BILL REQ. #:  H-3416.1 

Read first time 04/24/09.   Referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

     AN ACT Relating to requiring a seventy-two hour budget review period prior to hearings or votes on appropriation and revenue bills; adding new sections to chapter 44.04 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 44.04 RCW to read as follows:
     The legislature finds that public participation in the legislative process improves the quality of proposed legislation by allowing the opportunity for its detailed review by interested parties. The opportunity for a detailed review by the public prior to hearings or votes on legislation helps increase public trust in government and enhances respect for the legislature by ensuring that its operation is conducted with the openness, order, and dignity benefiting Washington state. Therefore, it is the intent of the legislature to prohibit hearings or votes on appropriation and/or revenue-related bills until seventy-two hours after the bill's public introduction.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 44.04 RCW to read as follows:
     The definitions in this section apply to sections 1 and 3 of this act:
     (1) "Amendment" means any proposed change to a bill.
     (2) "Appropriation-related bill" means any bill authorizing an appropriation of funds for state operating, capital, or transportation expenditures.
     (3) "Publicly available" means posting a bill on the legislature's web site and its publication in a bill report, committee report, or conference report.
     (4) "Revenue-related bill" means any bill raising revenue for operating, capital, or transportation expenditures.
     (5) "Striking amendment" means any amendment removing everything after the enacting clause of a bill and inserting new language.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   A new section is added to chapter 44.04 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Hearings or votes on an appropriation-related bill or revenue-related bill are prohibited until seventy-two hours after the bill is made publicly available. The seventy-two hour time period excludes Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays except when the legislature is in session on such a day.
     (2) Amendments offered to an appropriation-related bill or revenue-related bill may not be considered in order unless made publicly available twenty-four hours prior to any vote. The twenty-four hour time period excludes Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays except when the legislature is in session on such a day.
     (3) Striking amendments may not be considered in order unless made publicly available forty-eight hours prior to any vote. The forty-eight hour time period excludes Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays except when the legislature is in session on such a day.
     (4) The time periods specified in this section may be waived only with a two-thirds vote of the full committee or legislative body considering the appropriation-related bill or revenue-related bill.
     (5) Whenever the time periods specified in this section are waived pursuant to subsection (4) of this section, the following section must be added to the text of the bill and the bill report:

     "NEW SECTION. Sec. (insert appropriate section number). The (insert name of full committee or legislative body) has waived the people's right for a detailed review of this bill as required by the seventy-two hour budget review act."

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   This act may be known and cited as the seventy-two hour budget review act.