BySenate Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Becker, Bailey, Cleveland, Hunt, Short, O'Ban, King, Keiser, Walsh, Wilson, L., Darneille, Warnick, Honeyford, Brown, Billig, Hasegawa, Van De Wege, Wagoner, and Kuderer)

AN ACT Relating to establishing a training course for campaign treasurers; reenacting and amending RCW 42.17A.210; and adding a new section to chapter 42.17A RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 42.17A RCW to read as follows:

(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, by September 1, 2019, the commission must develop and provide a training course for individuals acting as treasurers or deputy treasurers for candidates pursuant to RCW 42.17A.210. The course must provide, at a minimum, a comprehensive overview of:

(b) The reporting requirements necessary for candidate compliance with this chapter, including triggers and deadlines for reporting;

(f) Any other subjects or topics the commission deems necessary for encouraging effective compliance with this chapter.

(2) The commission must make the course available to all interested individuals no later than September 1, 2019. The course must be provided in a format able to be used both in person and remotely via the internet.

(3) The commission must determine the requirements for course completion. Those individuals who complete the training course shall be deemed "certified" by the commission and such certification shall last five years from the date issued. The commission must develop a system to track individuals' certification status.

(4) Beginning May 1, 2020, no individual, other than a candidate for that office, may serve as a treasurer or deputy treasurer unless the individual has been deemed certified by the commission pursuant to this section within the past five years.

Sec. 2. RCW 42.17A.210 and 2010 c 205 s 2 and 2010 c 204 s 403 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

(1) Each candidate, within two weeks after becoming a candidate, and each political committee, at the time it is required to file a statement of organization, shall designate and file with the commission the name and address of one legally competent individual, who may be the candidate, to serve as a treasurer.

(2) A candidate, a political committee, or a treasurer may appoint as many deputy treasurers as is considered necessary and shall file the names and addresses of the deputy treasurers with the commission.

(3)(a) A candidate or political committee may at any time remove a treasurer or deputy treasurer.

(b) In the event of the death, resignation, removal, or change of a treasurer or deputy treasurer, the candidate or political committee shall designate and file with the commission the name and address of any successor.

(4)(a) No treasurer or deputy treasurer may be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions of this chapter until his or her name and address is filed with the commission.

(b) After May 1, 2020, no treasurer or deputy treasurer, other than a candidate, may be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions of this chapter until he or she is trained and currently certified by the commission pursuant to section 1 of this act, unless:

(i) The candidate or political committee does not expect to receive contributions or make expenditures of more than five thousand dollars;

(ii) The treasurer or deputy treasurer will not receive more than nominal compensation for serving as treasurer or deputy treasurer; or

(iii) The treasurer or deputy treasurer is an actively licensed certified public accountant with the Washington state board of accountancy.