BILL REQ. #:  H-3612.1 

READ FIRST TIME 01/16/12.   

     AN ACT Relating to collecting fees to accommodate electronic filing and disclosure of campaign finance reports; adding new sections to chapter 42.17A RCW; and providing an effective date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 42.17A RCW to read as follows:
     (1) All agencies required to report under RCW 42.17A.635 must file all reports required by this chapter electronically over the internet as provided by the commission under RCW 42.17A.055.
     (2) No later than January 1, 2014, all lobbyists and lobbyists' employers required to file reports under RCW 42.17A.600, 42.17A.615, 42.17A.625, or 42.17A.630 must file all reports required by this chapter electronically over the internet as provided by the commission under RCW 42.17A.055.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 42.17A RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The following persons and individuals must pay an annual fee to the commission:
     (a) Every political committee must pay a fee of two hundred dollars to the commission each calendar year that it is required to report under RCW 42.17A.205, 42.17A.210, 42.17A.220, 42.17A.225, 42.17A.235, or 42.17A.250;
     (b) Every lobbyist whose total reportable accrued compensation for lobbying, whether from or on behalf of one or more lobbyists' employers, was ten thousand dollars or more for the previous calendar year must pay a fee of two hundred dollars to the commission each calendar year that it is required to report under RCW 42.17A.600, 42.17A.615, 42.17A.630, or 42.17A.640;
     (c) Every lobbyist employer whose total reportable accrued expenses and payments for lobbying, including those through or on behalf of one or more lobbyists, was ten thousand dollars or more for the previous calendar year, must pay a fee of two hundred dollars to the commission each calendar year that it is required to report under RCW 42.17A.600, 42.17A.615, 42.17A.630, or 42.17A.640;
     (d) Every government entity that employs more than fifty full-time equivalent employees must pay a fee of one hundred fifty dollars each calendar year that it is required to report under RCW 42.17A.635(5);
     (e) Every elected official that receives a salary and is required to report under RCW 42.17A.700 must pay a fee of two hundred dollars to the commission for each calendar year he or she is an elected official and is required to report.
     (2) No person or individual must pay more than one fee in a calendar year under this section. Any person may appeal a fee to the commission if he or she is imposed more than one fee under this section in a calendar year.
     (3) The commission shall adopt rules and procedures to implement this section.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   A new section is added to chapter 42.17A RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The public disclosure electronic filing account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. All receipts from fees paid under section 2 of this act must be deposited into the account. Expenditures from the account may be used only for costs incurred as a result of the design, development, implementation, and maintenance of:
     (a) Computer hardware and software or other applications to accommodate electronic filing of the reports required by this chapter; and
     (b) A database and query system compatible with current architecture, technology, and operating systems that result in readily available data to the public for review and analysis.
     (2) Only the executive director of the public disclosure commission, or the executive director's designee, may authorize expenditures from the account. The account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not required for expenditures.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   This act takes effect January 1, 2013.