BILL REQ. #:  H-3300.2 

Read first time 01/11/12.   Referred to Committee on State Government & Tribal Affairs.

     AN ACT Relating to making technical corrections to campaign finance laws; amending RCW 42.17A.215; reenacting and amending RCW 42.17A.110; and repealing 2011 1st sp.s. c 43 s 448.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 42.17A.110 and 2011 c 60 s 20 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     The commission may:
     (1) Adopt, amend, and rescind suitable administrative rules to carry out the policies and purposes of this chapter, which rules shall be adopted under chapter 34.05 RCW. Any rule relating to campaign finance, political advertising, or related forms that would otherwise take effect after June 30th of a general election year shall take effect no earlier than the day following the general election in that year;
     (2) Appoint an executive director and set, within the limits established by the ((department of personnel)) office of financial management under RCW 43.03.028, the executive director's compensation. The executive director shall perform such duties and have such powers as the commission may prescribe and delegate to implement and enforce this chapter efficiently and effectively. The commission shall not delegate its authority to adopt, amend, or rescind rules nor may it delegate authority to determine whether an actual violation of this chapter has occurred or to assess penalties for such violations;
     (3) Prepare and publish reports and technical studies as in its judgment will tend to promote the purposes of this chapter, including reports and statistics concerning campaign financing, lobbying, financial interests of elected officials, and enforcement of this chapter;
     (4) Conduct, as it deems appropriate, audits and field investigations;
     (5) Make public the time and date of any formal hearing set to determine whether a violation has occurred, the question or questions to be considered, and the results thereof;
     (6) Administer oaths and affirmations, issue subpoenas, and compel attendance, take evidence, and require the production of any records relevant to any investigation authorized under this chapter, or any other proceeding under this chapter;
     (7) Adopt a code of fair campaign practices;
     (8) Adopt rules relieving candidates or political committees of obligations to comply with the election campaign provisions of this chapter, if they have not received contributions nor made expenditures in connection with any election campaign of more than five thousand dollars;
     (9) Adopt rules prescribing reasonable requirements for keeping accounts of, and reporting on a quarterly basis, costs incurred by state agencies, counties, cities, and other municipalities and political subdivisions in preparing, publishing, and distributing legislative information. For the purposes of this subsection, "legislative information" means books, pamphlets, reports, and other materials prepared, published, or distributed at substantial cost, a substantial purpose of which is to influence the passage or defeat of any legislation. The state auditor in his or her regular examination of each agency under chapter 43.09 RCW shall review the rules, accounts, and reports and make appropriate findings, comments, and recommendations concerning those agencies; and
     (10) Develop and provide to filers a system for certification of reports required under this chapter which are transmitted by facsimile or electronically to the commission. Implementation of the program is contingent on the availability of funds.

Sec. 2   RCW 42.17A.215 and 2010 c 204 s 404 are each amended to read as follows:
     Each candidate and each political committee ((shall)) must designate and file with the commission ((and the appropriate county elections officer)) the name and address of not more than one depository for each county in which the campaign is conducted in which the candidate's or political committee's accounts are maintained and the name of the account or accounts maintained in that depository on behalf of the candidate or political committee. The candidate or political committee may at any time change the designated depository and ((shall)) must file with the commission ((and the appropriate county elections officer)) the same information for the successor depository as for the original depository. The candidate or political committee may not be deemed in compliance with the provisions of this chapter until the information required for the depository is filed with the commission ((and the appropriate county elections officer)).

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   2011 1st sp.s. c 43 s 448 is repealed.