Z-1273.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 2435

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1998 Regular Session

By Representatives Pennington, Appelwick, Constantine, Ogden, Cooper, Kessler, Gardner, Wolfe, Butler, Costa, Linville, D. Schmidt, Murray, Morris, Anderson and Gombosky; by request of Public Disclosure Commission

Read first time 01/14/98.  Referred to Committee on Government Administration.

Enhancing reporting of independent campaign expenditures.

    AN ACT Relating to reporting of independent campaign expenditures; and adding a new section 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 to read as follows:

    (1) A person who, within twenty-one days before an election, makes independent expenditures totaling one thousand dollars or more to support a candidate or oppose the candidate's opponent, or to support or oppose a ballot proposition, shall file a special report of the independent expenditures with the commission within twenty-four hours or on the first working day after the political advertising paid for by the independent expenditures is published or otherwise presented to the public.  The special report must be filed by facsimile or other electronic means, by guaranteed overnight delivery, or by personal delivery.

    (2) If a person files a special report under this section he or she shall also file a special report under this section for each subsequent independent expenditure of any size supporting that candidate or opposing the candidate's opponent, or supporting or opposing the ballot proposition.

    (3) The special report must include at least:

    (a) The name and address of the person making the expenditure;

    (b) The name and address of the person to whom the expenditure was made;

    (c) The purpose of or a description of the expenditure;

    (d) The date the expenditure was made and the date the political advertising was first published or presented to the public;

    (e) The amount of the expenditure;

    (f) The name of the candidate supported or opposed by the expenditure, the office sought, and whether the expenditure supports or opposes the candidate; or the name of the ballot proposition supported or opposed by the expenditure and whether the expenditure supports or opposes the ballot proposition;

    (g) Any other information the commission may require by rule.

    (4) All persons reporting under RCW 42.17.080, 42.17.090, and 42.17.100 are subject to the requirements of this section.

    (5) A person making independent expenditures supporting a candidate or opposing the candidate's opponent and reporting under RCW 42.17.080, 42.17.090, 42.17.100, or this section shall file with each required report a notarized affidavit or a declaration of the person responsible for making the independent expenditure that the expenditure was not made in cooperation, consultation, or concert with, or at the request or suggestion of the candidate or the candidate's agent, or with the encouragement or approval of the candidate or the candidate's agent.

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