[atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to reviewing initiative measures for fiscal impact; and amending RCW 29.79.015 and 29.81.250.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 29.79.015 and 1982 c 116 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Upon receipt of any petition proposing an initiative to the people or an initiative to the legislature, and prior to giving a serial number thereto, the secretary of state shall submit a copy thereof to the office of the code reviser and the office of financial management and give notice to the petitioner of such transmittal.

(2)(a) Upon receipt of the measure, the assistant code reviser to whom it has been assigned may confer with the petitioner and shall within seven working days from receipt thereof review the proposal for matters of form and style, and such matters of substantive import as may be agreeable to the petitioner, and shall recommend to the petitioner such revision or alteration of the measure as may be deemed necessary and appropriate. The recommendations of the code reviser's office shall be advisory only, and the petitioner may accept or reject them in whole or in part. The code reviser shall issue a certificate of review certifying that he or she has reviewed the measure for form and style and that the recommendations thereon, if any, have been communicated to the petitioner, and such certificate shall issue whether or not the petitioner accepts such recommendations.

(b)(i) Upon receipt of the measure, the director of financial management shall determine if the measure affects a tax or fee as set forth under (b)(ii) of this subsection. If it does, then an analysis of the fiscal impact and a certificate of review shall be sent to the petitioner within seven working days from receipt of the measure. A copy of the fiscal analysis shall be sent to the secretary of state.

(ii) "Affects a tax or fee" means the measure amends, repeals, or restricts the collection of any existing tax or any of the fees used to fund general government purposes, increases or reduces the percentage rate or amount of such a tax or fee, or creates, extends, or eliminates an exemption to such a tax or fee.

(3) Within fifteen working days after notification of submittal of the petition to the code reviser's office, the petitioner, if he or she desires to proceed with ((~~his~~)) sponsorship, shall file the measure together with the certificates of review with the secretary of state for assignment of serial number and the secretary of state shall thereupon submit to the reviser's office a certified copy of the measure filed. Upon submitting the proposal to the secretary of state for assignment of a serial number the secretary of state shall refuse to make such assignment unless the proposal is accompanied by ((a)) the certificates of review.

Sec. 2. RCW 29.81.250 and 1999 c 260 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

The secretary of state shall determine the format and layout of the voters' pamphlet. The secretary of state shall print the pamphlet in clear, readable type on a size, quality, and weight of paper that in the judgment of the secretary of state best serves the voters. The pamphlet must contain a table of contents. Federal and state offices must appear in the pamphlet in the same sequence as they appear on the ballot. Measures and arguments must be printed in the order specified by RCW 29.79.300.

The voters' pamphlet must provide the following information for each statewide issue on the ballot:

(1) The legal identification of the measure by serial designation or number;

(2) The official ballot title of the measure;

(3) A statement prepared by the attorney general explaining the law as it presently exists;

(4) A statement prepared by the attorney general explaining the effect of the proposed measure if it becomes law;

(5) An analysis of the fiscal impact prepared by the director of financial management, if required under RCW 29.79.015;

(6) The total number of votes cast for and against the measure in the senate and house of representatives, if the measure has been passed by the legislature;

((~~(6)~~)) (7) An argument advocating the voters' approval of the measure together with any statement in rebuttal of the opposing argument;

((~~(7)~~)) (8) An argument advocating the voters' rejection of the measure together with any statement in rebuttal of the opposing argument;

((~~(8)~~)) (9) Each argument or rebuttal statement must be followed by the names of the committee members who submitted them, and may be followed by a telephone number that citizens may call to obtain information on the ballot measure;

((~~(9)~~)) (10) The full text of each measure.