Z-0932.1                   _______________________________________________

                                                     SENATE BILL 5973

                              _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              53rd Legislature                             1993 Regular Session

By Senators Gaspard and Rinehart; by request of Office of Financial Management

Read first time 04/07/93.  Referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

Requiring the secretary of state to provide a copy of the state-wide computer file of registered voters to persons requesting a

          AN ACT Relating to voter registration tapes for political parties; amending RCW 29.04.150 and 29.04.160; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.

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

        Sec. 1.  RCW 29.04.150 and 1975-'76 2nd ex.s. c 46 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) No later than June 15th or November 15th, any political party organization or any other individual may request in writing from the secretary of state to receive a copy of the subsequent state-wide computer file of registered voters compiled under subsection (2) of this section.  At the time it makes this request, the political party or individual shall deposit sufficient funds with the secretary of state to pay for the cost of assembling, compiling, and distributing the computer file of registered voters and shall agree to the statutory restrictions regarding the commercial use of this data.

(2) Not earlier than January 1st ((nor later than February 1st of each calendar year and not earlier than)) or July 1st ((nor later than August 1st of each calendar year)) subsequent to the receipt of a request and deposit under subsection (1) of this section, each county auditor shall provide to the secretary of state, or a data processing agency designated by ((him)) the secretary of state, a duplicate computer tape or data file of the records of the registered voters in that county, containing the information specified in RCW 29.07.220.  The secretary of state shall reimburse each county for the actual cost of reproduction and mailing of the duplicate computer tape or data file.  ((He shall arrange for a master computer tape or data file of the records of all the registered voters of the state to be compiled.))

        Sec. 2.  RCW 29.04.160 and 1977 ex.s. c 226 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

          ((No later than February 15th and no later than August 15th of each year)) As soon as any or all of the voter registration data from the counties has been received under RCW 29.04.150 and processed, the secretary of state shall provide a duplicate copy of ((the master state-wide computer tape or)) this data ((file of registered voters)) to the state central committee ((of each major political party)) or other individual making the request, at ((actual duplication)) cost((, and shall provide a duplicate copy of the master state-wide computer tape or data file of registered voters to the statute law committee without cost.  The master state-wide computer tape or data file of registered voters or portions of the tape or file shall be available to any other political party, at actual duplication cost, upon written request to the secretary of state)).  Restrictions as to the commercial use of the information on the state-wide computer tape or data file of registered voters, and penalties for its misuse, shall be the same as provided in RCW 29.04.110 and 29.04.120 as now existing or hereafter amended.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect July 1, 1993.

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