SB551 Alabama 2012 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Bryan Taylor

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2012

Title

Elections, regulating political action committees which receives funds for voting advocacy

Summary

The bill would require PACs involved in voting-related activities to keep separate funds, pay a state registration fee, and be subject to new oversight and penalties, with a new Ethics Commission monitoring division and designated agents for compliance.

What This Bill Does

It requires PACs that receive funds from another PAC for get-out-the-vote efforts, voting rights advocacy, or voter education to use separate accounts and report their activity separately. It establishes an annual registration fee for PACs and candidates, with the money going to fund a new monitoring division within the Alabama Ethics Commission. It imposes penalties for late or noncompliant filings, escalating from civili penalties to criminal action in more serious cases, and creates a monitoring division to oversee candidates and PACs, while requiring each candidate or campaign to designate a registered agent responsible for compliance.

Who It Affects

• Political action committees (PACs) that receive funds from another PAC for get-out-the-vote operations, voting rights advocacy, or voter education, who must establish separate accounts and report activities separately and pay the registration fee.
• Candidates and campaign committees, which must designate a registered agent and are subject to monitoring by the Ethics Commission, with fines and potential criminal action for noncompliance.

Key Provisions

• PACs receiving funds from another PAC for GOTV, voting rights advocacy, or voter education must establish separate accounts that are not mixed with funds used to support candidates; each account must report activity under the Fair Campaign Practice Act.
• Beginning January 1, 2013, all PACs and candidates must pay an annual registration fee set by the Secretary of State in consultation with the Ethics Commission; the funds go to the Ethics Commission to fund a monitoring division.
• Fines for failure to file: $500 for the first offense, $1,000 for the second offense; intentional offenses may be referred to the Attorney General for criminal action, and a third offense is automatically treated as intentional.
• The Ethics Commission will monitor filings, report intentional failures, and establish a new division to oversee registered candidates and PACs; violations may trigger criminal action and penalties.
• Each candidate or campaign committee must designate a registered agent responsible for ensuring reports are accurate and compliant; fines may be paid from campaign funds, and changes in designation may incur additional fees.
• The act becomes effective upon passage, with specific implementation dates for fees (2013) and electronic filings (2014).

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