HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1312

                       As Passed House

                       March 11, 1991

Title:  An act relating to special reports for campaign contributions.

Brief Description:  Changing requirements for special campaign reports.

Sponsor(s):  Representatives Wang, McLean and Anderson.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

State Government, February 20, 1991, DP;

Passed House, March 11, 1991, 96-0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

STATE GOVERNMENT

Majority Report: Do pass.  Signed by 10 members:  Representatives Anderson, Chair; Pruitt, Vice Chair; McLean, Ranking Minority Member; Bowman, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Chandler; R. Fisher; Grant; Moyer; O'Brien; and Sheldon.

Staff:  Kenneth Hirst (786-7105).

Background:  The state's public disclosure law requires political committees and candidates to report their campaign contributions and expenditures.  Special reports are required for certain contributions which are given or received near the time of a primary or election.  The special report must be filed for such a contribution which is made or received: before a primary and after those reported in the last routinely filed report before the primary; or in the 21 days before a general election.  This requirement applies to a contribution of more than $500 which is received from a single entity and to a contribution of more than $500 which is made by a political committee, lobbyist, or employer of a lobbyist during this special reporting period. 

Reports regarding the receipt of such a contribution must be delivered to the Public Disclosure Commission within 48 hours or the first working day after the contribution is received.  If an oral version of the report is filed with the commission by this deadline, the written form of the report must also be filed with the commission but may be postmarked by the deadline.  A report regarding such a contribution made by a political committee, lobbyist, or lobbyist's employer must be delivered to the commission, and to the political committee or candidate receiving the contribution, within 24 hours of the time the contribution is made, or on the first working day after it is made.

Summary of Bill:  Special reports regarding contributions made or received during the special reporting period before a primary or general election now expressly apply to contributions received during this period by a candidate or political committee which, in the aggregate, total more than $500 from one entity.  They also expressly apply to contributions totaling more than $500 which are made during this period to a single entity by a political committee, lobbyist, or lobbyist's employer.  A special report must also be filed for any subsequent contribution received from that entity (or made to that entity) during the special reporting period. 

These aggregate totals include contributions made or received through a third party whether or not the contributions are reported to the commission as earmarked contributions.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

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

Testimony For:  The bill closes a loophole.  A series of $499 contributions may not be covered by special reports under current law.  This bill applies the special reporting requirements to aggregates of contributions totalling more than $500.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Representative Art Wang (in favor); and Graham Johnson, Public Disclosure Commission.