SB16 Alabama 2011 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Cam Ward

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2011

Title

Campaign finance disclosure reports, electronic filing authorized, Secs. 17-5-8, 17-5-9 am'd.; Act 2009-751, 2009 Reg. Sess. am'd.

Summary

SB16 would allow and eventually require electronic filing of certain campaign finance reports, with a four-year phase-in and free software support from the Secretary of State.

What This Bill Does

The bill adds an electronic filing option for campaign finance disclosures for reports that involve contributions or expenditures over $100,000, during a four-year phase-in period when filing electronically is voluntary and then becomes mandatory. It requires the Secretary of State to provide free software and establish security, data protection, and validation rules for electronic filings, and it states that electronic reports should not include supporting documentation (though affidavits must accompany the reports). Filing remains with the Secretary of State or the county judge of probate depending on whether the office is state or local, and affidavits must affirm the report’s truth and completeness. The act preserves the existing paper filing process while expanding it to include electronic submissions in a prescribed format after the phase-in.

Who It Affects

• Principal campaign committees and political action committees: may file electronically for large reports (over $100,000) during the four-year phase-in, with electronic filing eventually mandatory, and must accompany electronic reports with a sworn affidavit while not attaching other supporting documents.
• Elected state and local officials and candidates: their campaign finance reports fall under the same electronic filing framework (filing locations, affidavits, and phase-in rules) and will be subject to the new electronic reporting format and safeguards once mandatory.

Key Provisions

• Electronic filing option added for reports with contributions or expenditures over $100,000, with a four-year phase-in during which filing electronically is voluntary and later mandatory.
• Secretary of State must provide free software and establish rules to ensure security, data protection, and validation of electronic filings.
• Electronic reports shall not require supporting documentation attached; an affidavit must accompany each report, stating truth and completeness, with specific attribution for the candidate if filed by a principal committee.
• Filing locations remain the Secretary of State for state-level reports and the judge of probate for local reports; electronic format to be prescribed by the Secretary of State.
• Effective date: act becomes effective on the first day of the third month after passage; four-year phase-in begins after that date and electronic filing becomes mandatory thereafter.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Elections