Washington state campaign finance disclosure requirements and enforcement are changing due to a new state law that took effect June 7, 2018.
Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2938 revises aspects of how campaign activity is reported and how complaints about possible violations are handled. Among the changes:
- Timely categorization and resolution of campaign finance complaints
- New ways to resolve minor filing issues
- Simplified and, in some cases, expanded reporting of debts, pledges and initial expenses
- Adjustments to how campaigns meet their obligation to allow inspection of campaign books prior to an election
- An optional dissolution process for committees that cease operations
- Specific disclosure requirements for digital advertisers that sell political advertising
- New thresholds for reporting independent expenditures
The Public Disclosure Commission will be releasing information to explain the changes and help filers meet the new requirements. You can sign up for email alerts about those updates. Or you can follow along at this page.