H-1966              _______________________________________________

                                          SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL NO. 1669

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By House Committee on State Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Anderson, R. Fisher, Winsley, Jacobsen, Haugen, Schoon, Bristow, Wineberry, Beck, Horn and D. Sommers; by request of Secretary of State)

Read first time 2/24/89.

AN ACT Relating to the confidentiality of initiative, referendum, and recall petitioners; adding a new section to chapter 29.79 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 29.82 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 29.04 RCW; and adding a new section to chapter 42.17 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 29.79 RCW to read as follows:

          Except to the extent provided otherwise under RCW 29.79.200, the names and addresses on initiative and referendum petitions filed with the secretary of state under Article II, section 1 of the state Constitution are not available for public inspection or copying.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 29.82 RCW to read as follows:

          Except to the extent provided otherwise under RCW 29.82.090, the names and addresses on recall petitions filed under Article I, section 33 of the state Constitution are not available for public inspection or copying.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 29.04 RCW to read as follows:

          The names and addresses on initiative and referendum petitions filed with a city or a county election officer are not available for public inspection or copying.  This section does not apply to prevent observers from observing the verification and canvass of the names of the legal voters on a local initiative and referendum petition, but the observers shall conform to the record-making prohibitions specified under RCW 29.79.200 for observers of the verification and canvass of the names of legal voters on state initiative and referendum petitions.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  A new section is added to chapter 42.17 RCW to read as follows:

          The names and addresses on any initiative, referendum, or recall petition are exempt from disclosure under this chapter.  This section applies to any state or local initiative or referendum petition and to a recall petition against any state or local official.