BILL REQ. #:  H-3941.1 

Prefiled 01/08/10. Read first time 01/11/10.   Referred to Committee on State Government & Tribal Affairs.

     AN ACT Relating to exempting signature petitions from disclosure; amending RCW 29A.72.230; adding a new section to chapter 42.56 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that a government that protects the rights of people to share their true beliefs will better represent the people it governs. The legislature further finds that disclosure of signature petitions may chill the desire of citizens to sign a petition and participate in the political process. The legislature recognizes that signing a petition does not mean that a person is in favor of or against a proposition being brought forward; rather, it means that a person signing the petition believes the voters in the state should have a right to decide the issue by a vote of the people. The legislature finds it is more important to err through protection and have more proposals sent to the people.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 42.56 RCW to read as follows:
     Signature petitions for referenda and initiatives are exempt from public inspection and copying.

Sec. 3   RCW 29A.72.230 and 2003 c 111 s 1823 are each amended to read as follows:
     Upon the filing of an initiative or referendum petition, the secretary of state shall proceed to verify and canvass the names of the legal voters on the petition. The verification and canvass of signatures on the petition may be observed by persons representing the advocates and opponents of the proposed measure so long as they make no record of the names, addresses, or other information on the petitions or related records during the verification process except upon the order of the superior court of Thurston county. The secretary of state may limit the number of observers to not less than two on each side, if in his or her opinion, a greater number would cause undue delay or disruption of the verification process. Any such limitation shall apply equally to both sides. The secretary of state may use any statistical sampling techniques for this verification and canvass which have been adopted by rule as provided by chapter 34.05 RCW. No petition will be rejected on the basis of any statistical method employed, and no petition will be accepted on the basis of any statistical method employed if such method indicates that the petition contains fewer than the requisite number of signatures of legal voters. If the secretary of state finds the same name signed to more than one petition, he or she shall reject all but the first such valid signature. For an initiative to the legislature, the secretary of state shall transmit a certified copy of the proposed measure to the legislature at the opening of its session and, as soon as the signatures on the petition have been verified and canvassed, the secretary of state shall send to the legislature a certificate of the facts relating to the filing, verification, and canvass of the petition.
     Signature petitions are exempt from public inspection and copying in accordance with section 2 of this act.