S-3713.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 6177

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1998 Regular Session

By Senators Fairley, Loveland, B. Sheldon, Hargrove, McAuliffe, Kline, Fraser, Kohl, Franklin, Haugen, Spanel, Thibaudeau, Bauer, Goings, Jacobsen, Snyder and Patterson

Read first time 01/12/98.  Referred to Committee on Government Operations.

Requiring that signatures for initiatives and referenda may only be gathered by registered voters of this state.

    AN ACT Relating to signature gatherers; adding a new section to chapter 29.79 RCW; and prescribing penalties.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 29.79 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) A person must be a registered voter of this state to solicit or procure signatures on an initiative or referendum petition.  A person who violates this subsection is subject to a civil penalty of not more than five hundred dollars for each violation.

    (2) A person may hire only persons who are registered voters of this state for the purpose of soliciting or procuring signatures on an initiative or referendum petition.  A person who violates this subsection is subject to a civil penalty of not more than one thousand dollars for each violation.

                            --- END ---