April 23, 2017

The 2017 regular session freeze period ends Sunday, April 23, at 11:59 p.m. Gov. Jay Inslee has announced he will convene a special session of the Legislature beginning Monday, April 24, triggering a new fundraising freeze at 12:01 a.m. that day until the end of the special session. During a freeze, a legislator or state executive office holder may not solicit or accept campaigns contributions:

  • for any candidate for state or local office;
  • to a public office fund;
  • to retire a campaign debt; or
  • for a political committee, including a caucus political committee or party, if the contributions are used for the benefit of incumbent state officials or known candidates.

This prohibition extends to any person employed by or acting on behalf of an official subject to the freeze. Further, since caucus political committees act on behalf of legislators, caucus committee personnel also are prohibited from soliciting or accepting contributions for the purposes mentioned above.

Authority: RCW 42.17A.560 and WAC 390-17-400.