SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 5855
As of January 25, 2022
Title: An act relating to the use of campaign funds to reimburse expenses for child care and other caregiving services.
Brief Description: Concerning the use of campaign funds to reimburse expenses for child care and other caregiving services.
Sponsors: Senators Lovelett, Nobles, Wilson, C., Billig, Das, Hasegawa, Hawkins, Hunt, Keiser, Kuderer, Nguyen, Randall, Salda?a, Stanford and Trudeau.
Brief History:
Committee Activity: State Government & Elections: 1/26/22.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Authorizes the use of campaign contributions to reimburse candidates for expenses for the direct care, protection, and supervision of a child or person over whom the candidate has direct caregiving responsibility incurred directly due to campaign activities.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT & ELECTIONS
Staff: Samuel Brown (786-7470)
Background:

All monetary contributions received by a candidate for office must be deposited into an account established and designated for that purpose.  Expenditures from the account must be authorized by the candidate or a person named on the candidate's registration form.

 

Campaign contributions may be used for personal expenses of a candidate, the candidate's treasurer, or another individual under limited circumstances:

  • as reimbursement for or payments to cover lost earnings incurred as a result of campaigning;
  • as reimbursement for direct out-of-pocket expenses related to the election campaign and post-election activities; and
  • for repayment of loans made by the candidate to political committees, although a candidate may not be reimbursed for more than $4,700 for loans to the candidate's own authorized committee.

 

By administrative rule, campaigns may reimburse candidates for the fair market value of expenditures that are both personal and campaign-related.  The rule provides, as an example, that a candidate may be reimbursed from their campaign for the portion of child care costs that occurred directly as a result of the candidate's campaign activities.  While the example exists in rule, no analogous provision exists in the Revised Code of Washington.
Summary of Bill:

Candidates may be reimbursed from campaign funds for expenses for the direct care, protection, and supervision of a child or person over whom the candidate has direct caregiving responsibility incurred directly due to campaign activities.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.