HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SHB 2140

                  As Amended by the Senate

Title:  An act relating to elections in cities and towns.

Brief Description:  Revising election laws and procedures for cities and towns.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Government Operations (originally sponsored by Representatives L. Thomas, Chopp and Murray).

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Government Operations:  1/19/96, 1/23/96 [DPS].

  Floor Activity:

Passed House:  2/5/96, 95-0.

Senate Amended.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 14 members:  Representatives Reams, Chairman; Cairnes, Vice Chairman; Goldsmith, Vice Chairman; Rust, Ranking Minority Member; Scott, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Conway; R. Fisher; Hargrove; Honeyford; Hymes; Mulliken; Scheuerman; D. Schmidt and Wolfe.

Staff:  Scott White (786-7153).

Background:  Administration requirements for elections within cities and towns are established in statute.

Summary of Bill:  The proposed legislation makes several changes relating to election laws for cities and towns.

The responsibility of the county auditor to transmit the results of an annexation election to the county legislative authority and to the city or town to which annexation is proposed is clarified.

The county auditor is required to review signatures on an initiative petition in a city with a commission form of government.

A common format for the form of a petition for all cities and towns is established.  Petitions must be signed by registered voters, instead of electors.

The bill further clarifies the requirement that the county auditor review signatures on initiative and referendum petitions in code cities and certify the sufficiency of the petitions.

EFFECT OF SENATE AMENDMENT(S): The amendments by the Senate clarify that propositions are submitted to registered voters, as opposed to simply voters.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  The bill will provide uniformity for petition formats.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Representative Les Thomas, prime sponsor; and Robert Bruce, King County Elections.