ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Phoenix, Arizona
political committees; reporting requirements
Makes a variety of changes to current political committee registration, disclosure and report requirements.
Background
According to the sponsor, existing laws relating to political committee filing and report requirements are confusing and unclear. This legislation is intended to create a uniform system for filing a statement of organization for political committees and for reporting campaign contributions and expenditures and to simplify related statutes and eliminate any ambiguities.
This legislation has no fiscal impact on the state general fund.
1. Requires political committees and candidates intending to accept contributions or make expenditures of more than $500 to file a statement of organization with the elections filing officer before accepting contributions, making expenditures, distributing any campaign literature or circulating petitions.
2. Requires political committees and candidates intending to accept contributions or make expenditures of $500 or less to file a signed exemption statement that states that intention before accepting contributions, making expenditures, distributing any campaign literature or circulating petitions.
3. Requires political committees and candidates intending to accept or expend $500 or less that have received contributions or makes expenditures of more than $500 to file a statement of organization within 5 days of exceeding the limit.
4. Requires candidates who intend to receive contributions or make expenditures of more than $500 to designate a candidate’s campaign committee by filing a statement of organization before accepting contributions, making expenditures, distributing any campaign literature or circulating petitions.
5. Requires political committees for candidates to include on their literature and advertisements the words “PAID FOR BY” followed by the name of the political committee that appears on its statement of organization or $500 exemption statement. Removes existing requirements, including posting the names and telephone numbers of the three largest contributors to the political committee on literature and advertisements.
6. Limits the disclosure of major funding sources of political committees for ballot propositions on literature or advertisements to those corporations, partnerships, unions or political committees that are the largest contributors at the time such materials are produced and that have made cumulative contributions of $10,000 or more.
7. Removes existing definition and report requirements of major funding sources of political committees and requirements relating to group donations.
8. Stipulates that political committees for ballot measures must report contributions for statewide measures to the Secretary of State and for nonstatewide measures to the local filing officer.
9. Requires political committees to give notice to the proper authority of the first time that each of the following occurs:
a. the committee has received contributions totaling $10,000.
b. the committee has made expenditures totaling $10,000.
c. the committee has received contributions totaling $10,000 or more from a single source.
d. the committee has received contributions totaling $10,000 or more from different additional single sources.
10. Requires contribution notice to include the amount, recipient and purpose of expenditures of more than $10,000.
11. Reduces the period by which political committees must file amended statements of organization that reflect changes in information from 10 to five business days.
12. Makes technical and conforming changes.
13. Provides for a general effective date.
JUD 1/23/01 DP 5-4-1-0-0
3rd Read 2/12/01 55-0-5-0
Prepared by Senate Staff
March 29, 2001