BILL REQ. #:  S-2983.3 

Read first time 04/17/09.   Referred to Committee on Government Operations & Elections.

     AN ACT Relating to agency review of initiative measures; and amending RCW 29A.72.020.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 29A.72.020 and 2003 c 111 s 1803 are each amended to read as follows:
     Upon receipt of a proposed initiative measure, and before giving it a serial number, the secretary of state shall submit a copy thereof to the office of the code reviser, the attorney general's office, and the office of financial management, and give notice to the sponsor of such transmittal. Upon receipt of the measure, the assistant code reviser to whom it has been assigned may confer with the sponsor and shall, within ((seven)) fifteen working days from its receipt, review the proposal and recommend to the sponsor such revision or alteration of the measure as may be deemed necessary and appropriate. Upon receipt of the measure, the attorney general's office shall draft an informal opinion letter, as to the legal effect of the initiative as proposed. The informal opinion letter of the attorney general's office shall be transmitted to the initiative sponsor and the chairpersons and ranking minority members of the judiciary committees of the senate and the house of representatives, within fifteen working days of the attorney general's receipt of the measure. Upon receipt of the measure, the office of financial management shall prepare a fiscal note. The fiscal note shall be sent to the initiative sponsor and the chairpersons and ranking minority members of the ways and means committees of the senate and the house of representatives within fifteen working days of the office of financial management's receipt of the measure. The recommendations of the code reviser's office and attorney general's office are advisory only, and the sponsor 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 and that any recommendations have been communicated to the sponsor. The certificate must be issued whether or not the sponsor accepts such recommendations. Within ((fifteen)) twenty-five working days after notification of ((submittal)) submission of the proposed measure to the code reviser's office, the sponsor, if he or she desires to proceed with sponsorship, shall file the measure together with the certificate of review with the secretary of state for assignment of a serial number, and the secretary of state shall then submit to the code reviser's office a certified copy of the measure filed. Upon submission of 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 certificate of review.