FINAL BILL REPORT
HB 1294
C 123 L 03
Synopsis as Enacted
Brief Description: Revising campaign finance reporting requirements for out-of-state political committees.
Sponsors: By Representatives McDermott, Haigh, Armstrong, Nixon, Miloscia, Dickerson and Mielke; by request of Public Disclosure Commission.
House Committee on State Government
Senate Committee on Government Operations & Elections
Background:
The Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) enforces the campaign finance laws for candidates and ballot propositions in state and local elections. Political campaigns must document and report almost all contributions and expenditures in campaign finance reports filed with the PDC at regular intervals.
Federal and out-of-state political committees are required to file C-5 reports with the PDC if they make a contribution to or an expenditure on behalf of a Washington political committee.- Contributions received from federal or out-of-state political committees must be reported by the political committee operating in Washington. If the federal or out-of-state political committee fails to file a C-5 report within 10 days of making the contribution, the campaign must forfeit the contribution to the state.
The Federal Elections Commission (FEC) enforces campaign finance laws for candidates in federal elections. The FEC has a number of methods and schedules for political committees to file reports. Those committees that file monthly must list all contributions and expenditures for one month in a report filed by the 20th day of the following month.
Summary:
Washington political committees are no longer required to forfeit contributions from federal or out-of-state political committees. A federal or out-of-state political committee that makes a contribution to or an expenditure on behalf of a Washington political committee must file a report with the PDC by the 20th day of the following month unless it already files regularly with the FEC, in which case it is exempt from the PDC filing requirement.
Votes on Final Passage:
House 95 0
Senate 48 0
Effective: July 27, 2003