Public Disclosure Commission will consider proposals to update rules during public hearings in December

information released

The Washington State Public Disclosure Commission will consider proposals this December to update rules related to lobbying activities in advance of the 2024 legislative session.

The agency is taking public comment on draft rules including grassroots lobbying activities and inflationary adjustments for lobbying reporting thresholds. Both will be the subject of public hearings during the PDC’s regular meeting on December 7.

The PDC was directed to draft rules on grassroots lobbying in House Bill 1317, which passed in the 2023 legislative session.

The term grassroots lobbying can sometimes lead to confusion. Unlike traditional lobbying, in which an individual or a group attempts to influence legislators directly on issues, grassroots lobbying is indirect, focusing instead on encouraging members of the public to support or oppose an issue, indirectly influencing action in the Legislature or state agency. The term “grassroots” refers to the type of lobbying, not the kind of group undertaking the effort.

House Bill 1317, now state law, has already resulted in some changes in grassroots lobbying registration and sponsor identification on advertisements. The draft rules would include additional requirements and clarifications in the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) Title 390.

The proposed rules include proposed definitions grassroots lobbying, more information on how sponsors should report their activities and more.

The commission also plans to consider inflationary adjustments to lobbying reporting thresholds. In 2023, the commission approved inflationary adjustments to campaign contributions and reporting thresholds for candidates and committees, and is now continuing that work with lobbyist reporting.

See the draft rules being considered below:
To comment on the draft rules proposals, email pdc@pdc.wa.gov.