H-3650.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 2770

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2002 Regular Session

By Representatives Hatfield, Dunshee, Gombosky and Chase

Read first time 01/28/2002.  Referred to Committee on Local Government & Housing.

Modifying the description of local government ballot measures.

    AN ACT Relating to truth in taxation; and amending RCW 29.27.066.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 29.27.066 and 2000 c 197 s 12 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) Except as provided to the contrary in RCW 82.14.036, 82.46.021, or 82.80.090, the ballot title of any referendum filed on an enactment or portion of an enactment of a local government and any other question submitted to the voters of a local government consists of three elements:  (a) An identification of the enacting legislative body and a statement of the subject matter; (b) a concise description of the measure, including a comparison of the ballot measure's financial impact, if any, in both monetary and percentage change terms; and (c) a question.  The ballot title must conform with the requirements and be displayed substantially as provided under RCW 29.79.035, except that the concise description must not exceed seventy-five words.  If the local governmental unit is a city or a town, the concise statement shall be prepared by the city or town attorney.  If the local governmental unit is a county, the concise statement shall be prepared by the prosecuting attorney of the county.  If the unit is a unit of local government other than a city, town, or county, the concise statement shall be prepared by the prosecuting attorney of the county within which the majority area of the unit is located.

    (2) A referendum measure on the enactment of a unit of local government shall be advertised in the manner provided for nominees for elective office.

    (3) Subsection (1) of this section does not apply if another provision of law specifies the ballot title for a specific type of ballot question or proposition.

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