H-4502.1
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2938
State of Washington
65th Legislature
2018 Regular Session
By House State Government, Elections & Information Technology (originally sponsored by Representatives Hudgins, Dolan, Kagi, Wylie, Ormsby, and Pollet)
READ FIRST TIME 02/02/18.
AN ACT Relating to campaign finance law enforcement and reporting; creating a new section; and making appropriations.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that campaign finance laws play an important role in the administration of fair elections in Washington state. In 1972, the citizens voted overwhelmingly to create an independent agency to serve as the state's primary body for overseeing compliance with and enforcement of these laws.
The legislature further finds that an essential purpose of the public disclosure commission is to provide transparency in reporting of campaign-related donations and expenditures. The intent of the law is not to trap or embarrass people when they make honest remediable errors. A majority of smaller campaigns are volunteer-driven and most treasurers are not professional accountants. The public disclosure commission should be guided to review and address major violations, intentional violations, and violations that could change the outcome of an election or materially affect the public interest.
The legislature intends for the public disclosure commission to retain its authority to take action on behalf of the state and the state attorney general and county prosecuting attorneys to receive citizen complaints in limited circumstances to supplement and enhance the authority vested in the public disclosure commission or to provide an alternative in the event that the public disclosure commission is unable to fulfill its responsibilities as mandated by the voters.
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  (1) The sum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, from the general fund state account to the public disclosure commission solely for the purposes of administering chapter 42.17A RCW.
(2) The sum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019, from the general fund state account to the public disclosure commission solely for the purposes of administering chapter 42.17A RCW.
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