BP BHEAD INT H

AN ACT Relating to the citizens' commission on campaign finance; amending 1995 2nd sp.s. c 18 s 117 (uncodified); adding new sections to chapter 42.17 RCW; and making an appropriation.

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 to read as follows:

The citizens' commission on campaign finance is created to consist of nineteen members appointed as provided in this section.

(1) Nine members shall be selected by lot by the secretary of state from among those registered voters eligible to vote at the time persons are selected for appointment to full terms on the citizens' commission under subsection (3) of this section. One member shall be selected from each congressional district. The secretary shall establish policies and procedures for conducting the selection by lot. The policies and procedures shall include, but not be limited to, those for notifying persons selected and for providing a new selection from a congressional district if a person selected from the district declines appointment to the citizens' commission or if, following the person's appointment, the person's position on the citizens' commission becomes vacant before the end of the person's term of office.

(2) Five members shall be selected jointly by the speaker of the house of representatives and president of the senate. The persons selected under this subsection shall have had experience in the field of personnel management. Of these five members, one shall be selected from each of the following five sectors in this state: Private institutions of higher education; business; professional personnel management; legal profession; and organized labor.

(3) Five members shall be selected by the governor. The persons selected under this subsection shall have had experience in the field of personnel management. Of these five members, one shall be selected from each of the following five sectors in this state: Private institutions of higher education; business; professional personnel management; legal profession; and organized labor.

(4) The secretary of state shall forward the names of persons selected under subsection (1) of this section to the governor who shall appoint these persons to the citizens' commission. Except as provided in subsection (7) of this section, the names of persons selected for appointment to the citizens' commission shall be forwarded to the governor not later than February 15, 1997, and not later than the fifteenth day of February every four years thereafter.

(5) Members shall hold office for terms of four years, and no person may be appointed to more than two such terms. No member of the citizens' commission may be removed by the governor during his or her term of office unless for cause of incapacity, incompetence, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office or for a disqualifying change of residence. A removal by the governor creates a vacancy for that person's position on the citizens' commission.

The unexcused absence of any person who is a member of the citizens' commission from two consecutive meetings of the citizens' commission shall constitute the relinquishment of that person's membership on the citizens' commission. Such a relinquishment creates a vacancy in that person's position on the citizens' commission. A member's absence may be excused by the chair of the commission upon the member's written request if the chair believes there is just cause for the absence. Such a request must be received by the chair before the meeting for which the absence is to be excused. A member's absence from a meeting of the citizens' commission may also be excused during the meeting for which the member is absent by the affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the citizens' commission present at the meeting.

(6) No state official, public employee, or lobbyist, subject to the registration requirements of this chapter, or an immediate family member of such an official, employee, or lobbyist, is eligible for membership on the citizens' commission.

As used in this subsection, "immediate family" means the parents, spouse, siblings, children, or dependent relative of the official, employee, or lobbyist whether or not living in the household of the official, employee, or lobbyist.

(7) Upon a vacancy in any position on the citizens' commission, a successor shall be selected and appointed to fill the unexpired term using the same procedure as the member was appointed whose term has become vacant. The selection and appointment shall be concluded within thirty days of the date the position becomes vacant.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 42.17 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The citizens' commission on campaign finance shall study the campaign finance practices, laws on campaign finance, and the effects of these laws, issue periodic reports on these laws, and propose legislation altering campaign finances to the legislature. Campaigns include campaigns for partisan elective offices, nonpartisan elective offices, and for or against ballot propositions.

(2) Except as provided otherwise in RCW 43.03.305 and this section, the citizens' commission shall be solely responsible for its own organization, operation, and action and shall enjoy the fullest cooperation of all state officials, departments, and agencies. The public disclosure commission shall provide the necessary support to the citizens' commission to carry out the purposes of this section.

(3) Members of the citizens' commission shall receive no compensation for their services, but shall be eligible to receive a subsistence allowance and travel expenses pursuant to RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.

(4) The members of the citizens' commission shall elect a chair from among their number.

(5) Prior to the submitting any reports or recommendations to the legislature, the citizens' commission shall hold no fewer than two public hearings thereon within the four months immediately preceding the submission.

(6) All meetings, actions, hearings, and business of the citizens' commission shall be subject in full to the open public meetings act, chapter 42.30 RCW.

Sec. 3. 1995 2nd sp.s. c 18 s 117 (uncodified) is amended to read as follows:

FOR THE PUBLIC DISCLOSURE COMMISSION

General Fund Appropriation (FY 1996)....................... $ 1,107,000

General Fund Appropriation (FY 1997)....................... $ ((~~1,045,000~~))

1,095,000

Industrial Insurance Premium Refund Account

Appropriation.......................................... $ 725

TOTAL APPROPRIATION........................... $ ((~~2,152,725~~))

2,202,725

The additional $50,000 appropriated by section 3, chapter . . ., Laws of 1996 (this section) is provided solely to finance the expenses of the citizens' commission on campaign finance that is created in section 1 of this act.