HOUSE BILL REPORT

SB 6417

As Reported by House Committee On:

State Government

Title: An act relating to reorganization of statutes on elections.

Brief Description: Incorporating the 2003 changes into Title 29A RCW.

Sponsors: Senators Roach and Kastama; by request of Secretary of State.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

State Government: 2/19/04, 2/20/04 [DP].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 9 members: Representatives Haigh, Chair; Miloscia, Vice Chair; Armstrong, Ranking Minority Member; Shabro, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Hunt, McDermott, Nixon, Tom and Wallace.

Staff: Katie Blinn (786-7114).

Background:

During the 2003 legislative session, the Legislature passed SSB 5221 (chapter 111, Laws of 2003). The legislation reorganized the election statutes in Title 29, and recodified the new statutes into a new title, Title 29A. The legislation takes effect July 1, 2004. There is one statute, RCW 29.79.075, that was omitted in the recodification. There are other statutes that were overlooked when the Code Reviser's Office corrected internal references within the title.

Other bills pertaining to elections that passed during the 2003 legislative session include:

•    HB 1106 (chapter 109, Laws of 2003), regarding the Secretary of State visiting county election offices;

•    ESB 5374 (chapter 48, Laws of 2003), creating an election account for funds dispersed under the Help America Vote Act;

•    SHB 1222 (chapter 110, Laws of 2003), regarding voting system accessibility for disabled voters;

•    SSB 5218 (chapter 162, Laws of 2003), regarding procedures for absentee ballots; and

•    HB 1351 (chapter 254, Laws of 2003), making technical corrections.

Qualification requirements for running for Congress are set in the U.S. Constitution, which has greater authority than state law.

Summary of Bill:

Sections of law created or amended during the 2003 legislative session are reenacted and recodified from Title 29 to Title 29A. The statute that was not included in the 2003 recodification, RCW 29.79.075, is recodified. References to former statutes that are now repealed are corrected, and internal references are corrected. State law qualifications for running for office are amended to clarify that qualifications for running for Congress are established by the U.S. Constitution.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect on July 1, 2004.

Testimony For: This is a code reviser's delight. Some statute numbers were not incorporated into last year's Title 29 rewrite bill. This is a simple housekeeping bill.

Testimony Against: None.

Persons Testifying: Senator Roach, prime sponsor.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.