Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

State Government & Tribal Affairs Committee

HB 1436

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Summary of Bill

Requires lobbyists, lobbyist employers, and state agencies to file lobbying reports over the internet.
Applies a one-time fee to lobbyists, lobbyist employers, and state agencies for the purpose of developing and implementing a system for reporting lobbying disclosure reports.

Background:

The Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) was created and empowered by an initiative of the people to provide timely and meaningful public access to information about the financing of political campaigns, lobbyist expenditures, and the financial affairs of public officials and candidates, and to ensure compliance with contribution limits and other campaign finance restrictions.

In 1999 electronic filing was made available to candidates, public officials, and political committees for filing financial affairs reports, contribution reports, and expenditure reports and by 2002 electronic filing was mandatory. Electronic filing was made available to lobbyists and lobbyists employers for submitting their reports in 2002, although it is not mandatory. Electronic filing includes, but is not limited to, filing by diskette, modem, satellite, or over the Internet.

Funding was made available to the PDC in the fiscal year 2008 budget for a feasibility study to determine the cost to design, develop, implement, and maintain an application to accommodate electronic filing by lobbyists, lobbyist employers, public agencies and a database and query system compatible with current computer architecture, technology, and operating systems.

Summary of Bill:

Beginning January 1, 2012, lobbyists whose reportable compensation was $10,000 or more in 2011, or is expected to be $10,000 in 2012, must file the required disclosure reports electronically over the Internet. Beginning January 1, 2012, all agencies required to file lobbying reports must file the reports electronically over the Internet. Beginning January 1, 2013, lobbyist employers whose reportable expenses and payments for lobbying was $10,000 or more in 2012, or is expected to be $10,000 or more in 2013, must file the required disclosure reports electronically over the Internet.

Effective August 1, 2009, lobbyists, lobbyist employers, and agencies must pay a one-time fee to the PDC for development and implementation of an electronic filing system for reporting lobbying disclosure reports. Lobbyists whose lobbying income was $10,000 in 2008 or is expected to be $10,000 or more in 2009 must pay a fee of $250. Lobbyist employers whose accrued expenses and payments for lobbying was $10,000 in 2008, or is expected to be $10,000 or more in 2009, must pay a fee of $500. Agencies that have more than 50 full-time equivalent employees must pay a fee of $150.

The fees collected must be deposited into the lobbying electronic filing account (account) created in the custody of the State Treasurer. Expenditures from the account may be used only for costs incurred for the design, development, implementation and maintenance of an application to accommodate electronic filing for lobbying reports, and a database and query system compatible with current systems.