Status: The Senate refused to concur with the House amendments, and asked the House to recede from amendments. The House insisted on its position and asked Senate to concur. The bill was never reconciled, so is dead this session.
Bill Summary:
(House amended version)
• Requires political and incidental committees formed after the first of the last full month before an election to file statements of organization within three business days of organization.
• Requires that candidates and committees file an additional contribution and expenditure report five weeks before a general election.
• Expands the special reporting period for large contributions. Requires that purchasers of political advertising disclose to commercial advertisers when the purchase includes political advertising or electioneering communications.
• Removes requirement that campaigns retain certifications from corporations that foreign nationals were not involved in making contributions received by the campaign.
• Requires corporations to certify no foreign influence when making independent expenditures or contributions.
(Senate amended version)
• Repeals the prohibition on contributions and expenditures by foreign nationals, and the corresponding certification requirements, and replaces it with a prohibition on contributions and expenditures by foreign-influenced corporations.
• Requires corporations that make contributions and expenditures to certify with the Public Disclosure Commission that they are not foreign-influenced corporations. (Foreign-influenced corporations are defined in the bill as having a 1% single foreign owner or combined 5% foreign ownership.)
• Requires candidates and political and incidental committees to file an additional contributions and expenditures report 34 days before a general election.
• Increases the threshold for contributions to trigger a special report from $1,000 to be tied to the contribution limit for state officers, which is currently $2,000, and increases the special reporting period for large contributions from 21 days before an election to the beginning of the last full month before an election.
• Requires purchasers of political advertising or electioneering communications to disclose to commercial advertisers that the purchase includes political advertising or electioneering communications, upon request of the commercial advertiser.
• Requires political and incidental committees formed after the first day of the last full month before an election, rather than the last three weeks, to file statements of organization within three business days of organization.
IMPORTANT BILL NOTE: The section in the bill addressing foreign-influenced corporations donating to WA elections added during the Senate floor session, was struck from the bill via an amendment during executive session in the House State Government and Tribal Relations committee. The House committee instead added their own amendments, as listed above.
*Please check the bill page for current status and upcoming hearings.*
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