Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
State Government & Tribal Relations Committee
2ESSB 5284
Brief Description: Concerning campaign finance disclosure.
Sponsors: Senate Committee on State Government & Elections (originally sponsored by Senators Nguyen, Billig, Frame, Hunt, Keiser, Kuderer, Shewmake and Wilson, C.; by request of Public Disclosure Commission).
Brief Summary of Second Engrossed Substitute Bill
  • Requires purchasers of political advertising or electioneering communications to disclose to commercial advertisers, upon request, that the purchase includes political advertising or electioneering communications, and any other information required by rule.
Hearing Date: 2/20/24
Staff: Jason Zolle (786-7124).
Background:

Public Disclosure Commission.

The Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) was created in 1972 by Initiative 276.  The PDC regulates many financial aspects of political campaigns, including contributions to candidates and expenditures related to ballot measures, as well as political advertisements and electioneering communications.

 

Commercial Advertisers.

Any person or entity who sells the service of communicating messages or producing material for the general public is considered a commercial advertiser and is subject to regulation by the PDC.  A commercial advertiser who has accepted or provided political advertising or electioneering communications during an election campaign must maintain current books of account that are open for public inspection.  The documents must specify information about the political advertising or electioneering communications the advertiser has sold, including the sponsor's identity and the cost of the services.  Rules enacted by the PDC require books of account to also include information about specific major work components or tasks that were required to provide the advertising or communications services.  A commercial advertiser must provide this information to the PDC upon request.
Summary of Bill:

Any person who purchases political advertising or electioneering communications from a commercial advertiser must disclose, upon request of the commercial advertiser, that the purchase includes political advertising or electioneering communications, as well as the name of the sponsor and any other information that the commercial advertiser is required by the PDC to maintain.  A purchaser's failure to provide this information is a violation punishable by the PDC, but it does not relieve the commercial advertiser of its own responsibilities under the law.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.