H-3298.2          _______________________________________________

 

                                  HOUSE BILL 2250

                  _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1992 Regular Session

 

By Representatives Broback, Betrozoff, Fuhrman, Neher, D. Sommers and Paris

 

Prefiled 12/18/91.  Read first time 01/13/92.  Referred to Committee on State Government.Prohibiting certain campaign contributions.


     AN ACT Relating to the regulation of political contributions; amending RCW 42.17.095 and 42.17.125; and adding new sections to chapter 42.17 RCW.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 42.17 RCW under the subchapter heading "campaign financing" to read as follows:

     (1) Except for a bona fide political party, no political action committee, union, corporation, candidate political committee, ballot proposition political committee, or other organization may make contributions, directly or indirectly, to a (a) candidate or candidate political committee, (b) ballot proposition or its political committee, or (c) political party.

     (2) Contributions made by any individual or organization may be used for lobbying purposes.

     (3) For the purposes of this chapter, a paid endorsement advertisement shall be considered to be a contribution to the candidate endorsed in the advertisement.

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 42.17 RCW under the subchapter heading "campaign financing" to read as follows:

     Except for a bona fide political party, no political action committee, union, corporation, candidate or candidate political action committee, ballot proposition or its political committee, or other individual or organization may receive contributions, directly or indirectly, for campaign or lobbying purposes from any person domiciled or residing outside the state of Washington.

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 42.17 RCW under the subchapter heading "campaign financing" to read as follows:

     A candidate may not, directly or indirectly, make loans to his or her political committee or be reimbursed for making contributions to his or her political committee.

 

     Sec. 4.  RCW 42.17.095 and 1982 c 147 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:

     The surplus funds of a candidate, or of a political committee supporting or opposing a candidate, may only be disposed of in any one or more of the following ways:

     (1) Return the surplus to a contributor in an amount not to exceed that contributor's original contribution;

     (2) ((Transfer the surplus to the candidate's personal account as reimbursement for lost earnings incurred as a result of that candidate's election campaign.  Such lost earnings shall be verifiable as unpaid salary or, when the candidate is not salaried, as an amount not to exceed income received by the candidate for services rendered during an appropriate, corresponding time period.  All lost earnings incurred shall be documented and a record thereof shall be maintained by the candidate or the candidate's political committee.  The committee shall include a copy of such record when its expenditure for such reimbursement is reported pursuant to RCW 42.17.090;

     (3))) Transfer the surplus to ((one or more candidates or to)) a political ((committee or)) party;

     (((4))) (3) Donate the surplus to a charitable organization registered in accordance with chapter 19.09 RCW;

     (((5))) (4) Transmit the surplus to the state treasurer for deposit in the general fund; or

     (((6))) (5) Hold the surplus in the campaign depository or depositories designated in accordance with RCW 42.17.050 for possible use in a future election campaign, for political activity, for community activity, or for nonreimbursed public office related expenses and report any such disposition in accordance with RCW 42.17.090:  PROVIDED, That if the candidate subsequently announces or publicly files for office, information as appropriate is reported to the commission in accordance with RCW 42.17.040 through 42.17.090.  If a subsequent office is not sought the surplus held shall be disposed of in accordance with the requirements of this section.

 

     Sec. 5.  RCW 42.17.125 and 1989 c 280 s 12 are each amended to read as follows:

     Contributions received and reported in accordance with RCW 42.17.060 through 42.17.090 may only be transferred to the personal account of a ((candidate, or of a)) treasurer or other individual who is not a candidate or expended for such individual's personal use under the following circumstances:

     (1) Reimbursement for or loans to cover lost earnings incurred as a result of campaigning or services performed for the committee.  Such lost earnings shall be verifiable as unpaid salary, or when the individual is not salaried, as an amount not to exceed income received by the individual for services rendered during an appropriate, corresponding time period.  All lost earnings incurred shall be documented and a record thereof shall be maintained by the individual or the individual's political committee.  The committee shall include a copy of such record when its expenditure for such reimbursement is reported pursuant to RCW 42.17.090.

     (2) Reimbursement for direct out-of-pocket election campaign and postelection campaign related expenses made by the individual.  To receive reimbursement from the political committee, the individual shall provide the committee with written documentation as to the amount, date, and description of each expense, and the committee shall include a copy of such information when its expenditure for such reimbursement is reported pursuant to RCW 42.17.090.

     (3) Repayment of loans made by the individual to political committees, which repayment shall be reported pursuant to RCW 42.17.090.