SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 5383

As Reported By Senate Committee On:

State & Local Government, February 8, 2001

Title:  An act relating to correcting inaccurate or procedurally obsolete provisions in the public disclosure commission law.

Brief Description:  Correcting inaccurate or procedurally obsolete provisions of the public disclosure commission law.

Sponsors:  Senators Patterson, Horn, Fairley, Swecker and Gardner; by request of Public Disclosure Commission.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  State & Local Government:  2/5/01, 2/8/01 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Majority Report:  Do pass.

Signed by Senators Patterson, Chair; Fairley, Vice Chair; Gardner, Hale, Haugen, Horn, Kline, McCaslin, Roach and T. Sheldon.

Staff:  Diane Smith (786‑7410)

Background:  Since the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) was created by Initiative Measure No. 276 in 1972, various relevant laws have been amended and consolidated, resulting in unintentional anomalies.  Court decisions have also made part of the PDC law a vestige from prior eras of constitutional construction.

Summary of Bill:  The definitions of ?general election@ and ?primary@ are clarified to apply to the contribution limits section of law.  The requirement to report the identity of paid petition signature gatherers is repealed.  The filing location for PDC forms at the Office of Secretary of State is removed.

A reference to contributions made before December 3, 1992, is removed.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  The changes bring the statute up to date with current practices and federal law.  No substantive effects will be seen.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Vicki Rippie, PDC (pro).