WSR 98-01-055

EMERGENCY RULES

PUBLIC DISCLOSURE COMMISSION

[Filed December 11, 1997, 8:30 a.m.]

Date of Adoption: December 9, 1997.

Purpose: To implement the state Supreme Court's ruling in Senate Republican Campaign Committee v. PDC and provide guidance to state officials and persons acting on their behalf regarding soliciting or accepting contributions during a legislative session freeze period.

Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 390-17-400.

Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 42.17.370(1).

Under RCW 34.05.350 the agency for good cause finds that immediate adoption, amendment, or repeal of a rule is necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety, or general welfare, and that observing the time requirements of notice and opportunity to comment upon adoption of a permanent rule would be contrary to the public interest.

Reasons for this Finding: A legislative session freeze period begins on Saturday, December 13, 1997. During a freeze period, legislators, other state officials, caucus political committees and others who act on behalf of state officials are prohibited from soliciting or accepting contributions for certain purposes. This matter was recently the subject of a state Supreme Court decision. This decision rendered some portions of WAC 390-17-400 void. It is necessary to rewrite the rule to conform with the court's ruling and give clear guidance to those affected by RCW 42.17.710 and WAC 390-17-400.

Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's own Initiative: New 0, amended 1, repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, amended 1, repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, amended 1, repealed 0.

Effective Date of Rule: Immediately.

December 10, 1997

Melissa Warheit

Executive Director

AMENDATORY SECTION (Amending WSR 96-01-103, filed 12/19/95)

WAC 390-17-400 Time limit to solicit or accept contributions. For purposes of complying with RCW 42.17.710:

(1) "Campaign debt," as used in RCW 42.17.710, means any debt incurred by a candidate seeking election to a non-federal public office, including campaigns for state, county, city, town, school district, special district or other state political subdivision elective office.

(2) (("Legislative caucus" means the caucus of members of a major political party in the state house of representatives or in the state senate.)) "Known candidates" means individuals who are, or who become, candidates for state or local office during a legislative session freeze period.

(3) "Legislative session freeze period" means the period of time in RCW 42.17.710 within which contributions shall not be solicited or accepted by a state official or a person employed by or acting on behalf of a state official.

(a) The freeze period begins at 12:01 a.m. on the thirtieth day before the start of the regular legislative session and ends at 11:59 p.m. on the thirtieth day following adjournment of the regular legislative session.

(b) If a special session is held immediately following the end of the regular legislative session, this period ends on the day the special session adjourns or at 11:59 p.m. on the thirtieth day following adjournment of the regular legislative session, whichever is later.

(c) If a special session is held other than within 30 days before or after a regular legislative session, the freeze period begins at 12:01 a.m. on the first day of the special session and ends at 11:59 p.m. on the final day of the special session.

(4) A successful candidate for state office who does not already hold a state office is not required to comply with RCW 42.17.710 until sworn into office.

(5) An unsuccessful incumbent state official must comply with RCW 42.17.710 until his or her term expires.

(((6) A state official may solicit or accept contributions during the legislative session freeze period to assist his or her campaign for a federal office.

(7) A state official is not prohibited from accepting gifts and other items permitted under chapter 42.52 RCW during the legislative session freeze period so long as the gift or other item is not (a) used to defray non-reimbursed public office related expenses, (b) a contribution to a candidate or authorized committee, or (c) used to retire a campaign debt.

(8) During the legislative session freeze period, no person shall solicit or accept contributions on behalf of or for the benefit of a state official for the purpose of retiring a campaign debt of the state official or raising funds for a state official's future election to a non-federal public office.

(9) During the legislative session freeze period, a bona fide political party shall not solicit or accept contributions on behalf of or for the benefit of a state official for the purpose of retiring a campaign debt of the state official or raising funds for a state official's future election to a non-federal public office. However, a bona fide political party may solicit or accept contributions for its own fundraising purposes.

(10) During the legislative session freeze period, a state official may sponsor, speak at or attend a fundraising event held by or on behalf of a bona fide political party as long as no contributions raised in conjunction with the event are earmarked or otherwise designated for one or more candidates for non-federal office.

(11) During the legislative session freeze period, no person shall solicit or accept contributions to a caucus political committee or any other political committee financed, controlled or operated by the legislative caucus as a whole or the officers of the caucus political committee, unless the purpose of the other political committee is to support or oppose a ballot measure.

(12) RCW 42.17.710 does not apply to the solicitation or acceptance of a contribution from a member of a legislative caucus using his or her personal funds as defined in WAC 390-17-305 or surplus funds as defined in RCW 42.17.020(41) by a caucus political committee or any other political committee financed, controlled or operated by the legislative caucus as a whole or by the officers of the caucus political committee.

(13) RCW 42.17.710 does not apply to a candidate's acceptance or use of his or her personal funds as defined in WAC 390-17-305 or his or her surplus funds as defined in RCW 42.17.020(41).

(14) During the legislative session freeze period, a state official is not prohibited from soliciting or accepting contributions on behalf of a nonprofit charitable organization.))

(6) "Person employed by or acting on behalf of a state official" includes a caucus political committee or any political committee financed or controlled by a legislative caucus as a whole or by one or more officers of a caucus political committee.

(7) State Officials May Do the Following. During a legislative session freeze period, state officials may:

(a) solicit or accept contributions to assist a campaign for federal office;

(b) accept gifts or other items permitted under chapter 42.52 RCW, so long as the gift or other item is not

a contribution to an incumbent state official or known candidate,

used to pay a non-reimbursed public office related expense, or

used to retire a campaign debt;

(c) attend and speak at a fund raising event held by or on behalf of a bona fide political party, so long as the contributions raised are not earmarked or otherwise designated for any incumbent state official or known candidate;

(d) transfer their own personal funds, as defined in WAC 390-17-305, or their own surplus funds, as defined in RCW 42.17.020, to their own campaign account, so long as the funds are properly reported;

(e) solicit or accept contributions on behalf of a nonprofit charity; or

(f) solicit or accept contributions on behalf of any political committee, including a caucus political committee, a bona fide political party or a ballot measure committee, so long as the political committee does not spend the contributions for the benefit of incumbent state officials or known candidates.

(8) State Officials May Not Do the Following. During a legislative session freeze period, a state official may not solicit or accept contributions that:

(a) go to an incumbent state official or known candidate;

(b) are used to pay a non-reimbursed public office related expense;

(c) are used to retire a campaign debt;

(d) go to a caucus political committee if the committee spends the contributions for the benefit of incumbent state officials or known candidates; or

(e) go to a bona fide political party or a political committee if the political party or committee spends the contributions for the benefit of incumbent state officials or known candidates.

(9) Caucus Political Committees. During a legislative session freeze period, a caucus political committee

(a) may solicit or accept contributions from caucus members if the members make the contributions with their own personal funds, as defined in WAC 390-17-305, or with their own surplus funds, as defined in RCW 42.17.020;

(b) may not solicit or accept contributions for any of the purposes specified in subsection (8) of this rule.

(10) Persons Acting on Behalf of State Officials. During a legislative session freeze period, a person employed by or acting on behalf of a state official may not solicit or accept contributions for any of the purposes specified in subsection (8) of this rule.

(11) Bona Fide Political Parties. During a legislative session freeze period, a bona fide political party may not solicit or accept contributions that are

used for a state official's non-reimbursed public office related expenses,

used for retiring a state official's campaign debt, or

earmarked for contributions to specific incumbent state officials or known candidates.

However, a bona fide political party may solicit or accept contributions for its own fund raising purposes.

(12) Segregating Session Freeze Funds. During a legislative session freeze period, if a state official, a caucus political committee, or another person employed by or acting on behalf of a state official solicits or accepts contributions to

a caucus political committee,

a bona fide political party, or

any political committee that supports or opposes state or local office candidates, the contributions are presumed to violate RCW 42.17.710, unless the contributions are

deposited into a separate bank account and

spent in a manner that does not benefit incumbent state officials or known candidates.

However, nothing in this subsection authorizes a state official, a caucus political committee or any person employed by or acting on behalf of a state official to take any of the actions prohibited by subsections (8) or (9)(b) of this rule.

(13) Session Freeze Solicitations. If a person is solicited for a contribution during the legislative session freeze period

by a state official, a caucus political committee, or another person employed by or acting on behalf of a state official, and

the contribution is to a caucus political committee, a bona fide political party, or a political committee that supports or opposes candidates for state or local office, and

the person makes a contribution during or after the freeze period in response to this solicitation,

the contribution is subject RCW 42.17.710 and subsection (12) of this rule.

(14) Spending Contributions to Benefit Incumbents or Known Candidates. Contributions solicited or accepted during a legislative session freeze period are considered spent for the benefit of incumbent state officials or known candidates if the contributions are used at any time for:

(a) contributions to incumbent state officials or known candidates;

(b) independent expenditures supporting incumbent state officials or known candidates, or opposing their opponents, whether or not the opponents are themselves known candidates during a legislative session freeze period;

(c) payments to staff, consultants or advisors for performing activities that assist or promote the election of incumbent state officials or known candidates;

(d) polls or surveys that relate to incumbent state officials, known candidates or their districts, or to voter attitudes or preferences that likely would have relevance to incumbent state officials or known candidates; or

(e) any other expenditure that directly benefits or promotes the election to state or local office of incumbent state officials or known candidates.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 42.17.370(1). 96-01-103, 390-17-400, filed 12/19/95, effective 1/19/96. Statutory Authority: RCW 42.17.370. 93-16-064, 390-17-400, filed 7/30/93, effective 8/30/93.]