CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5861

Chapter 469, Laws of 2019

66TH LEGISLATURE

2019 REGULAR SESSION

LEGISLATURE CODE OF CONDUCT--LOBBYISTS

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 28, 2019—Except sections 2 and 3, which become effective December 31, 2019.

SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5861

AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

BySenate State Government, Tribal Relations & Elections (originally sponsored by Senators Dhingra, Rivers, Hunt, Wellman, Hasegawa, Darneille, Saldaña, Cleveland, Conway, Frockt, Keiser, Kuderer, Liias, Palumbo, Randall, and Wilson, C.)

AN ACT Relating to extending respectful workplace code of conduct provisions to all members of the legislative community; amending RCW 42.17A.600 and 42.17A.605; adding a new section to chapter 44.04 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 42.17A RCW; and providing an effective date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 44.04 RCW to read as follows:

The chief clerk of the house of representatives and the secretary of the senate shall develop and provide a training course for registered lobbyists regarding the legislative code of conduct and any policies related to appropriate conduct adopted by the senate or the house of representatives.

Sec. 2. RCW 42.17A.600 and 2010 c 204 s 801 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Before lobbying, or within thirty days after being employed as a lobbyist, whichever occurs first, a lobbyist shall register by filing with the commission a lobbyist registration statement, in such detail as the commission shall prescribe, that includes the following information:

(a) The lobbyist's name, permanent business address, and any temporary residential and business addresses in Thurston county during the legislative session;

(b) The name, address and occupation or business of the lobbyist's employer;

(c) The duration of the lobbyist's employment;

(d) The compensation to be received for lobbying, the amount to be paid for expenses, and what expenses are to be reimbursed;

(e) Whether the lobbyist is employed solely as a lobbyist or whether the lobbyist is a regular employee performing services for his or her employer which include but are not limited to the influencing of legislation;

(f) The general subject or subjects to be lobbied;

(g) A written authorization from each of the lobbyist's employers confirming such employment;

(h) The name and address of the person who will have custody of the accounts, bills, receipts, books, papers, and documents required to be kept under this chapter;

(i) If the lobbyist's employer is an entity (including, but not limited to, business and trade associations) whose members include, or which as a representative entity undertakes lobbying activities for, businesses, groups, associations, or organizations, the name and address of each member of such entity or person represented by such entity whose fees, dues, payments, or other consideration paid to such entity during either of the prior two years have exceeded five hundred dollars or who is obligated to or has agreed to pay fees, dues, payments, or other consideration exceeding five hundred dollars to such entity during the current year;

(j) An attestation that the lobbyist has read and completed a training course provided under section 1 of this act regarding the legislative code of conduct and any policies related to appropriate conduct adopted by the senate or the house of representatives.

(2) Any lobbyist who receives or is to receive compensation from more than one person for lobbying shall file a separate notice of representation for each person. However, if two or more persons are jointly paying or contributing to the payment of the lobbyist, the lobbyist may file a single statement detailing the name, business address, and occupation of each person paying or contributing and the respective amounts to be paid or contributed.

(3) Whenever a change, modification, or termination of the lobbyist's employment occurs, the lobbyist shall file with the commission an amended registration statement within one week of the change, modification, or termination.

(4) Each registered lobbyist shall file a new registration statement, revised as appropriate, on the second Monday in January of each odd-numbered year. Failure to do so terminates the lobbyist's registration.

Sec. 3. RCW 42.17A.605 and 2010 c 204 s 802 are each amended to read as follows:

Each lobbyist shall at the time he or she registers submit to the commission a recent photograph of himself or herself of a size and format as determined by rule of the commission, together with the name of the lobbyist's employer, the length of his or her employment as a lobbyist before the legislature, a brief biographical description, and any other information he or she may wish to submit not to exceed fifty words in length. The photograph ((and)), information, and attestation submitted under RCW 42.17A.600(1)(j) shall be published by the commission at least biennially in a booklet form for distribution to legislators and the public.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 42.17A RCW to read as follows:

(1) A lobbyist who is registered under RCW 42.17A.600 before December 31, 2019, is required to update the lobbyist's registration materials to include the attestation required by RCW 42.17A.600(1)(j) by December 31, 2019.

(2) The commission shall revoke the registration of any lobbyist registered under RCW 42.17A.600 who does not comply with subsection (1) of this section.

(3) The commission may not impose any other penalty on a lobbyist registered under RCW 42.17A.600 for failure to comply with subsection (1) of this section.

(4) The commission shall collaborate with the chief clerk of the house of representatives and the secretary of the senate to develop a process to verify that lobbyists who submit an attestation under RCW 42.17A.600(1)(j) have completed the training course provided under section 1 of this act.

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