Arizona-2012-SB1138-Chaptered

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Section 16-913, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE16-913. Campaign finance reports; reporting of receipts and disbursements; exemptions; civil penalty

A. Except as provided in subsection K of this section, each political committee shall file campaign finance reports in the format prescribed by the filing officer setting forth the committee's receipts and disbursements according to the schedule prescribed in subsections B and C of this section.

B. In any calendar year during which there is a regularly scheduled election at which any candidates, measures, questions or propositions appear or may appear on the ballot, the political committee shall file each of the following campaign finance reports:

1. A report covering the period beginning January 1 through May 31, filed no later than June 30.

2. A preelection report, which shall be filed not less than twelve four days before any election and which shall be complete through the twentieth twelfth day before the election.

3. A postelection report, which shall be filed not more than thirty days after any election and which shall be complete through the twentieth day after the election.

C. In any other calendar year, the political committee shall file a report covering the period beginning twenty‑one days after the date of the election in the preceding calendar year through December 31 of the nonelection year filed no later than January 31 of the following calendar year.

D. In the event that a political committee receives no contributions and makes no expenditures during a period in which it is required to file a campaign finance report, the committee treasurer or if the treasurer is unavailable the candidate, in lieu of filing a report required by subsection B of this section, may sign and file a form prescribed by the secretary of state indicating no activity during the specific reporting period.

E. In lieu of the reports prescribed in subsections B and C of this section, a candidate's political committee that remains active after an election due to outstanding debts may file a document no later than January 31 in a form prescribed by the secretary of state that states that the committee does not intend to receive any contributions or make any expenditures during the year. If a candidate's political committee does receive a contribution or make an expenditure during that year, the committee shall report as prescribed by subsection B or C of this section.

F. A judge who has filed a declaration of the desire to be retained in office is exempt from filing any report required by this section if the judge, not later than twelve days before the general election, files a statement signed and sworn to by the judge certifying that the judge has received no contributions, has made no expenditures and has no campaign committee and that the judge does not intend to receive contributions, make expenditures or have a campaign committee for the purpose of influencing the result of the vote on the question of the judge's retention. With respect to superior court judges, a statement filed pursuant to this subsection is effective until the earlier of twelve days before the third general election following the filing of this statement or the judge receives contributions, makes expenditures or authorizes a campaign committee. Such a statement filed by a supreme court justice or a court of appeals judge is effective until the earlier of twelve days before the fourth general election following the filing of this statement or the justice or judge receives contributions, makes expenditures or authorizes a campaign committee.

G. Reports in connection with special or recall elections shall conform to the filing deadlines set forth in subsection B of this section.

H. Except as provided in section 16‑916, subsection B and subsection K of this section, a political committee shall comply with the requirements of this section in each jurisdiction in this state in which the committee has filed a statement of organization until the committee terminates pursuant to section 16‑914, and its statements, designations and reports shall be filed with each officer with whom it has filed a statement of organization, as appropriate.

I. Each report required to be filed pursuant to this section shall be signed by the committee treasurer or the candidate or the designating individual if the treasurer is unavailable and shall contain the certification of the signer under penalty of perjury that the report is true and complete.

J. A political committee and the candidate, in the case of a candidate's campaign committee, or the designating individual, in the case of an exploratory committee, who violate this section are subject to the penalty prescribed in section 16‑918.

K. A standing political committee shall file reports with the secretary of state and is exempt from filing a report with any other jurisdiction in which it is active.� The reports shall be in an electronic format as prescribed by the secretary of state or by use of the internet.� The secretary of state shall promptly make the reports available to the public on the internet and shall make the reports available by electronic means by request.� The standing committee shall file the following reports:

1. A preelection report that is due as prescribed by subsection B, paragraph 2 of this section shall be filed for each consolidated election date prescribed by section 16‑204.

2. A postelection report that is due as prescribed by subsection B, paragraph 3 of this section shall be filed for each consolidated election date prescribed by section 16‑204.

3. An annual report that is due by January 31 in the year immediately following the calendar year that is the subject of the report. END_STATUTE

Sec. 2. Subject to the requirements of article IV, part 1, section 1, Constitution of Arizona, section 16-941, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE16-941. Limits on spending and contributions for political campaigns

A. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, a participating candidate:

1. Shall not accept any contributions, other than a limited number of five‑dollar qualifying contributions as specified in section 16‑946 and early contributions as specified in section 16‑945, except in the emergency situation specified in section 16‑954, subsection F.

2. Shall not make expenditures of more than a total of five hundred dollars of the candidate's personal monies for a candidate for the legislature or more than one thousand dollars for a candidate for statewide office.

3. Shall not make expenditures in the primary election period in excess of the adjusted primary election spending limit.

4. Shall not make expenditures in the general election period in excess of the adjusted general election spending limit.

5. Shall comply with section 16‑948 regarding campaign accounts and section 16‑953 regarding returning unused monies to the citizens clean elections fund described in this article.

B. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, a nonparticipating candidate:

1. shall not accept contributions in excess of an amount that is twenty per cent less than the limits specified in section 16‑905, subsections A through E, as adjusted by the secretary of state pursuant to section 16‑905, subsection H. Any violation of this paragraph subsection shall be subject to the civil penalties and procedures set forth in section 16‑905, subsections J through M and section 16‑924.

2. Shall comply with section 16‑958 regarding reporting, including filing reports with the secretary of state indicating whenever (a) expenditures other than independent expenditures on behalf of the candidate, from the beginning of the election cycle to any date up to primary election day, exceed seventy per cent of the original primary election spending limit applicable to a participating candidate seeking the same office, or (b) contributions to a candidate, from the beginning of the election cycle to any date during the general election period, less expenditures made from the beginning of the election cycle through primary election day, exceed seventy per cent of the original general election spending limit applicable to a participating candidate seeking the same office.� A nonparticipating candidate is exempt from this paragraph if there is no participating candidate running against that nonparticipating candidate.

C. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, a candidate, whether participating or nonparticipating:

1. If specified in a written agreement signed by the candidate and one or more opposing candidates and filed with the citizens clean elections commission, shall not make any expenditure in the primary or general election period exceeding an agreed‑upon amount lower than spending limits otherwise applicable by statute.

2. Shall continue to be bound by all other applicable election and campaign finance statutes and rules, with the exception of those provisions in express or clear conflict with this article.

D. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, any person who makes independent expenditures related to a particular office cumulatively exceeding five hundred dollars in an election cycle, with the exception of any expenditure listed in section 16‑920 and any independent expenditure by an organization arising from a communication directly to the organization's members, shareholders, employees, affiliated persons and subscribers, shall file reports with the secretary of state in accordance with section 16‑958 so indicating, identifying the office and the candidate or group of candidates whose election or defeat is being advocated and stating whether the person is advocating election or advocating defeat. END_STATUTE

Sec. 3. Subject to the requirements of article IV, part 1, section 1, Constitution of Arizona, section 16-945, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE16-945. Limits on early contributions

A. A participating candidate may accept early contributions only from individuals and only during the exploratory period and the qualifying period, subject to the following limitations:

1. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, no contributor shall give, and no participating candidate shall accept, contributions from a contributor exceeding one hundred dollars during an election cycle.

2. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, early contributions to a participating candidate from all sources for an election cycle shall not exceed, for a candidate for governor, forty thousand dollars or, for other candidates, ten percent per cent of the sum of the original primary election spending limit and the original general election spending limit.

3. Qualifying contributions specified in section 16‑946 shall not be included in determining whether the limits in this subsection have been exceeded.

B. Early contributions specified in subsection A of this section and the candidate's personal monies specified in section 16‑941, subsection A, paragraph 2 may be spent only during the exploratory period and the qualifying period. Any early contributions not spent by the end of the qualifying period shall be paid to the fund.

C. If a participating candidate has a debt from an election campaign in this state during a previous election cycle in which the candidate was not a participating candidate, then, during the exploratory period only, the candidate may accept, in addition to early contributions specified in subsection A of this section, contributions subject to the limitations in section 16‑941, subsection B, paragraph 1, or may exceed the limit on personal monies in section 16‑941, subsection A, paragraph 2, provided that such contributions and monies are used solely to retire such debt. END_STATUTE

Sec. 4. Subject to the requirements of article IV, part 1, section 1, Constitution of Arizona, section 16-958, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE16-958. Manner of filing reports

A. Any person who has previously reached the dollar amount specified in section 16‑941, subsection D for filing an original report shall file a supplemental report each time previously unreported independent expenditures specified by that subsection exceeds one thousand dollars. Any person who has previously reached the dollar amounts specified in section 16‑941, subsection B, paragraph 2 for filing an original report shall file a supplemental report to declare that previously unreported expenditures or contributions specified by that paragraph exceed ten per cent of the original primary election spending limit or twenty‑five thousand dollars, whichever is lower, before the general election period, or� ten per cent of the original general election spending limit or twenty‑five thousand dollars, whichever is lower, during the general election period.� Such reports shall be filed at the times specified in subsection B of this section and shall identify the dollar amount being reported, the candidate and the date, and no other detail is required in reports made pursuant to this section.

B. Any person who must file an original report pursuant to section 16‑941, subsection B, paragraph 2 or subsection D or who must file a supplemental report for previously unreported amounts pursuant to subsection A of this section shall file as follows:

1. Before the beginning of the primary election period, the person shall file a report on the first of each month, unless the person has not reached the dollar amount for filing an original or supplemental report on that date.

2. Thereafter, except as stated in paragraph 3 of this subsection, the person shall file a report on any Tuesday by which the person has reached the dollar amount for filing an original or supplemental report.

3. During the last two weeks before the primary election and the last two weeks before the general election, the person shall file a report within one business day of reaching the dollar amount for filing an original or supplemental report.

C. Any filing under this article on behalf of a candidate may be made by the candidate's campaign committee. All candidates shall deposit any check received by and intended for the campaign and made payable to the candidate or the candidate's campaign committee, and all cash received by and intended for the campaign, in the candidate's campaign account before the due date of the next report specified in subsection B of this section. No candidate or person acting on behalf of a candidate shall conspire with a donor to postpone delivery of a donation to the campaign for the purpose of postponing the reporting of the donation in any subsequent report.

D. The secretary of state shall immediately notify the commission of the filing of each report under this section and deliver a copy of the report to the commission, and the commission shall promptly mail or otherwise deliver a copy of each report filed pursuant to this section to all participating candidates opposing the candidate identified in section 16‑941, subsection B, paragraph 2 or subsection D.

E. Any report filed pursuant to this section or section 16‑916, subsection A, paragraph 1 or subsection B shall be filed in electronic format. The secretary of state shall distribute computer software to political committees to accommodate such electronic filing.

F. During the primary election period and the general election period, all candidates shall make available for public inspection all bank accounts, campaign finance reports and financial records relating to the candidate's campaign, either by immediate disclosure through electronic means or at the candidate's campaign headquarters, in accordance with rules adopted by the commission. END_STATUTE

Sec. 5. Requirements for enactment; three-fourths vote

Pursuant to article IV, part 1, section 1, Constitution of Arizona, sections 16-941, 16-945 and 16-958, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by this act, are effective only on the affirmative vote of at least three‑fourths of the members of each house of the legislature.

Sec. 6. Emergency

This act is an emergency measure that is necessary to preserve the public peace, health or safety and is operative immediately as provided by law.