HB259 Alabama 2012 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Patricia Todd

Democrat

Co-Sponsors

Mike BallEd Henry

Session

Regular Session 2012

Title

Elections, campaign finance reports include occupation and name of the employer of the contributor, Sec. 17-5-8 am'd

Summary

HB259 would require campaign finance reports to include the contributor's occupation and employer name, expanding disclosure under Alabama's campaign finance law.

What This Bill Does

It amends Section 17-5-8 to require reporting the contributor's occupation and employer (in addition to the existing name disclosure for contributions over $100). It changes and expands reporting schedules for campaigns and political action committees, including monthly reports starting 12 months before elections, weekly Friday reports before elections, and additional filings on specified days if daily contributions or expenditures reach $5,000. It moves toward electronic filing, making it mandatory starting with the 2014 election cycle, while preserving annual reports and other disclosure requirements; the act is titled The Alabama Full Disclosure Act and becomes effective October 1, 2012.

Who It Affects

• Contributors (individuals and political action committees) would have to disclose their occupation and employer name for contributions over $100, increasing the amount of personal and employment information attached to each donation.
• Campaign committees and state officials (principal campaign committees, PACs, and designated state offices) would face more frequent and earlier reporting requirements, and would move toward electronic filing and public online access to reports.

Key Provisions

• Disclosures for contributors must include occupation and employer name in addition to the existing requirement for the contributor's name on reports of contributions and expenditures.
• For political action committees, the identification of contributors over $100 must include name, occupation, employer, and city of residence; for individuals, occupation information is required as part of the contributor identification.
• Reporting schedule changes: monthly reports begin 12 months before any election; weekly reports due on Fridays before elections; additional reporting on eight to second days preceding certain elections if $5,000 or more is spent on any single day.
• Annual reports of contributions and expenditures must be filed by January 31 of the following year.
• Electronic filing becomes mandatory starting with the 2014 election cycle (with potential earlier implementation); electronic filings would be publicly searchable on the Secretary of State's website.
• The act is named The Alabama Full Disclosure Act and takes effect October 1, 2012.

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

Subjects

Fair Campaign Practices Act