(1) A payment for or promise to pay for any electioneering communication shall be reported to the commission by the sponsor on forms the commission shall develop by rule to include, at a minimum, the following information:

(a) Name and address of the sponsor;

(b) Source of funds for the communication, including:

(i) General treasury funds. The name and address of businesses, unions, groups, associations, or other organizations using general treasury funds for the communication, however, if a business, union, group, association, or other organization undertakes a special solicitation of its members or other persons for an electioneering communication, or it otherwise receives funds for an electioneering communication, that entity shall report pursuant to (b)(ii) of this subsection;

(ii) Special solicitations and other funds. The name, address, and, for individuals, occupation and employer, of a person whose funds were used to pay for the electioneering communication, along with the amount, if such funds from the person have exceeded two hundred fifty dollars in the aggregate for the electioneering communication;

(iii) A statement from the sponsor that:

(A) The electioneering communication is not financed in any part by a foreign national; and

(B) Foreign nationals are not involved in making decisions regarding the electioneering communication in any way; and

(iv) Any other source information required or exempted by the commission by rule;

(c) Name and address of the person to whom an electioneering communication related expenditure was made;

(d) A detailed description of each expenditure of more than one hundred dollars;

(e) The date the expenditure was made and the date the electioneering communication was first broadcast, transmitted, mailed, erected, distributed, or otherwise published;

(f) The amount of the expenditure;

(g) The name of each candidate clearly identified in the electioneering communication, the office being sought by each candidate, and the amount of the expenditure attributable to each candidate; and

(h) Any other information the commission may require or exempt by rule.

(2) Electioneering communications shall be reported as follows: The sponsor of an electioneering communication shall report to the commission within twenty-four hours of, or on the first working day after, the date the electioneering communication is broadcast, transmitted, mailed, erected, distributed, digitally or otherwise, or otherwise published.

(3) Electioneering communications shall be reported electronically by the sponsor using software provided or approved by the commission. The commission may make exceptions on a case-by-case basis for a sponsor who lacks the technological ability to file reports using the electronic means provided or approved by the commission.

(4) All persons required to report under RCW 42.17A.225, 42.17A.235, 42.17A.240, and 42.17A.255 are subject to the requirements of this section, although the commission may determine by rule that persons filing according to those sections may be exempt from reporting some of the information otherwise required by this section. The commission may determine that reports filed pursuant to this section also satisfy the requirements of RCW 42.17A.255 and 42.17A.260.

(5) Failure of any sponsor to report electronically under this section shall be a violation of this chapter.

Findings—2020 c 152: See note following RCW 42.17A.417.

Effective date—Finding—Intent—2019 c 428: See notes following RCW 42.17A.160.