[atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to determining the fiscal impact of certain ballot measures; amending RCW 29.81.250 and 29.81.270; and adding new sections to chapter 29.81 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 29.81 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The director of financial management, in consultation with the secretary of state and the legislative fiscal committees, shall prepare a fiscal impact statement for each of the following state ballot measures:

(a) An initiative to the people that is certified to the ballot;

(b) An initiative to the legislature that will appear on the ballot;

(d) A referendum bill referred to voters by the legislature; and

(e) A referendum measure appearing on the ballot.

(2) Fiscal impact statements must be written in clear and concise language and avoid legal and technical terms when possible, and they may include easily understood graphics.

(3) A fiscal impact statement must describe any projected increase or decrease in revenues, costs, expenditures, or indebtedness that the state or any local government will experience if the ballot measure is approved by state voters. Where appropriate, a fiscal impact statement may include both estimated dollar amounts and a description placing the estimated dollar amounts into context.

(4) A fiscal impact statement must include both a summary of not to exceed one hundred words and a more detailed statement that includes the assumptions that were made to develop the fiscal impacts.

(5) Fiscal impact statements must be available online from the secretary of state's web site and included in the state voters' pamphlet.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 29.81 RCW to read as follows:

(1) For initiatives to the people that are certified to the ballot, initiatives to the legislature that will appear on the ballot, and for any alternative measure appearing on the ballot that the legislature proposes to an initiative to the legislature, the director of financial management shall certify whether or not the measure has a projected substantial fiscal impact on the state or any local government. The director shall make the certification after preparing the fiscal impact statement required by section 1 of this act.

(2)(a) For purposes of this section, a measure has "substantial fiscal impact" if the fiscal impact statement prepared by the office of financial management determines that the measure would result in any of the following, either in the fiscal year in which the measure takes effect or in the following fiscal year:

(i) The revenues of any state or any local government fund are increased or decreased by the lesser of (A) twenty million dollars or (B) ten percent of the fund's revenue in the prior fiscal year; or

(ii) The measure obligates the state or any local government to incur from any fund expenditures in excess of the lesser of (A) twenty million dollars or (B) ten percent of the fund's revenue in the prior fiscal year.

(b) For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2002, and for each fiscal year thereafter, the amounts in (a)(i)(A) and (ii)(A) of this subsection shall increase by the fiscal growth factor in RCW 43.135.025(7).

Sec. 3. 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) A fiscal impact statement prepared by the director of financial management under section 1 of this act, along with a statement of whether or not the office of financial management certified the measure's fiscal impact to be substantial as defined in section 2(2) of this act;

(6) For measures listed in section 2(1) of this act for which the office of financial management has certified a substantial fiscal impact as defined in section 2(2) of this act, a statement of whether passage of the measure requires more than a majority of the votes cast thereon, pursuant to Article II, section 1 of the state Constitution;

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

((~~(7)~~)) (9) An argument advocating the voters' rejection of the measure together with any statement in rebuttal of the opposing argument;

((~~(8)~~)) (10) 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)~~)) (11) The full text of each measure.

Sec. 4. RCW 29.81.270 and 1999 c 260 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:

The secretary of state shall adopt rules setting deadlines for submitting candidate statements, candidate photographs, arguments, rebuttals, fiscal impact statements, certifications of substantial fiscal impact, and explanatory statements. The secretary of state shall also adopt rules setting deadlines for filing ballot titles for referendum bills or constitutional amendments if none have been provided by the legislature.