Notice of Committee Passage for Senate Bill 5225 - 10 Year Analysis Complete

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SB 5225, titled AN ACT Relating to candidate filing requirements, has been passed by the Senate Committee on State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections. The Office of Financial Management has identified this bill as requiring a ten-year projection of increased cost to the taxpayers or affected fee payers.

Ten-year projection:

Office of the Secretary of State:

The revenue impact of SB 5225, Section 1(5), which authorizes OSOS to increase candidate filing fees to offset signature verification costs, is indeterminate currently due to several factors. 

•           The number of candidates filing for statewide and federal office varies significantly across election cycles. While legislative races tend to follow a more consistent filing pattern, fluctuations in candidate filings for state and federal offices introduce uncertainty in projecting revenue from increased filing fees.

•           The legislation requires the establishment of a process for determining filing fee adjustments, likely involving new or amended rulemaking under the Washington Administrative Code (WAC). The timeline for developing and implementing these rules is undetermined, delaying the ability to calculate precise revenue impacts.

•           As outlined in RCW 29A.24.095, filing fees for state legislative offices are distributed equally among county auditors within the applicable district, whereas filing fees for statewide and federal offices are retained by the Office of the Secretary of State. This decentralized distribution adds complexity to estimating net revenue changes.

•           Signature verification costs are dependent on the number of signatures submitted per candidate. While it is possible to estimate the cost per signature, the absence of reliable data on expected signature volumes, combined with the variability of verification processes, staffing, and technological requirements, prevents accurate revenue projections at this time.

Ten-year projection prepared in consultation with the following agencies:

Office of the Secretary of State

The following legislators voted do pass:

Senator Bob Hasegawa
Democrat
(360) 786-7616
bob.hasegawa@leg.wa.gov

Senator Claudia Kauffman
Democrat
(360) 786-7692
claudia.kauffman@leg.wa.gov

Senator Marcus Riccelli
Democrat
(360) 786-7604
marcus.riccelli@leg.wa.gov

Senator Javier Valdez
Democrat
(360) 786-7690
javier.valdez@leg.wa.gov

Senator Deborah Krishnadasan
Democrat
(360) 786-7650
Deborah.Krishnadasan@leg.wa.gov


The following legislators voted to refer the bill without recommendation:

Senator Jeff Wilson
Republican
(360) 786-7636
Jeff.Wilson@leg.wa.gov


The following legislators voted do not pass:

Senator Jim McCune
Republican
(360) 786-7602
jim.mccune@leg.wa.gov

Senator Phil Fortunato
Republican
(360) 786-7660
phil.fortunato@leg.wa.gov

Senator Shelly Short
Republican
(360) 786-7612
shelly.short@leg.wa.gov



Legislative Bill Information Website: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/

Initiative 960 Website: http://www.ofm.wa.gov/tax/default.asp