H-1020.2

HOUSE BILL 1698

ByRepresentatives Stanford, Dolan, Thai, Morris, Gregerson, Doglio, Springer, Wylie, Hudgins, Fey, Goodman, Mead, Ortiz-Self, Frame, Callan, Peterson, Shewmake, Appleton, Fitzgibbon, Kirby, Pellicciotti, Bergquist, Cody, Ramos, Macri, Ormsby, Valdez, and Santos

AN ACT Relating to requiring disclosure of federal income tax returns of presidential candidates prior to appearing in the primary; and adding a new section to chapter 29A.56 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 29A.56 RCW to read as follows:

(1) By sixty-three days before the presidential preference primary held under RCW 29A.56.020, all candidates for presidential nomination shall:

(a) Publicly release a copy of their federal income tax returns, as defined in 26 U.S.C. Sec. 6103(b)(1), for at least the five most recent taxable years for which a return has been filed with the internal revenue service; or

(b)(i) File with the secretary of state their federal income tax returns as described in (a) of this subsection; and

(ii) Provide written consent to the secretary of state, in a manner to be prescribed by the secretary of state by rule, for the public disclosure of such returns pursuant to this section.

(2) The secretary of state shall make federal income tax returns filed or released under this section publicly available on the secretary of state's web site within seven days of receipt or release. The secretary of state may make additional schedules or forms filed under this section publicly available upon request. Prior to making any federal income tax returns public, the secretary of state shall redact such information contained in the returns as deemed needed in consultation with the director of the department of revenue.

(3) Presidential candidates who do not comply with the requirements of subsection (1) of this section may not appear on the presidential preference primary ballot.

--- END ---