The legislative international trade account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. All moneys received by the president of the senate and the secretary of state from gifts, grants, and endowments for international trade hosting, international relations, and international missions activities must be deposited in the account. Only private, nonpublic gifts, grants, and endowments may be deposited in the account. A person, as defined in RCW 42.52.010, may not donate, gift, grant, or endow more than five thousand dollars per calendar year to the legislative international trade account. Expenditures from the account may be used only for the purposes of international trade hosting, international relations, and international trade mission activities, excluding travel and lodging, in which the president and members of the senate, members of the house of representatives, and the secretary of state participate in an official capacity. An appropriation is not required for expenditures. All requests by individual legislators for use of funds from this account must be first approved by the secretary of the senate for members of the senate or the chief clerk of the house of representatives for members of the house of representatives. All expenditures from the account shall be authorized by the final signed approval of the chief clerk of the house of representatives, the secretary of the senate, and the president of the senate.