIS
State Government Committee

HB 1908

Brief Description:  Restricting mailings and public service broadcasts by state officials.

Sponsors:  Representatives Schoesler, Morris, Santos, Hankins, Sump, Pennington, DeBolt, B. Chandler, Sehlin, D. Schmidt, Dunn, Mielke, McMorris, Tokuda, Buck, Skinner, Mulliken and Bush.

Brief Summary of Bill

$Imposes mailing restrictions similar to those imposed on state legislators on other elected state officials.

Hearing Date:  2/23/01

Staff:  Jim Morishima (786‑7191).

Background: 

For the 12 month period preceding a general election in which a legislator is running for office, the legislator may not send to a constituent, either by regular mail or electronic mail, a letter, newsletter, brochure, or other piece of literature at public expense.  There are several exceptions to this general rule:

$The legislator may send two newsletters during the 12 month period;

$The legislator may respond to constituent inquiries;

$The legislator may send a letter to a constituent who holds a government office having jurisdiction over the subject of the letter;

$The legislator may send a letter to a constituent who has won an award or honor of extraordinary distinction like the Nobel Prize, or the Pulitzer Prize.

Summary of Bill: 

For the 12 month period preceding a general election in which a state official is running for office, the official may not send to a constituent, either by regular mail or electronic mail, a letter, newsletter, brochure or other piece of literature at public expense.  The official also may not make public service broadcasts at public expense.

There are several exceptions to the general rule regarding mail restrictions:

$The official may send two newsletters during the 12 month period;

$The official may respond to constituent inquiries;

$The official may send a letter to a constituent who holds a government office having jurisdiction over the subject of the letter; and

$The official may send a letter to a constituent who has won an award or honor of extraordinary distinction like the Nobel Prize, or the Pulitzer Prize.

Also, the mailing restrictions are inapplicable to:

$Brochures or other literature mailed as part of the regular duties of the state office that only refer to the office, and not the name of the official;

$Correspondence on state office letterhead mailed by employees of the state office that are part of the regular duties of the state office.

Similarly, the public service broadcast restrictions do not apply to public service broadcasts that are part of the regular duties of the state office that only mention or visually display the state office, and not the name of the official.

Rulemaking Authority:  No express authority.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not Requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.