Chapter 41 Oregon Laws 2008 Special Session

 

AN ACT

 

SB 1071

 

Relating to campaign finance reporting; creating new provisions; amending ORS 246.021, 260.057 and 260.085; and declaring an emergency.

 

Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:

 

          SECTION 1. ORS 260.057 is amended to read:

          260.057. (1) The Secretary of State by rule shall adopt an electronic filing system to be used by:

          (a) All candidates and political committees to file with the secretary statements of contributions received and expenditures made by the candidates and political committees, as described in ORS 260.083; and

          (b) Treasurers appointed by the chief petitioners of initiative, referendum or recall petitions under ORS 260.118 to file with the secretary statements of contributions received and expenditures made by the treasurers and chief petitioners.

          (2)(a) A candidate for nomination or election at any primary or general election or a political committee supporting or opposing a candidate or measure at any primary or general election shall file a statement described in subsection (1) of this section not later than seven calendar days after a contribution is received or an expenditure is made. This paragraph applies to contributions received and expenditures made during the period beginning on the 42nd calendar day before the date of any primary election and ending on the date of the primary election and the period beginning on the 42nd calendar day before the date of any general election and ending on the date of the general election.

          (b) For any special election, the secretary by rule may establish a period during which a candidate for nomination or election at the special election or a political committee supporting or opposing a candidate or measure at the special election must file a statement described in subsection (1) of this section not later than seven calendar days after a contribution is received or an expenditure is made.

          (3) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, during a period not described in subsection (2) of this section, a candidate or political committee shall file a statement described in subsection (1) of this section not later than 30 calendar days after a contribution is received or an expenditure is made.

          (4)(a) If a candidate for nomination or election at any primary election or a political committee supporting or opposing a candidate or measure at any primary election receives a contribution or makes an expenditure prior to the 42nd calendar day before the date of the primary election and the candidate or political committee has not filed a statement of the contribution or expenditure under subsection (3) of this section by the 43rd calendar day before the date of the primary election, the candidate or political committee shall file a statement described in subsection (1) of this section not later than the 35th calendar day before the date of the primary election.

          (b) If a candidate for nomination or election at any general election or a political committee supporting or opposing a candidate or measure at any general election receives a contribution or makes an expenditure prior to the 42nd calendar day before the date of the general election and the candidate or political committee has not filed a statement of the contribution or expenditure under subsection (3) of this section by the 43rd calendar day before the date of the general election, the candidate or political committee shall file a statement described in subsection (1) of this section not later than the 35th calendar day before the date of the general election.

          (5) The electronic filing system shall be provided free of charge by the secretary and:

          (a) Accept electronic files that conform to the format prescribed by the secretary by rule; or

          (b) Be compatible with any other electronic filing application provided or approved by the secretary.

          (6)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, the secretary shall make all data filed electronically under this section and all information filed with the secretary under ORS 260.044, 260.045, 260.049, 260.085, 260.102 or 260.118 available on the Internet to the public free of charge according to a schedule adopted by the secretary by rule. The secretary shall make the data available in a searchable database that is easily accessible by the public. When the secretary makes data or information available on the Internet under this subsection, the secretary shall display any contribution received from a person or political committee with an out-of-state address in a different colored font than a contribution received from a person or political committee with an in-state address.

          (b) The secretary may not make data that are filed electronically under this section or ORS 260.118 available to the public under this section, unless the data are required to be listed under ORS 260.083. The secretary may not disclose under ORS 192.410 to 192.505 any data that are filed electronically under this section or ORS 260.118, unless the data are required to be listed under ORS 260.083.

          (7)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, each statement required by this section shall be signed and certified as true by the candidate or treasurer required to file it. Signatures shall be supplied in the manner specified by the secretary by rule.

          (b) A candidate or treasurer may designate a person to sign and certify as true a statement required by this section. The designation must be filed in writing with the secretary and must be renewed for each two-year period beginning January 1 of an even-numbered year.

          (8) Subsections (1) to (7) of this section do not apply to:

          (a) Candidates for federal office;

          (b) Candidates who are not required to file a statement of organization under ORS 260.043; or

          (c) Candidates or political committees who file certificates under ORS 260.112.

 

          SECTION 2. ORS 246.021 is amended to read:

          246.021. (1) Except as provided in ORS 247.012 and subsection (2) of this section, an election document and an accompanying payment of fees required to be filed with the Secretary of State, county clerk or other filing officer must be delivered to and actually received at the office of the designated officer not later than 5 p.m. of the day the document or fee is due or, if the day due is a Saturday, Sunday or holiday, on the next business day.

          (2) If, at 5 p.m. of the day an election document is due, an individual is physically present in the office of the secretary, county clerk or other filing officer and in line waiting to deliver the document, the individual is considered to have begun the act of delivering the document and is permitted to file it.

          (3) Any election document required to be filed with the filing officer other than ballots, voter registration cards or petitions requiring signatures of electors may also be filed by means of an electronic facsimile transmission machine. If an election document is required to be filed by a specified time, the entire document must be received in the office of the filing officer not later than 5 p.m. of the day the document is due or, if the day due is a Saturday, Sunday or holiday, on the next business day.

          (4) Notwithstanding any provision of subsections (1) to (3) of this section, if a statement is required to be filed electronically under ORS 260.057:

          (a) The statement must be received electronically at the office of the Secretary of State not later than [12 midnight] 11:59 p.m. of the day the statement is due or, if the day due is a Saturday, Sunday or holiday, on the next business day; and

          (b) The Secretary of State may not accept the filing of the statement in any form other than an electronic format.

          (5) As used in this section, “election document” includes, but is not limited to, a declaration of candidacy for nomination for public or political party office, completed nominating petitions, statements and portraits for voters’ pamphlets, statements of election campaign contributions and expenditures, and initiative, referendum or recall petitions.

 

          SECTION 3. (1) Not later than April 1, 2008, a treasurer appointed by the chief petitioners of an initiative, referendum or recall petition shall file a statement under ORS 260.057 and 260.118 of any contributions received or expenditures made by the treasurer or chief petitioner prior to January 1, 2008, that were not included on a statement filed with a filing officer prior to January 1, 2008.

          (2) Subsection (1) of this section does not apply if the treasurer has filed a statement under ORS 260.057 and 260.118 prior to April 1, 2008, that includes all contributions received and expenditures made by the treasurer or chief petitioner prior to January 1, 2008, that were not included on a statement filed with a filing officer prior to January 1, 2008.

 

          SECTION 4. ORS 260.085 is amended to read:

          260.085. (1) An account required by ORS 260.055 and a statement required by ORS 260.083 to list the occupation of a contributor must list the occupation of the contributor in the account and on the first statement filed under ORS 260.057 or 260.076 after the contribution is received if the occupation is known to the candidate or political committee filing the statement.

          (2) If an account required by ORS 260.055 or a statement required by ORS 260.083 to list the occupation of a contributor does not list the occupation of the contributor as required by ORS 260.055 or on the first statement filed under ORS 260.057 or 260.076 after the contribution is received, the candidate or political committee shall file with the account and with the statement filed under ORS 260.057 documentation of a written request to the contributor to furnish the contributor’s occupation.

          (3) If a candidate or political committee receives a contribution that does not identify the occupation of the contributor, the candidate or political committee shall make a written request to the contributor to furnish the occupation of the contributor within seven calendar days after receiving the contribution. A written request under this subsection may be sent by electronic mail.

          (4) If a candidate or political committee receives information identifying the occupation of a contributor after making a written request under subsection (3) of this section, the candidate or political committee, within seven calendar days after receiving the information, shall include the contributor’s occupation in the account kept under ORS 260.055 and in the contributor’s entry filed under ORS 260.057.

 

          SECTION 5. The amendments to ORS 260.085 by section 4 of this 2008 Act apply to written requests made on or after the effective date of this 2008 Act.

 

          SECTION 6. The amendments to ORS 260.057 by section 1 of this 2008 Act apply to contributions received on or after January 1, 2009.

 

          SECTION 7. This 2008 Act being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency is declared to exist, and this 2008 Act takes effect on its passage.

 

Approved by the Governor March 11, 2008

 

Filed in the office of Secretary of State March 11, 2008

 

Effective date March 11, 2008

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