HB154 Alabama 2021 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Andy WhittRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2021

Title

Campaign finance reports, electronic filing with Secretary of State required, revise report deadline, Secs. 17-5-4, 17-5-5, 17-5-8, 17-5-9, 17-5-10, 17-5-11, 17-5-19.1, 17-5-19.2 am'd.

Summary

HB154 requires electronic filing of all campaign finance reports with the Secretary of State (or local judge of probate for local committees) and updates reporting deadlines and penalties.

What This Bill Does

It mandatorily moves campaign finance reporting to electronic filing and places the filings with the Secretary of State or the appropriate local official. It establishes detailed reporting schedules (monthly, weekly, and daily near elections) and requires annual reports for active committees; it also creates a system of civil penalties for late or inaccurate filings and a process for penalty review. The act also updates dissolution rules for PACs and clarifies public access to filings, with an effective date of August 1, 2023.

Who It Affects

• Candidates, principal campaign committees, and political action committees (PACs) that raise or spend money; they must file electronically, follow new reporting schedules, keep annual records, and may incur penalties for late or inaccurate reports.
• Election administrators (Secretary of State and county judges of probate) and the State Ethics Commission, which will administer electronic filing, enforce penalties, maintain public access to filings, and handle review processes.

Key Provisions

• All campaign finance reports and statements must be filed electronically with the Secretary of State or, for local PACs, with the county judge of probate; the information must be publicly accessible on the Secretary of State's website.
• Electronic filing becomes mandatory for specified election cycles, with earlier adoption possible; daily and weekly reporting schedules apply around elections, and monthly reports apply starting 12 months before elections; a $5,000 daily threshold triggers additional daily reporting near elections.
• Annual contribution and expenditure reports are required for active committees, due on January 31 of the following year.
• Political action committees may dissolve, with procedures including a 90-day notice for zero-balance dissolution, and the Secretary of State may dissolve PACs under certain conditions.
• Civil penalties for late or inaccurate filings are established with a tiered scale, potential presumption of intent after repeated offenses, and distribution of penalties to the appropriate fund; penalties may be paid from campaign funds.
• A review process allows penalties to be reviewed or reduced by the State Ethics Commission, with a 14-day filing window for requests for review.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Campaign Finances