BILL REQ. #: H-4244.1
State of Washington | 59th Legislature | 2006 Regular Session |
Read first time 01/17/2006. Referred to Committee on State Government Operations & Accountability.
AN ACT Relating to requirements for fiscal impact statements prepared for the voters' pamphlet; and amending RCW 29A.32.070 and 29A.72.025.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1 RCW 29A.32.070 and 2003 c 111 s 807 are each amended to
read as follows:
The secretary of state shall determine the format and layout of the
voters' pamphlet. The secretary of state shall print the pamphlet in
clear, readable type on a size, quality, and weight of paper that in
the judgment of the secretary of state best serves the voters. The
pamphlet must contain a table of contents. Federal and state offices
must appear in the pamphlet in the same sequence as they appear on the
ballot. Measures and arguments must be printed in the order specified
by RCW 29A.72.290.
The voters' pamphlet must provide the following information for
each statewide issue on the ballot:
(1) The legal identification of the measure by serial designation
or number;
(2) The official ballot title of the measure;
(3) A statement prepared by the attorney general explaining the law
as it presently exists;
(4) A statement prepared by the attorney general explaining the
effect of the proposed measure if it becomes law;
(5) The fiscal impact statement prepared under RCW ((29.79.075))
29A.72.025;
(6) The total number of votes cast for and against the measure in
the senate and house of representatives, if the measure has been passed
by the legislature;
(7) An argument advocating the voters' approval of the measure
together with any statement in rebuttal of the opposing argument;
(8) An argument advocating the voters' rejection of the measure
together with any statement in rebuttal of the opposing argument;
(9) Each argument or rebuttal statement must be followed by the
names of the committee members who submitted them, and may be followed
by a telephone number that citizens may call to obtain information on
the ballot measure;
(10) The full text of each measure.
Sec. 2 RCW 29A.72.025 and 2004 c 266 s 4 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) The office of financial management, in consultation with the
secretary of state, the attorney general, and any other appropriate
state or local agency, shall prepare a fiscal impact statement for each
of the following state ballot measures: (((1))) (a) An initiative to
the people that is certified to the ballot; (((2))) (b) an initiative
to the legislature that will appear on the ballot; (((3))) (c) an
alternative measure appearing on the ballot that the legislature
proposes to an initiative to the legislature; (((4))) (d) a referendum
bill referred to voters by the legislature; and (((5))) (e) a
referendum measure appearing on the ballot. Fiscal impact statements
must be written in clear and concise language and avoid legal and
technical terms when possible, and may include easily understood
graphics.
(2) A fiscal impact statement must describe any projected increase
or decrease in revenues, costs, expenditures, or indebtedness that the
state or local governments will experience if the ballot measure were
approved by state voters. Where appropriate, a fiscal impact statement
may include both estimated dollar amounts and a description placing the
estimated dollar amounts into context. A fiscal impact statement must
include: (a) The current percentage amount of revenue from retail
sales tax, business and occupation tax, property tax, real estate
excise tax, public utility tax, and any other taxes in which two
percent or more revenue is received by the state; (b) the current
percentage of distribution of spending from the state general fund; and
(c) the percent of income paid in all Washington state and local taxes
broken down by household income as follows:
(i) Below seventeen thousand dollars;
(ii) Between seventeen thousand dollars and thirty-one thousand
dollars;
(iii) Between thirty-one thousand dollars and forty-eight thousand
dollars;
(iv) Between forty-eight thousand dollars and seventy-five thousand
dollars;
(v) Between seventy-five thousand dollars and one hundred forty-three thousand dollars;
(vi) Between one hundred forty-three thousand dollars and nine
hundred twenty-two thousand dollars; and
(vii) Over nine hundred twenty-two thousand dollars.
(3) A fiscal impact statement must include both a summary of not to
exceed one hundred words and a more detailed statement that includes
the assumptions that were made to develop the fiscal impacts.
(4) Fiscal impact statements must be available online from the
secretary of state's web site and included in the state voters'
pamphlet.