BILL REQ. #:  Z-0391.2 

Read first time 01/22/2003.   Referred to Committee on Government Operations & Elections.

     AN ACT Relating to campaign finance reporting by out-of-state political committees; amending RCW 42.17.090; and adding a new section to chapter 42.17 RCW.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 42.17.090 and 1993 c 256 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Each report required under RCW 42.17.080 (1) and (2) shall disclose the following:
     (a) The funds on hand at the beginning of the period;
     (b) The name and address of each person who has made one or more contributions during the period, together with the money value and date of such contributions and the aggregate value of all contributions received from each such person during the campaign or in the case of a continuing political committee, the current calendar year: PROVIDED, That pledges in the aggregate of less than one hundred dollars from any one person need not be reported: PROVIDED FURTHER, That the income which results from a fund-raising activity conducted in accordance with RCW 42.17.067 may be reported as one lump sum, with the exception of that portion of such income which was received from persons whose names and addresses are required to be included in the report required by RCW 42.17.067: PROVIDED FURTHER, That contributions of no more than twenty-five dollars in the aggregate from any one person during the election campaign may be reported as one lump sum so long as the campaign treasurer maintains a separate and private list of the name, address, and amount of each such contributor: PROVIDED FURTHER, That the money value of contributions of postage shall be the face value of such postage;
     (c) Each loan, promissory note, or security instrument to be used by or for the benefit of the candidate or political committee made by any person, together with the names and addresses of the lender and each person liable directly, indirectly or contingently and the date and amount of each such loan, promissory note, or security instrument;
     (d) All other contributions not otherwise listed or exempted;
     (e) The name and address of each candidate or political committee to which any transfer of funds was made, together with the amounts and dates of such transfers;
     (f) The name and address of each person to whom an expenditure was made in the aggregate amount of more than fifty dollars during the period covered by this report, and the amount, date, and purpose of each such expenditure. A candidate for state executive or state legislative office or the political committee of such a candidate shall report this information for an expenditure under one of the following categories, whichever is appropriate: (i) Expenditures for the election of the candidate; (ii) expenditures for nonreimbursed public office-related expenses; (iii) expenditures required to be reported under (e) of this subsection; or (iv) expenditures of surplus funds and other expenditures. The report of such a candidate or committee shall contain a separate total of expenditures for each category and a total sum of all expenditures. Other candidates and political committees need not report information regarding expenditures under the categories listed in (i) through (iv) of this subsection or under similar such categories unless required to do so by the commission by rule. The report of such an other candidate or committee shall also contain the total sum of all expenditures;
     (g) The name and address of each person to whom any expenditure was made directly or indirectly to compensate the person for soliciting or procuring signatures on an initiative or referendum petition, the amount of such compensation to each such person, and the total of the expenditures made for this purpose. Such expenditures shall be reported under this subsection (1)(g) whether the expenditures are or are not also required to be reported under (f) of this subsection;
     (h) The name and address of any person and the amount owed for any debt, obligation, note, unpaid loan, or other liability in the amount of more than two hundred fifty dollars or in the amount of more than fifty dollars that has been outstanding for over thirty days;
     (i) The surplus or deficit of contributions over expenditures;
     (j) The disposition made in accordance with RCW 42.17.095 of any surplus funds; and
     (k) Such other information as shall be required by the commission by rule in conformance with the policies and purposes of this chapter((; and
     (l) Funds received from a political committee not otherwise required to report under this chapter (a "nonreporting committee"). Such funds shall be forfeited to the state of Washington unless the nonreporting committee has filed or within ten days following such receipt files with the commission a statement disclosing: (i) Its name and address; (ii) the purposes of the nonreporting committee; (iii) the names, addresses, and titles of its officers or if it has no officers, the names, addresses, and titles of its responsible leaders; (iv) the name, office sought, and party affiliation of each candidate in the state of Washington whom the nonreporting committee is supporting, and, if such committee is supporting the entire ticket of any party, the name of the party; (v) the ballot proposition supported or opposed in the state of Washington, if any, and whether such committee is in favor of or opposed to such proposition; (vi) the name and address of each person residing in the state of Washington or corporation which has a place of business in the state of Washington who has made one or more contributions in the aggregate of more than twenty-five dollars to the nonreporting committee during the current calendar year, together with the money value and date of such contributions; (vii) the name and address of each person in the state of Washington to whom an expenditure was made by the nonreporting committee on behalf of a candidate or political committee in the aggregate amount of more than fifty dollars, the amount, date, and purpose of such expenditure, and the total sum of such expenditures; (viii) such other information as the commission may prescribe by rule, in keeping with the policies and purposes of this chapter. A nonreporting committee incurring an obligation to file additional reports in a calendar year may satisfy the obligation by filing with the commission a letter providing updating or amending information)).
     (2) The treasurer and the candidate shall certify the correctness of each report.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 42.17 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) An out-of-state political committee organized for the purpose of supporting or opposing candidates or ballot propositions in another state that is not otherwise required to report under RCW 42.17.040 through 42.17.090 shall report as required in this section when it makes an expenditure supporting or opposing a Washington state candidate or political committee. The committee shall file with the commission a statement disclosing:
     (a) Its name and address;
     (b) The purposes of the out-of-state committee;
     (c) The names, addresses, and titles of its officers or, if it has no officers, the names, addresses, and the titles of its responsible leaders;
     (d) The name, office sought, and party affiliation of each candidate in the state of Washington whom the out-of-state committee is supporting or opposing and, if such committee is supporting or opposing the entire ticket of any party, the name of the party;
     (e) The ballot proposition supported or opposed in the state of Washington, if any, and whether such committee is in favor of or opposed to such proposition;
     (f) The name and address of each person residing in the state of Washington or corporation which has a place of business in the state of Washington who has made one or more contributions in the aggregate of more than twenty-five dollars to the out-of-state committee during the current calendar year, together with the money value and date of such contributions;
     (g) The name and address of each person in the state of Washington to whom an expenditure was made by the out-of-state committee with respect to a candidate or political committee in the aggregate amount of more than fifty dollars, the amount, date, and purpose of such expenditure, and the total sum of such expenditures; and
     (h) Such other information as the commission may prescribe by rule in keeping with the policies and purposes of this chapter.
     (2) Each statement shall be filed no later than the twentieth day of the month following any month in which a contribution or other expenditure reportable under subsection (1) of this section is made. An out-of-state committee incurring an obligation to file additional statements in a calendar year may satisfy the obligation by timely filing reports that supplement previously filed information.
     (3) A political committee required to file campaign reports with the federal election commission or its successor is exempt from reporting under this section.