A bill that would require lobbyists to file reports electronically and give the public better access to their activities won unanimous approval in the state House of Representatives on Monday.
House Bill 1005, introduced by Rep. Jim Moeller, D-Vancouver, sailed through the chamber on a 97-0 vote. It now heads to the Senate.
The bill would make the information contained in lobbyist reports searchable and sortable online through the state Public Disclosure Commission. The PDC keeps those reports online now, but only in the form of documents that are often questionable or incomplete. A searchable database would make it easier to find out whom and what lobbyists in Washington spend money on, supporters say.
The bill would also create new fees charging lobbyists, their employers and other parties to help the state set up and maintain the new filing system.
Among the bill’s cosponsors is state Rep. Sharon Wylie, D-Vancouver.
