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

2SSJR 8206

Brief Description:  Requiring geographic distribution of initiative signatures.

Sponsors:  By Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Hargrove, McDonald, Jacobsen, Long, Costa, Regala, Snyder, Winsley, T. Sheldon, Gardner, McCaslin, Morton, Haugen, Rasmussen, Hochstatter, Honeyford, Oke and McAuliffe).

Brief Summary of Second Substitute Bill

$Requires that initiative petitions signatures be distributed in a manner resulting in at least six congressional districts each having at least one-ninth the total signatures required to certify the initiative to the ballot.

Hearing Date:  3/26/01

Staff:  Jim Morishima (786‑7191).

Background: 

There are two types of initiatives: initiatives to the people and initiatives to the Legislature.  Certified initiatives to the people appear on the general election ballot.  Certified initiatives to the Legislature are brought before the Legislature.  In order to be certified, an initiative petition must contain a number of signatures of registered voters equal to at least four percent of the number of votes cast for the office of Governor at the last gubernatorial election.

Summary of Bill: 

After January 1, 2004, initiative petition signatures must be distributed so that at least six congressional districts each have at least one‑ninth of the total signatures required to certify the initiative to the ballot.

Rulemaking Authority:  No express authority.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.