HB129 Alabama 2010 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Randy Hinshaw

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2010

Title

Electioneering communications and paid political advertising, disclosure of source of funding required, exceptions, contributions by political committees further provided for, Secs. 17-5-2, 17-5-8, 17-5-12 am'd.; Act 2009-751, 2009 Reg. Sess. am'd.

Summary

HB129 would require electioneering communications and paid political ads funded by organizations to disclose funding sources and payor information, with specific identification and labeling rules.

What This Bill Does

If enacted, the bill would require electioneering communications and paid political advertisements paid for by an organization or entity to disclose the names of the funding sources and the payor. It would require clear identification of the paying entity on the ad, including full name and address, and print ads would need at least 10-point bold identification text. It also sets reporting requirements for principal campaign committees and political action committees, and provides certain exemptions for churches and some internal communications; the changes take effect on July 1, 2010.

Who It Affects

• Organizations that pay for electioneering communications or paid political advertisements must disclose funding sources and identify who is paying.
• Principal campaign committees, political action committees (PACs), and elected state or local officials must file detailed, regular campaign finance reports disclosing contributions, expenditures, loans, and related information (including annual reports).
• Candidates and campaigns linked to these committees are affected by the funding disclosures tied to their elections.
• Churches are exempt from disclosing the identities of members, and certain internal communications by membership or trade organizations are exempt from disclosure.
• Print and broadcast media advertisers are affected by new identification and labeling requirements for paid political content.

Key Provisions

• Electioneering communications and paid political advertisements funded by an organization or entity must disclose the organization’s funding sources.
• The payor must be clearly identified on the ad, with identification information required by existing law (including full name and address), and print ads must use at least 10-point bold font for this identification at the bottom.
• Print media and broadcast communications must clearly identify the entity responsible for paying and provide identification of the payor.
• Churches are exempt from disclosing members and contributions; some internal communications by membership or trade organizations are exempt from these disclosure requirements.
• Principal campaign committees, PACs, and elected officials must file regular campaign finance reports, including contributions, expenditures, loans, and other details, with specific deadlines (including annual reports by January 31).
• The act becomes effective July 1, 2010.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Elections