HB213 Alabama 2019 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Juandalynn GivanRepresentative

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2019

Title

Campaign finance, time by which contribution and expenditures must be reported day before an election revised, Sec. 17-5-8 am'd.

Summary

HB 213 updates Alabama's campaign finance reporting by adding monthly, weekly, and daily reporting near elections and expanding who must report and how.

What This Bill Does

If enacted, it would require principal campaign committees and PACs to file monthly reports starting 12 months before elections, and weekly reports for the four weeks leading up to an election. It adds daily reporting on certain days before legislative, state-wide, or school-board elections if a committee spends $5,000 or more that day, covering all activity since the last report. The bill moves toward mandatory electronic filing for most reports (with some exceptions for small committees) and keeps annual reporting, while broadening disclosures for electioneering communications and maintaining church exemptions unless church expenditures are used to influence elections.

Who It Affects

• Principal campaign committees and political action committees, which would have to file more frequent reports and follow new daily reporting rules when spending spikes near elections
• Treasurers or designated filing agents and the Secretary of State (or judge of probate) who handle and review these reports
• Elected state and local officials covered by campaign finance laws, who must file annual reports and comply with updated reporting schedules
• Payors of electioneering communications and entities involved in such communications, who must disclose contributions and expenditures
• Churches and church-related activities, which remain exempt from reporting unless expenditures are used to influence an election
• Small committees receiving $5,000 or less per election cycle, which may file by paper or fax instead of strictly electronic filing

Key Provisions

• Monthly reports beginning 12 months before any primary, special, runoff, or general election, covering all transactions for the previous full month
• Weekly reports on the Monday of the succeeding week for each of the four weeks before an election, covering the previous week's activity
• On certain days preceding legislative, state school board, or statewide elections, daily reports are required if any principal campaign committee or PAC spends $5,000 or more on that day, including all activity since the last report
• Electronic filing becomes mandatory for most reports starting with the 2014 election cycle (with early optional electronic filing available), and reports become publicly searchable on the Secretary of State's website
• Small committees receiving $5,000 or less per election cycle may file electronically or by paper or fax
• Churches remain exempt from most reporting unless expenditures are used to influence an election, and certain electioneering communications disclosures are required for payors
• No duplicate reporting; reporting rules are designed to consolidate and clarify what must be reported and when

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

Subjects

Campaign Finances