SENATE BILL REPORT

                            SB 5401

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON LAW & JUSTICE, FEBRUARY 19, 1993

Brief Description:  Regulating political telemarketing.

SPONSORS: Senators Quigley, Haugen, A. Smith, Skratek, Fraser, Prince, Deccio, Drew, Bauer, Talmadge, Spanel, Loveland, Sutherland, Rinehart, Gaspard, Snyder, Jesernig, von Reichbauer, Winsley, Niemi, Vognild, Prentice and Sheldon

SENATE COMMITTEE ON LAW & JUSTICE

Majority Report:  Do pass. 

     Signed by Senators A. Smith, Chairman; Quigley, Vice Chairman; Hargrove, McCaslin, Nelson, Niemi, Rinehart, Roach, and Spanel.

Staff:  Dick Armstrong (786‑7460)

Hearing Dates: February 12, 1993; February 19, 1993

BACKGROUND:

During election campaigns, candidates and their supporters often engage in programs using telephone calls to determine voter sentiment on political issues, and to communicate information about the candidate and his or her opponent.  Such "telemarketing" programs sometimes use representations about a candidate or the candidate's position on an issue as a way of assessing the importance of certain information in a campaign or as a means of persuading voters to vote in a certain way.

Some persons familiar with the election process are of the opinion that persons who engage in telemarketing should be required to disclose some identifying information, as is now required for political advertising.

SUMMARY:

Persons who engage in political telemarketing are required to disclose the sponsor's name and a statement indicating the candidate on whose behalf the advertising is being done.

Telemarketing means a non-random, organized program of telephoning individuals where, in general, representations are made concerning a person's characteristics or positions on the issues.  Telemarketing is considered political advertising for purposes of the public disclosure law.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  none requested

TESTIMONY FOR:

This bill will help to eliminate political advertising that is disguised as a "poll."  Citizens are being misled by political telemarketing.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:  None

TESTIFIED:  Senator Quigley, prime sponsor (pro); Les Abbenhouse, citizen (pro)