H-0210.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 1053

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By Representatives Pennington, Mielke, Boldt and D. Schmidt

Read first time 01/13/97.  Referred to Committee on Government Administration.

Requiring clearer political ads undertaken as independent expenditures.

    AN ACT Relating to independent expenditures on written political advertising relating to a candidate undertaken as an independent expenditure; and amending RCW 42.17.510.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 42.17.510 and 1995 c 397 s 19 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) All written political advertising, whether relating to candidates or ballot propositions, shall include the sponsor's name and address.  All radio and television political advertising, whether relating to candidates or ballot propositions, shall include the sponsor's name.  The use of an assumed name shall be unlawful.  The party with which a candidate files shall be clearly identified in political advertising for partisan office.

    (2) In addition to the ((materials required by)) requirements of subsection (1) of this section, all political advertising relating to a candidate undertaken as an independent expenditure by a person or entity other than a party organization must include the following statement on the communication "NOTICE TO VOTERS (Required by law):  This advertisement is not authorized or approved by any candidate.  It is paid for by (name, address, city, state)."  If the advertisement undertaken as an independent expenditure is undertaken by a nonindividual other than a party organization, then the following notation must also be included:  "Top Five Contributors," followed by a listing of the names of the five persons or entities making the largest contributions reportable under this chapter during the twelve-month period before the date of the advertisement.

    (3) In addition to the requirements of subsections (1) and (2) of this section, all written political advertising in the form of brochures, articles, newspaper ads, tabloids, flyers, and the like, relating to a candidate undertaken as an independent expenditure, that cites a vote on legislation taken by a candidate, must identify the legislation and include the relevant text of the section or sections in the written advertising.  The identification of the legislation and text of the section or sections must be in at least ten-point type, or in type at least ten percent of the largest size type used in the written communication, whichever is larger.

(4) The statements and listings of contributors required by subsections (1) and (2) of this section shall:

    (a) Appear on the first page or fold of the written communication in at least ten-point type, or in type at least ten percent of the largest size type used in a written communication directed at more than one voter, such as a billboard or poster, whichever is larger;

    (b) Not be subject to the half-tone or screening process;

    (c) Be set apart from any other printed matter; and

    (d) Be clearly spoken on any broadcast advertisement.

    (((4))) (5) Political yard signs are exempt from the requirement of subsections (1) and (2) of this section that the name and address of the sponsor of political advertising be listed on the advertising.  In addition, the public disclosure commission shall, by rule, exempt from the identification requirements of subsections (1) and (2) of this section forms of political advertising such as campaign buttons, balloons, pens, pencils, sky-writing, inscriptions, and other forms of advertising where identification is impractical.

    (((5))) (6) For the purposes of this section, "yard sign" means any outdoor sign with dimensions no greater than eight feet by four feet.

                            --- END ---