SB302 Alabama 2024 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Rodger Smitherman Senator

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2024

Title

Fair Campaign Practices Act; definitions of electioneering communications, expenditures, and political action committee revised; reporting requirements for electioneering communications revised

Description

Under existing law, "electioneering communication" under the Fair Campaign Practices Act is generally defined as a communications disseminated through a specified manner that is made within 120 days of an election intended to influence the outcome of an election.

This bill would revise the definition of "electioneering communication" as paid advertising disseminated through a specified manner that occurs 30 days before a primary election or 60 days before a general election, is targeted to the relevant electorate in the geographic area where the candidate is on the ballot, and is an appeal to vote for or against a specific candidate.

Under existing law, "expenditure" under the Fair Campaign Practices Act is generally defined as a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, or gift of money or anything of value to influence the result of an election. There are a number of exclusions from the definition.

This bill would also exclude from the definition of "expenditure" a payment or disbursement related to an advertisement or other communication by a person that is not a principal campaign committee or political SB302 INTRODUCED action committee unless the communication includes express advocacy to vote for or against a candidate or proposition on the ballot.

Under existing law, a "political action committee" under the Fair Campaign Practices Act is generally defined as an entity that receives contributions or makes expenditures to or on behalf of a candidate, proposition, principal campaign committee, or other political action committee.

This bill would revise the definition of "political action committee" to apply only if the major purpose of the entity is making the contributions or expenditures to or on behalf of one of these entities.

Under existing law, contributions and expenditures of electioneering communications must be reported by the payor of the electioneering communication.

This bill would provide that electioneering communications would only have to be reported once during an election cycle unless the payor makes additional contributions or expenditures of electioneering communications.

This bill would also delete certain exemptions of reporting of electioneering communications by churches in certain circumstances and used by the membership of trade organizations.

SB302 INTRODUCED.

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Subjects

Elections, Voting, & Campaigns