AN ACT Relating to a prohibition on a legislator soliciting or accepting a campaign contribution for a certain number of days if the legislature fails to adopt a biennial operating, capital, or transportation budget during the regular session; reenacting and amending RCW 42.17A.560; and creating a new section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. There is a sense that it is more common than not to convene special sessions so that the legislature can adopt a biennial operating, capital, or transportation budget. Since 1981, there have been forty-three special sessions and only eleven years where no extra session was called at all. In the 1980s, there were fifteen extra sessions and only one year where the legislature was able to finish its work without the need for a special session. In the 1990s, there were ten special sessions. There were three years in the 1990s in which only a supplemental budget was adopted and no special session was convened. Since 2000 there have been eighteen special sessions and seven years when no extra sessions were needed. There needs to be an additional incentive to encourage legislators to adopt a biennial operating budget during the regular session. It is the intent of the legislature to prohibit legislators from fund-raising for a certain period of time if the legislature fails to adopt a biennial operating, capital, or transportation budget during the regular session.

(1) During the period beginning on the thirtieth day before the date a regular legislative session convenes and continuing through the date of final adjournment, and during the period beginning on the date a special legislative session convenes and continuing through the date that session adjourns, no state official or a person employed by or acting on behalf of a state official or state legislator may solicit or accept contributions to a public office fund, to a candidate or authorized committee, or to retire a campaign debt. Contributions received through the mail after the thirtieth day before a regular legislative session may be accepted if the contribution is postmarked prior to the thirtieth day before the session.

(2) Beginning January 1, 2017, if, during the first year of a biennium, any special legislative session is convened to adopt the biennial operating, capital, or transportation budget, the period in which a state legislator or a person employed by or acting on behalf of a state legislator may not solicit or accept contributions to a public office fund, to a candidate or authorized committee, or to retire campaign debt shall be extended after the date of final adjournment of the regular session held in each year of the biennium by the same number of days of special legislative session held in the first year of the biennium until the biennial operating, capital, or transportation budget was adopted.


State of Washington	64th Legislature	2015 2nd Special Session