S-909                 _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 5194

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Senators McCaslin and DeJarnatt

Read first time 1/18/89 and referred to Committee on Governmental Operations.

AN ACT Relating to sharing the costs of state primary and general elections; amending RCW 29.13.047; and providing an effective date.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 2, chapter 4, Laws of 1973 as last amended by section 2, chapter 45, Laws of 1985 and RCW 29.13.047 are each amended to read as follows:

          (1) Whenever federal offices, state-wide offices, legislative offices, or state ((officers or)) measures are voted upon at a state primary, special election, or state general election ((held in  an odd-numbered year under RCW 29.13.010)), the state of Washington shall ((assume a  prorated)) reimburse counties for a share of the costs of that ((state)) primary or ((general)) election prorated on the basis of the number of such offices and measures and subject to the limitations of subsection (4) of this section.

          (2) Whenever a primary or vacancy election is held to fill a vacancy in the position of United States senator or United States representative under chapter 29.68 RCW, the state of Washington shall assume a prorated share of the costs of that primary or vacancy election.

          (3) The county auditor shall apportion the state's share of these expenses when prorating election costs under RCW 29.13.045 and shall file ((such)) appropriate expense claims with the secretary of state.

          (4) For the state primaries and general elections in 1990, 1992, and 1994 only, the secretary of state shall reimburse counties for the following proportions of that share of the costs of these primaries and elections that the state would otherwise be required to pay under subsection (1) of this section:

(a) For 1990, twenty-five percent;

(b) For 1992, fifty percent; and

(c) For 1994, seventy-five percent.

(5) The secretary of state shall include in his or her biennial budget requests sufficient funds to carry out this section.  Reimbursements for election costs  shall be from appropriations specifically provided by law for that purpose.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     This act shall take effect January 1, 1990.