Bill Text: OH HB55 | 2011-2012 | 129th General Assembly | Introduced

Bill Title: To regulate independent expenditures by corporations, labor organizations, and entities the primary purpose of which are to accept corporate or labor organization funds for use in making independent expenditures and to prohibit contributions made for the purpose of influencing a ballot issue from being made to or accepted by an entity that is not subject to campaign finance reporting requirements.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-01-26 - To State Government & Elections [HB55 Detail]

Download: Ohio-2011-HB55-Introduced.html
As Introduced

129th General Assembly
Regular Session
2011-2012
H. B. No. 55


Representatives Goyal, Murray 

Cosponsors: Representatives Foley, Garland, Weddington, Hagan, Pillich, Phillips, Heard, Boyd 

A BILL
To amend sections 3517.01, 3517.10, 3517.105, 1
3517.106, 3517.1011, 3517.11, 3517.13, 3517.153, 2
3517.154, 3517.20, 3517.992, 3599.03, 5727.61, and 3
5733.27, to amend, for the purpose of adopting a 4
new section number as indicated in parentheses, 5
section 3517.106 (3517.1016), and to enact new 6
section 3517.106 of the Revised Code to regulate 7
independent expenditures by corporations, labor 8
organizations, and entities the primary purpose of 9
which are to accept corporate or labor 10
organization funds for use in making independent 11
expenditures and to prohibit contributions made 12
for the purpose of influencing a ballot issue from 13
being made to or accepted by an entity that is not 14
subject to campaign finance reporting 15
requirements.16


BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

       Section 1.  That sections 3517.01, 3517.10, 3517.105, 17
3517.106, 3517.1011, 3517.11, 3517.13, 3517.153, 3517.154, 18
3517.20, 3517.992, 3599.03, 5727.61, and 5733.27 be amended, 19
section 3517.106 (3517.1016) be amended, for the purpose of 20
adopting a new section number as indicated in parentheses, and new 21
section 3517.106 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as 22
follows:23

       Sec. 3517.01.  (A)(1) A political party within the meaning of 24
Title XXXV of the Revised Code is any group of voters that, at the 25
most recent regular state election, polled for its candidate for 26
governor in the state or nominees for presidential electors at 27
least five per cent of the entire vote cast for that office or 28
that filed with the secretary of state, subsequent to any election 29
in which it received less than five per cent of that vote, a 30
petition signed by qualified electors equal in number to at least 31
one per cent of the total vote for governor or nominees for 32
presidential electors at the most recent election, declaring their 33
intention of organizing a political party, the name of which shall 34
be stated in the declaration, and of participating in the 35
succeeding primary election, held in even-numbered years, that 36
occurs more than one hundred twenty days after the date of filing. 37
No such group of electors shall assume a name or designation that 38
is similar, in the opinion of the secretary of state, to that of 39
an existing political party as to confuse or mislead the voters at 40
an election. If any political party fails to cast five per cent of 41
the total vote cast at an election for the office of governor or 42
president, it shall cease to be a political party. 43

       (2) A campaign committee shall be legally liable for any 44
debts, contracts, or expenditures incurred or executed in its 45
name. 46

       (B) Notwithstanding the definitions found in section 3501.01 47
of the Revised Code, as used in this section and sections 3517.08 48
to 3517.14, 3517.99, and 3517.992 of the Revised Code: 49

       (1) "Campaign committee" means a candidate or a combination 50
of two or more persons authorized by a candidate under section 51
3517.081 of the Revised Code to receive contributions and make 52
expenditures. 53

       (2) "Campaign treasurer" means an individual appointed by a 54
candidate under section 3517.081 of the Revised Code. 55

       (3) "Candidate" has the same meaning as in division (H) of 56
section 3501.01 of the Revised Code and also includes any person 57
who, at any time before or after an election, receives 58
contributions or makes expenditures or other use of contributions, 59
has given consent for another to receive contributions or make 60
expenditures or other use of contributions, or appoints a campaign 61
treasurer, for the purpose of bringing about the person's 62
nomination or election to public office. When two persons jointly 63
seek the offices of governor and lieutenant governor, "candidate" 64
means the pair of candidates jointly. "Candidate" does not include 65
candidates for election to the offices of member of a county or 66
state central committee, presidential elector, and delegate to a 67
national convention or conference of a political party. 68

       (4) "Continuing association" means an association, other than 69
a campaign committee, political party, legislative campaign fund, 70
political contributing entity, or labor organization, that is 71
intended to be a permanent organization that has a primary purpose 72
other than supporting or opposing specific candidates, political 73
parties, or ballot issues, and that functions on a regular basis 74
throughout the year. "Continuing association" includes 75
organizations that are determined to be not organized for profit 76
under subsection 501 and that are described in subsection 77
501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), or 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code. 78

       (5) "Contribution" means a loan, gift, deposit, forgiveness 79
of indebtedness, donation, advance, payment, or transfer of funds 80
or anything of value, including a transfer of funds from an inter 81
vivos or testamentary trust or decedent's estate, and the payment 82
by any person other than the person to whom the services are 83
rendered for the personal services of another person, which 84
contribution is made, received, or used for the purpose of 85
influencing the results of an election. Any loan, gift, deposit, 86
forgiveness of indebtedness, donation, advance, payment, or 87
transfer of funds or of anything of value, including a transfer of 88
funds from an inter vivos or testamentary trust or decedent's 89
estate, and the payment by any campaign committee, political 90
action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, 91
political contributing entity, or person other than the person to 92
whom the services are rendered for the personal services of 93
another person, that is made, received, or used by a state or 94
county political party, other than moneys a state or county 95
political party receives from the Ohio political party fund 96
pursuant to section 3517.17 of the Revised Code and the moneys a 97
state or county political party may receive under sections 98
3517.101, 3517.1012, and 3517.1013 of the Revised Code, shall be 99
considered to be a "contribution" for the purpose of section 100
3517.10 of the Revised Code and shall be included on a statement 101
of contributions filed under that section. 102

       "Contribution" does not include any of the following: 103

       (a) Services provided without compensation by individuals 104
volunteering a portion or all of their time on behalf of a person; 105

       (b) Ordinary home hospitality; 106

       (c) The personal expenses of a volunteer paid for by that 107
volunteer campaign worker; 108

       (d) Any gift given to a state or county political party 109
pursuant to section 3517.101 of the Revised Code. As used in 110
division (B)(5)(d) of this section, "political party" means only a 111
major political party; 112

       (e) Any contribution as defined in section 3517.1011 of the 113
Revised Code that is made, received, or used to pay the direct 114
costs of producing or airing an electioneering communication; 115

       (f) Any gift given to a state or county political party for 116
the party's restricted fund under division (A)(2) of section 117
3517.1012 of the Revised Code; 118

       (g) Any gift given to a state political party for deposit in 119
a Levin account pursuant to section 3517.1013 of the Revised Code. 120
As used in this division, "Levin account" has the same meaning as 121
in that section. 122

       (h) Any donation given to a transition fund under section 123
3517.1014 of the Revised Code. 124

       (6) "Expenditure" means the disbursement or use of a 125
contribution for the purpose of influencing the results of an 126
election or of making a charitable donation under division (G) of 127
section 3517.08 of the Revised Code. Any disbursement or use of a 128
contribution by a state or county political party is an 129
expenditure and shall be considered either to be made for the 130
purpose of influencing the results of an election or to be made as 131
a charitable donation under division (G) of section 3517.08 of the 132
Revised Code and shall be reported on a statement of expenditures 133
filed under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code. During the thirty 134
days preceding a primary or general election, any disbursement to 135
pay the direct costs of producing or airing a broadcast, cable, or 136
satellite communication that refers to a clearly identified 137
candidate shall be considered to be made for the purpose of 138
influencing the results of that election and shall be reported as 139
an expenditure or as an independent expenditure under section 140
3517.10 or, 3517.105, or 3517.106 of the Revised Code, as 141
applicable, except that the information required to be reported 142
regarding contributors for those expenditures or independent 143
expenditures shall be the same as the information required to be 144
reported under divisions (D)(1) and (2) of section 3517.1011 of 145
the Revised Code. 146

       As used in this division, "broadcast, cable, or satellite 147
communication" and "refers to a clearly identified candidate" have 148
the same meanings as in section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code. 149

       (7) "Personal expenses" includes, but is not limited to, 150
ordinary expenses for accommodations, clothing, food, personal 151
motor vehicle or airplane, and home telephone. 152

       (8) "Political action committee" means a combination of two 153
or more persons, the primary or major purpose of which is to 154
support or oppose any candidate, political party, or issue, or to 155
influence the result of any election through express advocacy, and 156
that is not a political party, a campaign committee, a political 157
contributing entity, or a legislative campaign fund. "Political 158
action committee" does not include either of the following: 159

       (a) A continuing association that makes disbursements for the 160
direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications 161
and that does not engage in express advocacy; 162

       (b) A political club that is formed primarily for social 163
purposes and that consists of one hundred members or less, has 164
officers and periodic meetings, has less than two thousand five 165
hundred dollars in its treasury at all times, and makes an 166
aggregate total contribution of one thousand dollars or less per 167
calendar year. 168

       (9) "Public office" means any state, county, municipal, 169
township, or district office, except an office of a political 170
party, that is filled by an election and the offices of United 171
States senator and representative. 172

       (10) "Anything of value" has the same meaning as in section 173
1.03 of the Revised Code. 174

       (11) "Beneficiary of a campaign fund" means a candidate, a 175
public official or employee for whose benefit a campaign fund 176
exists, and any other person who has ever been a candidate or 177
public official or employee and for whose benefit a campaign fund 178
exists. 179

       (12) "Campaign fund" means money or other property, including 180
contributions. 181

       (13) "Public official or employee" has the same meaning as in 182
section 102.01 of the Revised Code. 183

       (14) "Caucus" means all of the members of the house of 184
representatives or all of the members of the senate of the general 185
assembly who are members of the same political party. 186

       (15) "Legislative campaign fund" means a fund that is 187
established as an auxiliary of a state political party and 188
associated with one of the houses of the general assembly. 189

       (16) "In-kind contribution" means anything of value other 190
than money that is used to influence the results of an election or 191
is transferred to or used in support of or in opposition to a 192
candidate, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, 193
political party, political action committee, or political 194
contributing entity and that is made with the consent of, in 195
coordination, cooperation, or consultation with, or at the request 196
or suggestion of the benefited candidate, committee, fund, party, 197
or entity. The financing of the dissemination, distribution, or 198
republication, in whole or part, of any broadcast or of any 199
written, graphic, or other form of campaign materials prepared by 200
the candidate, the candidate's campaign committee, or their 201
authorized agents is an in-kind contribution to the candidate and 202
an expenditure by the candidate. 203

       (17) "Independent expenditure" means an expenditure by a 204
person advocating the election or defeat of an identified 205
candidate or candidates, that is not made with the consent of, in 206
coordination, cooperation, or consultation with, or at the request 207
or suggestion of any candidate or candidates or of the campaign 208
committee or agent of the candidate or candidates. As used in 209
division (B)(17) of this section: 210

       (a) "Person" means an individual, partnership, unincorporated 211
business organization or association, political action committee, 212
political contributing entity, separate segregated fund, 213
association, corporation, labor organization, or other 214
organization or group of persons, but not a labor organization or 215
a corporation unless the labor organization or corporation is a 216
political contributing entity. 217

       (b) "Advocating" means any communication containing a message 218
advocating election or defeat. 219

       (c) "Identified candidate" means that the name of the 220
candidate appears, a photograph or drawing of the candidate 221
appears, or the identity of the candidate is otherwise apparent by 222
unambiguous reference. 223

       (d) "Made in coordination, cooperation, or consultation with, 224
or at the request or suggestion of, any candidate or the campaign 225
committee or agent of the candidate" means made pursuant to any 226
arrangement, coordination, or direction by the candidate, the 227
candidate's campaign committee, or the candidate's agent prior to 228
the publication, distribution, display, or broadcast of the 229
communication. An expenditure is presumed to be so made when it is 230
any of the following: 231

       (i) Based on information about the candidate's plans, 232
projects, or needs provided to the person making the expenditure 233
by the candidate, or by the candidate's campaign committee or 234
agent, with a view toward having an expenditure made; 235

       (ii) Made by or through any person who is, or has been, 236
authorized to raise or expend funds, who is, or has been, an 237
officer of the candidate's campaign committee, or who is, or has 238
been, receiving any form of compensation or reimbursement from the 239
candidate or the candidate's campaign committee or agent; 240

       (iii) Except as otherwise provided in division (D) of section 241
3517.105 of the Revised Code, made by a political party in support 242
of a candidate, unless the expenditure is made by a political 243
party to conduct voter registration or voter education efforts. 244

       (e) "Agent" means any person who has actual oral or written 245
authority, either express or implied, to make or to authorize the 246
making of expenditures on behalf of a candidate, or means any 247
person who has been placed in a position with the candidate's 248
campaign committee or organization such that it would reasonably 249
appear that in the ordinary course of campaign-related activities 250
the person may authorize expenditures. 251

       (18) "Labor organization" means a labor union; an employee 252
organization; a federation of labor unions, groups, locals, or 253
other employee organizations; an auxiliary of a labor union, 254
employee organization, or federation of labor unions, groups, 255
locals, or other employee organizations; or any other bona fide 256
organization in which employees participate and that exists for 257
the purpose, in whole or in part, of dealing with employers 258
concerning grievances, labor disputes, wages, hours, and other 259
terms and conditions of employment. 260

       (19) "Separate segregated fund" means a separate segregated 261
fund established pursuant to the Federal Election Campaign Act. 262

       (20) "Federal Election Campaign Act" means the "Federal 263
Election Campaign Act of 1971," 86 Stat. 11, 2 U.S.C.A. 431, et 264
seq., as amended. 265

       (21) "Restricted fund" means the fund a state or county 266
political party must establish under division (A)(1) of section 267
3517.1012 of the Revised Code. 268

       (22) "Electioneering communication" has the same meaning as 269
in section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code. 270

       (23) "Express advocacy" means a communication that contains 271
express words advocating the nomination, election, or defeat of a 272
candidate or that contains express words advocating the adoption 273
or defeat of a question or issue, as determined by a final 274
judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction. 275

       (24) "Political committee" has the same meaning as in section 276
3517.1011 of the Revised Code. 277

       (25) "Political contributing entity" means any entity, 278
including a corporation or labor organization, that may lawfully 279
make contributions and expenditures and that is not an individual 280
or a political action committee, continuing association, campaign 281
committee, political party, legislative campaign fund, designated 282
state campaign committee, or state candidate fund. For purposes of 283
this division, "lawfully" means not prohibited by any section of 284
the Revised Code, or authorized by a final judgment of a court of 285
competent jurisdiction. 286

       Sec. 3517.10.  (A) Except as otherwise provided in this 287
division, every campaign committee, political action committee, 288
legislative campaign fund, political party, and political 289
contributing entity that made or received a contribution or made 290
an expenditure in connection with the nomination or election of 291
any candidate or in connection with any ballot issue or question 292
at any election held or to be held in this state shall file, on a 293
form prescribed under this section or by electronic means of 294
transmission as provided in this section and section 3517.106295
3517.1016 of the Revised Code, a full, true, and itemized 296
statement, made under penalty of election falsification, setting 297
forth in detail the contributions and expenditures, not later than 298
four p.m. of the following dates: 299

       (1) The twelfth day before the election to reflect 300
contributions received and expenditures made from the close of 301
business on the last day reflected in the last previously filed 302
statement, if any, to the close of business on the twentieth day 303
before the election; 304

       (2) The thirty-eighth day after the election to reflect the 305
contributions received and expenditures made from the close of 306
business on the last day reflected in the last previously filed 307
statement, if any, to the close of business on the seventh day 308
before the filing of the statement; 309

       (3) The last business day of January of every year to reflect 310
the contributions received and expenditures made from the close of 311
business on the last day reflected in the last previously filed 312
statement, if any, to the close of business on the last day of 313
December of the previous year; 314

       (4) The last business day of July of every year to reflect 315
the contributions received and expenditures made from the close of 316
business on the last day reflected in the last previously filed 317
statement, if any, to the close of business on the last day of 318
June of that year. 319

       A campaign committee shall only be required to file the 320
statements prescribed under divisions (A)(1) and (2) of this 321
section in connection with the nomination or election of the 322
committee's candidate. 323

       The statement required under division (A)(1) of this section 324
shall not be required of any campaign committee, political action 325
committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or 326
political contributing entity that has received contributions of 327
less than one thousand dollars and has made expenditures of less 328
than one thousand dollars at the close of business on the 329
twentieth day before the election. Those contributions and 330
expenditures shall be reported in the statement required under 331
division (A)(2) of this section. 332

       If an election to select candidates to appear on the general 333
election ballot is held within sixty days before a general 334
election, the campaign committee of a successful candidate in the 335
earlier election may file the statement required by division 336
(A)(1) of this section for the general election instead of the 337
statement required by division (A)(2) of this section for the 338
earlier election if the pregeneral election statement reflects the 339
status of contributions and expenditures for the period twenty 340
days before the earlier election to twenty days before the general 341
election. 342

       If a person becomes a candidate less than twenty days before 343
an election, the candidate's campaign committee is not required to 344
file the statement required by division (A)(1) of this section. 345

       No statement under division (A)(3) of this section shall be 346
required for any year in which a campaign committee, political 347
action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or 348
political contributing entity is required to file a postgeneral 349
election statement under division (A)(2) of this section. However, 350
a statement under division (A)(3) of this section may be filed, at 351
the option of the campaign committee, political action committee, 352
legislative campaign fund, political party, or political 353
contributing entity. 354

       No campaign committee of a candidate for the office of chief 355
justice or justice of the supreme court, and no campaign committee 356
of a candidate for the office of judge of any court in this state, 357
shall be required to file a statement under division (A)(4) of 358
this section. 359

       Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph and in the 360
next paragraph of this section, the only campaign committees 361
required to file a statement under division (A)(4) of this section 362
are the campaign committee of a statewide candidate and the 363
campaign committee of a candidate for county office. The campaign 364
committee of a candidate for any other nonjudicial office is 365
required to file a statement under division (A)(4) of this section 366
if that campaign committee receives, during that period, 367
contributions exceeding ten thousand dollars. 368

       No statement under division (A)(4) of this section shall be 369
required of a campaign committee, a political action committee, a 370
legislative campaign fund, a political party, or a political 371
contributing entity for any year in which the campaign committee, 372
political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political 373
party, or political contributing entity is required to file a 374
postprimary election statement under division (A)(2) of this 375
section. However, a statement under division (A)(4) of this 376
section may be filed at the option of the campaign committee, 377
political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political 378
party, or political contributing entity. 379

       No statement under division (A)(3) or (4) of this section 380
shall be required if the campaign committee, political action 381
committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or 382
political contributing entity has no contributions that it has 383
received and no expenditures that it has made since the last date 384
reflected in its last previously filed statement. However, the 385
campaign committee, political action committee, legislative 386
campaign fund, political party, or political contributing entity 387
shall file a statement to that effect, on a form prescribed under 388
this section and made under penalty of election falsification, on 389
the date required in division (A)(3) or (4) of this section, as 390
applicable. 391

       The campaign committee of a statewide candidate shall file a 392
monthly statement of contributions received during each of the 393
months of July, August, and September in the year of the general 394
election in which the candidate seeks office. The campaign 395
committee of a statewide candidate shall file the monthly 396
statement not later than three business days after the last day of 397
the month covered by the statement. During the period beginning on 398
the nineteenth day before the general election in which a 399
statewide candidate seeks election to office and extending through 400
the day of that general election, each time the campaign committee 401
of the joint candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant 402
governor or of a candidate for the office of secretary of state, 403
auditor of state, treasurer of state, or attorney general receives 404
a contribution from a contributor that causes the aggregate amount 405
of contributions received from that contributor during that period 406
to equal or exceed ten thousand dollars and each time the campaign 407
committee of a candidate for the office of chief justice or 408
justice of the supreme court receives a contribution from a 409
contributor that causes the aggregate amount of contributions 410
received from that contributor during that period to exceed ten 411
thousand dollars, the campaign committee shall file a 412
two-business-day statement reflecting that contribution. During 413
the period beginning on the nineteenth day before a primary 414
election in which a candidate for statewide office seeks 415
nomination to office and extending through the day of that primary 416
election, each time either the campaign committee of a statewide 417
candidate in that primary election that files a notice under 418
division (C)(1) of section 3517.103 of the Revised Code or the 419
campaign committee of a statewide candidate in that primary 420
election to which, in accordance with division (D) of section 421
3517.103 of the Revised Code, the contribution limitations 422
prescribed in section 3517.102 of the Revised Code no longer apply 423
receives a contribution from a contributor that causes the 424
aggregate amount of contributions received from that contributor 425
during that period to exceed ten thousand dollars, the campaign 426
committee shall file a two-business-day statement reflecting that 427
contribution. Contributions reported on a two-business-day 428
statement required to be filed by a campaign committee of a 429
statewide candidate in a primary election shall also be included 430
in the postprimary election statement required to be filed by that 431
campaign committee under division (A)(2) of this section. A 432
two-business-day statement required by this paragraph shall be 433
filed not later than two business days after receipt of the 434
contribution. The statements required by this paragraph shall be 435
filed in addition to any other statements required by this 436
section. 437

       Subject to the secretary of state having implemented, tested, 438
and verified the successful operation of any system the secretary 439
of state prescribes pursuant to divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of 440
this section and division (H)(1) of section 3517.1063517.1016 of 441
the Revised Code for the filing of campaign finance statements by 442
electronic means of transmission, a campaign committee of a 443
statewide candidate shall file a two-business-day statement under 444
the preceding paragraph by electronic means of transmission if the 445
campaign committee is required to file a pre-election, 446
postelection, or monthly statement of contributions and 447
expenditures by electronic means of transmission under this 448
section or section 3517.1063517.1016 of the Revised Code. 449

       If a campaign committee or political action committee has no 450
balance on hand and no outstanding obligations and desires to 451
terminate itself, it shall file a statement to that effect, on a 452
form prescribed under this section and made under penalty of 453
election falsification, with the official with whom it files a 454
statement under division (A) of this section after filing a final 455
statement of contributions and a final statement of expenditures, 456
if contributions have been received or expenditures made since the 457
period reflected in its last previously filed statement. 458

       (B) Except as otherwise provided in division (C)(7) of this 459
section, each statement required by division (A) of this section 460
shall contain the following information: 461

       (1) The full name and address of each campaign committee, 462
political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political 463
party, or political contributing entity, including any treasurer 464
of the committee, fund, party, or entity, filing a contribution 465
and expenditure statement; 466

       (2)(a) In the case of a campaign committee, the candidate's 467
full name and address; 468

       (b) In the case of a political action committee, the 469
registration number assigned to the committee under division 470
(D)(1) of this section. 471

       (3) The date of the election and whether it was or will be a 472
general, primary, or special election; 473

       (4) A statement of contributions received, which shall 474
include the following information: 475

       (a) The month, day, and year of the contribution; 476

       (b)(i) The full name and address of each person, political 477
party, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political 478
action committee, or political contributing entity from whom 479
contributions are received and the registration number assigned to 480
the political action committee under division (D)(1) of this 481
section. The requirement of filing the full address does not apply 482
to any statement filed by a state or local committee of a 483
political party, to a finance committee of such committee, or to a 484
committee recognized by a state or local committee as its 485
fund-raising auxiliary. Notwithstanding division (F) of this 486
section, the requirement of filing the full address shall be 487
considered as being met if the address filed is the same address 488
the contributor provided under division (E)(1) of this section. 489

       (ii) If a political action committee, political contributing 490
entity, legislative campaign fund, or political party that is 491
required to file campaign finance statements by electronic means 492
of transmission under section 3517.1063517.1016 of the Revised 493
Code or a campaign committee of a statewide candidate or candidate 494
for the office of member of the general assembly receives a 495
contribution from an individual that exceeds one hundred dollars, 496
the name of the individual's current employer, if any, or, if the 497
individual is self-employed, the individual's occupation and the 498
name of the individual's business, if any; 499

       (iii) If a campaign committee of a statewide candidate or 500
candidate for the office of member of the general assembly 501
receives a contribution transmitted pursuant to section 3599.031 502
of the Revised Code from amounts deducted from the wages and 503
salaries of two or more employees that exceeds in the aggregate 504
one hundred dollars during any one filing period under division 505
(A)(1), (2), (3), or (4) of this section, the full name of the 506
employees' employer and the full name of the labor organization of 507
which the employees are members, if any. 508

       (c) A description of the contribution received, if other than 509
money; 510

       (d) The value in dollars and cents of the contribution; 511

       (e) A separately itemized account of all contributions and 512
expenditures regardless of the amount, except a receipt of a 513
contribution from a person in the sum of twenty-five dollars or 514
less at one social or fund-raising activity and a receipt of a 515
contribution transmitted pursuant to section 3599.031 of the 516
Revised Code from amounts deducted from the wages and salaries of 517
employees if the contribution from the amount deducted from the 518
wages and salary of any one employee is twenty-five dollars or 519
less aggregated in a calendar year. An account of the total 520
contributions from each social or fund-raising activity shall 521
include a description of and the value of each in-kind 522
contribution received at that activity from any person who made 523
one or more such contributions whose aggregate value exceeded two 524
hundred fifty dollars and shall be listed separately, together 525
with the expenses incurred and paid in connection with that 526
activity. A campaign committee, political action committee, 527
legislative campaign fund, political party, or political 528
contributing entity shall keep records of contributions from each 529
person in the amount of twenty-five dollars or less at one social 530
or fund-raising activity and contributions from amounts deducted 531
under section 3599.031 of the Revised Code from the wages and 532
salary of each employee in the amount of twenty-five dollars or 533
less aggregated in a calendar year. No continuing association that 534
is recognized by a state or local committee of a political party 535
as an auxiliary of the party and that makes a contribution from 536
funds derived solely from regular dues paid by members of the 537
auxiliary shall be required to list the name or address of any 538
members who paid those dues. 539

       Contributions that are other income shall be itemized 540
separately from all other contributions. The information required 541
under division (B)(4) of this section shall be provided for all 542
other income itemized. As used in this paragraph, "other income" 543
means a loan, investment income, or interest income. 544

       (f) In the case of a campaign committee of a state elected 545
officer, if a person doing business with the state elected officer 546
in the officer's official capacity makes a contribution to the 547
campaign committee of that officer, the information required under 548
division (B)(4) of this section in regard to that contribution, 549
which shall be filed together with and considered a part of the 550
committee's statement of contributions as required under division 551
(A) of this section but shall be filed on a separate form provided 552
by the secretary of state. As used in this division: 553

       (i) "State elected officer" has the same meaning as in 554
section 3517.092 of the Revised Code. 555

       (ii) "Person doing business" means a person or an officer of 556
an entity who enters into one or more contracts with a state 557
elected officer or anyone authorized to enter into contracts on 558
behalf of that officer to receive payments for goods or services, 559
if the payments total, in the aggregate, more than five thousand 560
dollars during a calendar year. 561

       (5) A statement of expenditures which shall include the 562
following information: 563

       (a) The month, day, and year of the expenditure; 564

       (b) The full name and address of each person, political 565
party, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political 566
action committee, or political contributing entity to whom the 567
expenditure was made and the registration number assigned to the 568
political action committee under division (D)(1) of this section; 569

       (c) The object or purpose for which the expenditure was made; 570

       (d) The amount of each expenditure. 571

       (C)(1) The statement of contributions and expenditures shall 572
be signed by the person completing the form. If a statement of 573
contributions and expenditures is filed by electronic means of 574
transmission pursuant to this section or section 3517.106575
3517.1016 of the Revised Code, the electronic signature of the 576
person who executes the statement and transmits the statement by 577
electronic means of transmission, as provided in division (H) of 578
section 3517.1063517.1016 of the Revised Code, shall be attached 579
to or associated with the statement and shall be binding on all 580
persons and for all purposes under the campaign finance reporting 581
law as if the signature had been handwritten in ink on a printed 582
form. 583

       (2) The person filing the statement, under penalty of 584
election falsification, shall include with it a list of each 585
anonymous contribution, the circumstances under which it was 586
received, and the reason it cannot be attributed to a specific 587
donor. 588

       (3) Each statement of a campaign committee of a candidate who 589
holds public office shall contain a designation of each 590
contributor who is an employee in any unit or department under the 591
candidate's direct supervision and control. In a space provided in 592
the statement, the person filing the statement shall affirm that 593
each such contribution was voluntarily made. 594

       (4) A campaign committee that did not receive contributions 595
or make expenditures in connection with the nomination or election 596
of its candidate shall file a statement to that effect, on a form 597
prescribed under this section and made under penalty of election 598
falsification, on the date required in division (A)(2) of this 599
section. 600

       (5) The campaign committee of any person who attempts to 601
become a candidate and who, for any reason, does not become 602
certified in accordance with Title XXXV of the Revised Code for 603
placement on the official ballot of a primary, general, or special 604
election to be held in this state, and who, at any time prior to 605
or after an election, receives contributions or makes 606
expenditures, or has given consent for another to receive 607
contributions or make expenditures, for the purpose of bringing 608
about the person's nomination or election to public office, shall 609
file the statement or statements prescribed by this section and a 610
termination statement, if applicable. Division (C)(5) of this 611
section does not apply to any person with respect to an election 612
to the offices of member of a county or state central committee, 613
presidential elector, or delegate to a national convention or 614
conference of a political party. 615

       (6)(a) The statements required to be filed under this section 616
shall specify the balance in the hands of the campaign committee, 617
political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political 618
party, or political contributing entity and the disposition 619
intended to be made of that balance. 620

       (b) The secretary of state shall prescribe the form for all 621
statements required to be filed under this section and shall 622
furnish the forms to the boards of elections in the several 623
counties. The boards of elections shall supply printed copies of 624
those forms without charge. The secretary of state shall prescribe 625
the appropriate methodology, protocol, and data file structure for 626
statements required or permitted to be filed by electronic means 627
of transmission under division (A) of this section, divisions (E),628
division (F), and (G) of section 3517.106, division (D) of section 629
3517.1011, division (B) of section 3517.1012, division (C) of 630
section 3517.1013, and divisions (D) and (I) of section 3517.1014, 631
and divisions (E), (F), and (G) of section 3517.1016 of the 632
Revised Code. Subject to division (A) of this section, divisions 633
(E),division (F), and (G) of section 3517.106, division (D) of 634
section 3517.1011, division (B) of section 3517.1012, division (C) 635
of section 3517.1013, and divisions (D) and (I) of section 636
3517.1014, and divisions (E), (F), and (G) of section 3517.1016 of 637
the Revised Code, the statements required to be stored on computer 638
by the secretary of state under division (B) of section 3517.106639
3517.1016 of the Revised Code shall be filed in whatever format 640
the secretary of state considers necessary to enable the secretary 641
of state to store the information contained in the statements on 642
computer. Any such format shall be of a type and nature that is 643
readily available to whoever is required to file the statements in 644
that format. 645

       (c) The secretary of state shall assess the need for training 646
regarding the filing of campaign finance statements by electronic 647
means of transmission and regarding associated technologies for 648
candidates, campaign committees, political action committees, 649
legislative campaign funds, political parties, or political 650
contributing entities, for individuals, partnerships, 651
corporations, labor organizations, or other entities, for persons 652
making disbursements to pay the direct costs of producing or 653
airing electioneering communications, or for treasurers of 654
transition funds, required or permitted to file statements by 655
electronic means of transmission under this section or section 656
3517.105, 3517.106, 3517.1011, 3517.1012, 3517.1013, or 3517.1014, 657
or 3517.1016 of the Revised Code. If, in the opinion of the 658
secretary of state, training in these areas is necessary, the 659
secretary of state shall arrange for the provision of voluntary 660
training programs for candidates, campaign committees, political 661
action committees, legislative campaign funds, political parties, 662
or political contributing entities, for individuals, partnerships, 663
corporations, labor organizations, and other entities, for persons 664
making disbursements to pay the direct costs of producing or 665
airing electioneering communications, or for treasurers of 666
transition funds, as appropriate. 667

       (7) Each monthly statement and each two-business-day 668
statement required by division (A) of this section shall contain 669
the information required by divisions (B)(1) to (4), (C)(2), and, 670
if appropriate, (C)(3) of this section. Each statement shall be 671
signed as required by division (C)(1) of this section. 672

       (D)(1) Prior to receiving a contribution or making an 673
expenditure, every campaign committee, political action committee, 674
legislative campaign fund, political party, or political 675
contributing entity shall appoint a treasurer and shall file, on a 676
form prescribed by the secretary of state, a designation of that 677
appointment, including the full name and address of the treasurer 678
and of the campaign committee, political action committee, 679
legislative campaign fund, political party, or political 680
contributing entity. That designation shall be filed with the 681
official with whom the campaign committee, political action 682
committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or 683
political contributing entity is required to file statements under 684
section 3517.11 of the Revised Code. The name of a campaign 685
committee shall include at least the last name of the campaign 686
committee's candidate. If two or more candidates are the 687
beneficiaries of a single campaign committee under division (B) of 688
section 3517.081 of the Revised Code, the name of the campaign 689
committee shall include at least the last name of each candidate 690
who is a beneficiary of that campaign committee. The secretary of 691
state shall assign a registration number to each political action 692
committee that files a designation of the appointment of a 693
treasurer under this division if the political action committee is 694
required by division (A)(1) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code 695
to file the statements prescribed by this section with the 696
secretary of state. 697

       (2) The treasurer appointed under division (D)(1) of this 698
section shall keep a strict account of all contributions, from 699
whom received and the purpose for which they were disbursed. 700

       (3)(a) Except as otherwise provided in section 3517.108 of 701
the Revised Code, a campaign committee shall deposit all monetary 702
contributions received by the committee into an account separate 703
from a personal or business account of the candidate or campaign 704
committee. 705

       (b) A political action committee shall deposit all monetary 706
contributions received by the committee into an account separate 707
from all other funds. 708

       (c) A state or county political party may establish a state 709
candidate fund that is separate from an account that contains the 710
public moneys received from the Ohio political party fund under 711
section 3517.17 of the Revised Code and from all other funds. A 712
state or county political party may deposit into its state 713
candidate fund any amounts of monetary contributions that are made 714
to or accepted by the political party subject to the applicable 715
limitations, if any, prescribed in section 3517.102 of the Revised 716
Code. A state or county political party shall deposit all other 717
monetary contributions received by the party into one or more 718
accounts that are separate from its state candidate fund and from 719
its account that contains the public moneys received from the Ohio 720
political party fund under section 3517.17 of the Revised Code. 721

       (d) Each state political party shall have only one 722
legislative campaign fund for each house of the general assembly. 723
Each such fund shall be separate from any other funds or accounts 724
of that state party. A legislative campaign fund is authorized to 725
receive contributions and make expenditures for the primary 726
purpose of furthering the election of candidates who are members 727
of that political party to the house of the general assembly with 728
which that legislative campaign fund is associated. Each 729
legislative campaign fund shall be administered and controlled in 730
a manner designated by the caucus. As used in this division, 731
"caucus" has the same meaning as in section 3517.01 of the Revised 732
Code and includes, as an ex officio member, the chairperson of the 733
state political party with which the caucus is associated or that 734
chairperson's designee. 735

       (4) Every expenditure in excess of twenty-five dollars shall 736
be vouched for by a receipted bill, stating the purpose of the 737
expenditure, that shall be filed with the statement of 738
expenditures. A canceled check with a notation of the purpose of 739
the expenditure is a receipted bill for purposes of division 740
(D)(4) of this section. 741

       (5) The secretary of state or the board of elections, as the 742
case may be, shall issue a receipt for each statement filed under 743
this section and shall preserve a copy of the receipt for a period 744
of at least six years. All statements filed under this section 745
shall be open to public inspection in the office where they are 746
filed and shall be carefully preserved for a period of at least 747
six years after the year in which they are filed. 748

       (6) The secretary of state, by rule adopted pursuant to 749
section 3517.23 of the Revised Code, shall prescribe both of the 750
following: 751

       (a) The manner of immediately acknowledging, with date and 752
time received, and preserving the receipt of statements that are 753
transmitted by electronic means of transmission to the secretary 754
of state pursuant to this section or section 3517.106, 3517.1011, 755
3517.1012, 3517.1013, or 3517.1014, or 3517.1016 of the Revised 756
Code; 757

       (b) The manner of preserving the contribution and 758
expenditure, contribution and disbursement, deposit and 759
disbursement, gift and disbursement, or donation and disbursement, 760
or contribution and independent expenditure information in the 761
statements described in division (D)(6)(a) of this section. The 762
secretary of state shall preserve the contribution and 763
expenditure, contribution and disbursement, deposit and 764
disbursement, gift and disbursement, or donation and disbursement, 765
or contribution and independent expenditure information in those 766
statements for at least ten years after the year in which they are 767
filed by electronic means of transmission. 768

       (7) The secretary of state, pursuant to division (I) of 769
section 3517.1063517.1016 of the Revised Code, shall make 770
available online to the public through the internet the 771
contribution and expenditure, contribution and disbursement, 772
deposit and disbursement, gift and disbursement, or donation and 773
disbursement, or contribution and independent expenditure774
information in all statements, all addenda, amendments, or other 775
corrections to statements, and all amended statements filed with 776
the secretary of state by electronic or other means of 777
transmission under this section, division (B)(2)(b) or (C)(2)(b) 778
of section 3517.105, or section 3517.106, 3517.1011, 3517.1012, 779
3517.1013, 3517.1014, 3517.1016, or 3517.11 of the Revised Code. 780
The secretary of state may remove the information from the 781
internet after a reasonable period of time. 782

       (E)(1) Any person, political party, campaign committee, 783
legislative campaign fund, political action committee, or 784
political contributing entity that makes a contribution in 785
connection with the nomination or election of any candidate or in 786
connection with any ballot issue or question at any election held 787
or to be held in this state shall provide its full name and 788
address to the recipient of the contribution at the time the 789
contribution is made. The political action committee also shall 790
provide the registration number assigned to the committee under 791
division (D)(1) of this section to the recipient of the 792
contribution at the time the contribution is made. 793

       (2) Any individual who makes a contribution that exceeds one 794
hundred dollars to a political action committee, political 795
contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or political party 796
or to a campaign committee of a statewide candidate or candidate 797
for the office of member of the general assembly shall provide the 798
name of the individual's current employer, if any, or, if the 799
individual is self-employed, the individual's occupation and the 800
name of the individual's business, if any, to the recipient of the 801
contribution at the time the contribution is made. Sections 802
3599.39 and 3599.40 of the Revised Code do not apply to division 803
(E)(2) of this section. 804

       (3) If a campaign committee shows that it has exercised its 805
best efforts to obtain, maintain, and submit the information 806
required under divisions (B)(4)(b)(ii) and (iii) of this section, 807
that committee is considered to have met the requirements of those 808
divisions. A campaign committee shall not be considered to have 809
exercised its best efforts unless, in connection with written 810
solicitations, it regularly includes a written request for the 811
information required under division (B)(4)(b)(ii) of this section 812
from the contributor or the information required under division 813
(B)(4)(b)(iii) of this section from whoever transmits the 814
contribution. 815

       (4) Any check that a political action committee uses to make 816
a contribution or an expenditure shall contain the full name and 817
address of the committee and the registration number assigned to 818
the committee under division (D)(1) of this section. 819

       (F) As used in this section: 820

       (1)(a) Except as otherwise provided in division (F)(1) of 821
this section, "address" means all of the following if they exist: 822
apartment number, street, road, or highway name and number, rural 823
delivery route number, city or village, state, and zip code as 824
used in a person's post-office address, but not post-office box. 825

        (b) Except as otherwise provided in division (F)(1) of this 826
section, if an address is required in this section, a post-office 827
box and office, room, or suite number may be included in addition 828
to, but not in lieu of, an apartment, street, road, or highway 829
name and number. 830

        (c) If an address is required in this section, a campaign 831
committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, 832
political party, or political contributing entity may use the 833
business or residence address of its treasurer or deputy 834
treasurer. The post-office box number of the campaign committee, 835
political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political 836
party, or political contributing entity may be used in addition to 837
that address. 838

       (d) For the sole purpose of a campaign committee's reporting 839
of contributions on a statement of contributions received under 840
division (B)(4) of this section, "address" has one of the 841
following meanings at the option of the campaign committee: 842

       (i) The same meaning as in division (F)(1)(a) of this 843
section; 844

       (ii) All of the following, if they exist: the contributor's 845
post-office box number and city or village, state, and zip code as 846
used in the contributor's post-office address. 847

       (e) As used with regard to the reporting under this section 848
of any expenditure, "address" means all of the following if they 849
exist: apartment number, street, road, or highway name and number, 850
rural delivery route number, city or village, state, and zip code 851
as used in a person's post-office address, or post-office box. If 852
an address concerning any expenditure is required in this section, 853
a campaign committee, political action committee, legislative 854
campaign fund, political party, or political contributing entity 855
may use the business or residence address of its treasurer or 856
deputy treasurer or its post-office box number. 857

       (2) "Statewide candidate" means the joint candidates for the 858
offices of governor and lieutenant governor or a candidate for the 859
office of secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of 860
state, attorney general, member of the state board of education, 861
chief justice of the supreme court, or justice of the supreme 862
court. 863

       (3) "Candidate for county office" means a candidate for the 864
office of county auditor, county treasurer, clerk of the court of 865
common pleas, judge of the court of common pleas, sheriff, county 866
recorder, county engineer, county commissioner, prosecuting 867
attorney, or coroner. 868

       (G) AnExcept as otherwise provided in section 3517.106 of 869
the Revised Code, an independent expenditure shall be reported 870
whenever and in the same manner that an expenditure is required to 871
be reported under this section and shall be reported pursuant to 872
division (B)(2)(a) or (C)(2)(a) of section 3517.105 of the Revised 873
Code. 874

       (H)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (H)(2) of 875
this section, if, during the combined pre-election and 876
postelection reporting periods for an election, a campaign 877
committee has received contributions of five hundred dollars or 878
less and has made expenditures in the total amount of five hundred 879
dollars or less, it may file a statement to that effect, under 880
penalty of election falsification, in lieu of the statement 881
required by division (A)(2) of this section. The statement shall 882
indicate the total amount of contributions received and the total 883
amount of expenditures made during those combined reporting 884
periods. 885

       (2) In the case of a successful candidate at a primary 886
election, if either the total contributions received by or the 887
total expenditures made by the candidate's campaign committee 888
during the preprimary, postprimary, pregeneral, and postgeneral 889
election periods combined equal more than five hundred dollars, 890
the campaign committee may file the statement under division 891
(H)(1) of this section only for the primary election. The first 892
statement that the campaign committee files in regard to the 893
general election shall reflect all contributions received and all 894
expenditures made during the preprimary and postprimary election 895
periods. 896

       (3) Divisions (H)(1) and (2) of this section do not apply if 897
a campaign committee receives contributions or makes expenditures 898
prior to the first day of January of the year of the election at 899
which the candidate seeks nomination or election to office or if 900
the campaign committee does not file a termination statement with 901
its postprimary election statement in the case of an unsuccessful 902
primary election candidate or with its postgeneral election 903
statement in the case of other candidates. 904

       (I) In the case of a contribution made by a partner of a 905
partnership or an owner or a member of another unincorporated 906
business from any funds of the partnership or other unincorporated 907
business, all of the following apply: 908

       (1) The recipient of the contribution shall report the 909
contribution by listing both the partnership or other 910
unincorporated business and the name of the partner, owner, or 911
member making the contribution. 912

       (2) In reporting the contribution, the recipient of the 913
contribution shall be entitled to conclusively rely upon the 914
information provided by the partnership or other unincorporated 915
business, provided that the information includes one of the 916
following: 917

       (a) The name of each partner, owner, or member as of the date 918
of the contribution or contributions, and a statement that the 919
total contributions are to be allocated equally among all of the 920
partners, owners, or members; or 921

       (b) The name of each partner, owner, or member as of the date 922
of the contribution or contributions who is participating in the 923
contribution or contributions, and a statement that the 924
contribution or contributions are to be allocated to those 925
individuals in accordance with the information provided by the 926
partnership or other unincorporated business to the recipient of 927
the contribution. 928

       (3) For purposes of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code, the 929
contribution shall be considered to have been made by the partner, 930
owner, or member reported under division (I)(1) of this section. 931

       (4) No contribution from a partner of a partnership or an 932
owner or a member of another unincorporated business shall be 933
accepted from any funds of the partnership or other unincorporated 934
business unless the recipient reports the contribution under 935
division (I)(1) of this section together with the information 936
provided under division (I)(2) of this section. 937

       (5) No partnership or other unincorporated business shall 938
make a contribution or contributions solely in the name of the 939
partnership or other unincorporated business. 940

       (6) As used in division (I) of this section, "partnership or 941
other unincorporated business" includes, but is not limited to, a 942
cooperative, a sole proprietorship, a general partnership, a 943
limited partnership, a limited partnership association, a limited 944
liability partnership, and a limited liability company. 945

       (J) A candidate shall have only one campaign committee at any 946
given time for all of the offices for which the person is a 947
candidate or holds office. 948

       (K)(1) In addition to filing a designation of appointment of 949
a treasurer under division (D)(1) of this section, the campaign 950
committee of any candidate for an elected municipal office that 951
pays an annual amount of compensation of five thousand dollars or 952
less, the campaign committee of any candidate for member of a 953
board of education except member of the state board of education, 954
or the campaign committee of any candidate for township trustee or 955
township fiscal officer may sign, under penalty of election 956
falsification, a certificate attesting that the committee will not 957
accept contributions during an election period that exceed in the 958
aggregate two thousand dollars from all contributors and one 959
hundred dollars from any one individual, and that the campaign 960
committee will not make expenditures during an election period 961
that exceed in the aggregate two thousand dollars. 962

       The certificate shall be on a form prescribed by the 963
secretary of state and shall be filed not later than ten days 964
after the candidate files a declaration of candidacy and petition, 965
a nominating petition, or a declaration of intent to be a write-in 966
candidate. 967

       (2) Except as otherwise provided in division (K)(3) of this 968
section, a campaign committee that files a certificate under 969
division (K)(1) of this section is not required to file the 970
statements required by division (A) of this section. 971

       (3) If, after filing a certificate under division (K)(1) of 972
this section, a campaign committee exceeds any of the limitations 973
described in that division during an election period, the 974
certificate is void and thereafter the campaign committee shall 975
file the statements required by division (A) of this section. If 976
the campaign committee has not previously filed a statement, then 977
on the first statement the campaign committee is required to file 978
under division (A) of this section after the committee's 979
certificate is void, the committee shall report all contributions 980
received and expenditures made from the time the candidate filed 981
the candidate's declaration of candidacy and petition, nominating 982
petition, or declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate. 983

       (4) As used in division (K) of this section, "election 984
period" means the period of time beginning on the day a person 985
files a declaration of candidacy and petition, nominating 986
petition, or declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate 987
through the day of the election at which the person seeks 988
nomination to office if the person is not elected to office, or, 989
if the candidate was nominated in a primary election, the day of 990
the election at which the candidate seeks office. 991

       (L) A political contributing entity that receives 992
contributions from the dues, membership fees, or other assessments 993
of its members or from its officers, shareholders, and employees 994
may report the aggregate amount of contributions received from 995
those contributors and the number of individuals making those 996
contributions, for each filing period under divisions (A)(1), (2), 997
(3), and (4) of this section, rather than reporting information as 998
required under division (B)(4) of this section, including, when 999
applicable, the name of the current employer, if any, of a 1000
contributor whose contribution exceeds one hundred dollars or, if 1001
such a contributor is self-employed, the contributor's occupation 1002
and the name of the contributor's business, if any. Division 1003
(B)(4) of this section applies to a political contributing entity 1004
with regard to contributions it receives from all other 1005
contributors. 1006

       Sec. 3517.105.  (A)(1) As used in this section, "public 1007
political advertising" means advertising to the general public 1008
through a broadcasting station, newspaper, magazine, poster, yard 1009
sign, or outdoor advertising facility, by direct mail, or by any 1010
other means of advertising to the general public.1011

       (2) For purposes of this section and section 3517.20 of the 1012
Revised Code, a person is a member of a political action committee 1013
if the person makes one or more contributions to that political 1014
action committee, and a person is a member of a political 1015
contributing entity if the person makes one or more contributions 1016
to, or pays dues, membership fees, or other assessments to, that 1017
political contributing entity.1018

       (B)(1) WheneverSubject to division (B)(3) of this section, 1019
whenever a candidate, a campaign committee, a political action 1020
committee or political contributing entity with ten or more 1021
members, or a legislative campaign fund makes an independent 1022
expenditure, or whenever a political action committee or political 1023
contributing entity with fewer than ten members makes an 1024
independent expenditure in excess of one hundred dollars for a 1025
local candidate, in excess of two hundred fifty dollars for a 1026
candidate for the office of member of the general assembly, or in 1027
excess of five hundred dollars for a statewide candidate, for the 1028
purpose of financing communications advocating the election or 1029
defeat of an identified candidate or solicits without the 1030
candidate's express consent a contribution for or against an 1031
identified candidate through public political advertising, a 1032
statement shall appear or be presented in a clear and conspicuous 1033
manner in the advertising that does both of the following:1034

       (a) Clearly indicates that the communication or public 1035
political advertising is not authorized by the candidate or the 1036
candidate's campaign committee;1037

       (b) Clearly identifies the candidate, campaign committee, 1038
political action committee, political contributing entity, or 1039
legislative campaign fund that has paid for the communication or 1040
public political advertising in accordance with section 3517.20 of 1041
the Revised Code.1042

       (2)(a) WheneverSubject to division (B)(3) of this section, 1043
whenever any campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, 1044
political action committee, political contributing entity, or 1045
political party makes an independent expenditure in support of or 1046
opposition to any candidate, the committee, entity, fund, or party 1047
shall report the independent expenditure and identify the 1048
candidate on a statement prescribed by the secretary of state and 1049
filed by the committee, entity, fund, or party as part of its 1050
statement of contributions and expenditures pursuant to division 1051
(A) of section 3517.10 and division (A) of section 3517.11 of the 1052
Revised Code.1053

       (b) WheneverSubject to division (B)(3) of this section, 1054
whenever any individual, partnership, or other entity, except a 1055
corporation, labor organization, campaign committee, legislative 1056
campaign fund, political action committee, political contributing 1057
entity, or political party, makes one or more independent 1058
expenditures in support of or opposition to any candidate, the 1059
individual, partnership, or other entity shall file with the 1060
secretary of state in the case of a statewide candidate, or with 1061
the board of elections in the county in which the candidate files 1062
the candidate's petitions for nomination or election for district 1063
or local office, not later than the dates specified in divisions 1064
(A)(1), (2), (3), and (4) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code, 1065
and, except as otherwise provided in that section, a statement 1066
itemizing all independent expenditures made during the period 1067
since the close of business on the last day reflected in the last 1068
previously filed such statement, if any. The statement shall be 1069
made on a form prescribed by the secretary of state or shall be 1070
filed by electronic means of transmission pursuant to division (G) 1071
of section 3517.1063517.1016 of the Revised Code as authorized or 1072
required by that division. The statement shall indicate the date 1073
and the amount of each independent expenditure and the candidate 1074
on whose behalf it was made and shall be made under penalty of 1075
election falsification.1076

       (3) Divisions (B)(1) and (2) of this section do not apply to 1077
independent expenditures in support of or opposition to a 1078
candidate that are made by any of the following:1079

       (a) A corporation;1080

       (b) A labor organization; or1081

       (c) A political action committee or other entity the primary 1082
purpose of which is to accept corporate or labor organization 1083
funds for use in making independent expenditures.1084

       Independent expenditures in support of or opposition to a 1085
candidate that are made by any of these entities are subject to 1086
section 3517.106 of the Revised Code.1087

       (C)(1) Whenever a corporation, labor organization, campaign 1088
committee, political action committee with ten or more members, or 1089
legislative campaign fund makes an independent expenditure, or 1090
whenever a political action committee with fewer than ten members 1091
makes an independent expenditure in excess of one hundred dollars 1092
for a local ballot issue or question, or in excess of five hundred 1093
dollars for a statewide ballot issue or question, for the purpose 1094
of financing communications advocating support of or opposition to 1095
an identified ballot issue or question or solicits without the 1096
express consent of the ballot issue committee a contribution for 1097
or against an identified ballot issue or question through public 1098
political advertising, a statement shall appear or be presented in 1099
a clear and conspicuous manner in the advertising that does both 1100
of the following:1101

       (a) Clearly indicates that the communication or public 1102
political advertising is not authorized by the identified ballot 1103
issue committee;1104

       (b) Clearly identifies the corporation, labor organization, 1105
campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, or political action 1106
committee that has paid for the communication or public political 1107
advertising in accordance with section 3517.20 of the Revised 1108
Code.1109

       (2)(a) Whenever any corporation, labor organization, campaign 1110
committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or 1111
political action committee makes an independent expenditure in 1112
support of or opposition to any ballot issue or question, the 1113
corporation or labor organization shall report the independent 1114
expenditure in accordance with division (C) of section 3599.03 of 1115
the Revised Code, and the campaign committee, legislative campaign 1116
fund, political party, or political action committee shall report 1117
the independent expenditure and identify the ballot issue or 1118
question on a statement prescribed by the secretary of state and 1119
filed by the committee, fund, or party as part of its statement of 1120
contributions and expenditures pursuant to division (A) of section 1121
3517.10 and division (A) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code.1122

       (b) Whenever any individual, partnership, or other entity, 1123
except a corporation, labor organization, campaign committee, 1124
legislative campaign fund, political action committee, or 1125
political party, makes one or more independent expenditures in 1126
excess of one hundred dollars in support of or opposition to any 1127
ballot issue or question, the individual, partnership, or other 1128
entity shall file with the secretary of state in the case of a 1129
statewide ballot issue or question, or with the board of elections 1130
in the county that certifies the issue or question for placement 1131
on the ballot in the case of a district or local issue or 1132
question, not later than the dates specified in divisions (A)(1), 1133
(2), (3), and (4) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code, and, 1134
except as otherwise provided in that section, a statement 1135
itemizing all independent expenditures made during the period 1136
since the close of business on the last day reflected in the last 1137
previously filed such statement, if any. The statement shall be 1138
made on a form prescribed by the secretary of state or shall be 1139
filed by electronic means of transmission pursuant to division (G) 1140
of section 3517.1063517.1016 of the Revised Code as authorized or 1141
required by that division. The statement shall indicate the date 1142
and the amount of each independent expenditure and the ballot 1143
issue or question in support of or opposition to which it was made 1144
and shall be made under penalty of election falsification.1145

       (3) No person, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, 1146
political action committee, corporation, labor organization, or 1147
other organization or association shall use or cause to be used a 1148
false or fictitious name in making an independent expenditure in 1149
support of or opposition to any candidate or any ballot issue or 1150
question. A name is false or fictitious if the person, campaign 1151
committee, legislative campaign fund, political action committee, 1152
corporation, labor organization, or other organization or 1153
association does not actually exist or operate, if the 1154
corporation, labor organization, or other organization or 1155
association has failed to file a fictitious name or other 1156
registration with the secretary of state, if it is required to do 1157
so, or if the person, campaign committee, legislative campaign 1158
fund, or political action committee has failed to file a 1159
designation of the appointment of a treasurer, if it is required 1160
to do so by division (D)(1) of section 3517.10 of the Revised 1161
Code.1162

       (D) Any expenditure by a political party for the purpose of 1163
financing communications advocating the election or defeat of a 1164
candidate for judicial office shall be deemed to be an independent 1165
expenditure subject to the provisions of this section.1166

       Sec. 3517.106.  (A) This section applies to an independent 1167
expenditure or a contemplated independent expenditure advocating 1168
the election or defeat of an identified candidate or candidates by 1169
any of the following:1170

       (1) A corporation;1171

       (2) A labor organization;1172

       (3) A political action committee or other entity the primary 1173
purpose of which is to accept corporate or labor organization 1174
funds for use in making independent expenditures.1175

       (B)(1) No corporation or labor organization that is involved 1176
in a government function shall make an independent expenditure or 1177
make a contribution for the purpose of making an independent 1178
expenditure. A corporation or labor organization to which any of 1179
the following applies is involved in a government function:1180

       (a) The corporation is regulated under section 113.06, 1181
135.105, 135.63, 340.03, 1702.39, 1702.41, 1702.49, 1713.03, 1182
3301.16, 3313.603, 3313.612, 3319.39, 3319.391, 3319.392, 3506.05, 1183
3701.071, 3702.51 to 3702.62, 4905.04, 4905.06, 4905.10, 4905.13 1184
to 4905.18, 4905.20, 4905.22, 4905.231, 4905.24, 4905.241, 1185
4905.242, 4905.243, 4905.244, 4905.25, 4905.26, 4905.27, 4905.28, 1186
4905.29, 4905.30, 4905.302, 4905.303, 4905.304, 4905.31, 4905.35 1187
to 4905.38, 4905.381, 4905.39, 4905.40 to 4905.48, 4905.49, 1188
4905.50, 4905.51, 4905.52, 4905.54 to 4905.61, 4905.62, 4905.64, 1189
4905.65, 4905.70, 4905.71, 4905.72 to 4905.75, 4905.79, 4905.80 to 1190
4905.82, 4905.83, 4905.84, 4905.86, 4905.91 to 4905.95, 4905.96, 1191
4905.99, 4906.20, 4906.97, 4906.98, 4906.99, 4909.04 to 4909.10, 1192
4909.13, 4909.14, 4909.151 to 4909.156, 4909.16, 4909.161, 1193
4909.171, 4909.172, 4909.20, 4909.21, 4909.22, 4909.23, 4909.24 to 1194
4909.28, 4909.30 to 4909.32, 4909.33 to 4909.39, 4909.41, 4909.43, 1195
4909.45, 4909.99, 4911.18, 4919.79, 4919.99, 4923.03, 4923.04, 1196
4923.05, 4923.06, 4923.07, 4923.08, 4923.10, 4923.11, 4923.20, 1197
4923.99, 4927.03, 4927.04, 4928.03, 4928.05, 4928.06, 4928.07, 1198
4928.08, 4928.09, 4928.10, 4928.11, 4928.12, 4928.13, 4928.14, 1199
4928.141, 4928.142, 4928.143, 4928.144, 4928.145, 4928.15, 1200
4928.151, 4928.16, 4928.17, 4928.18, 4928.20, 4928.31, 4928.33, 1201
4928.36, 4928.51, 4928.52, 4928.53, 4928.54, 4928.58, 4928.61, 1202
4928.62, 4928.64, 4928.65, 4928.66, 4928.67, 4928.68, 4928.69, 1203
4929.04, 4929.05, 4929.051, 4929.07, 4929.08, 4929.09, 4929.11, 1204
4929.14, 4929.15, 4929.20, 4929.21, 4929.22, 4929.24, 4929.25, 1205
4929.29, 4931.02, 4931.03, 4931.04, 4931.06, 4931.07, 4931.11, 1206
4931.12, 4931.13, 4931.14, 4931.15, 4931.16, 4931.17, 4931.18, 1207
4931.19, 4931.27, 4931.28, 4931.29, 4931.30, 4931.31, 4931.35, 1208
4931.40 to 4931.49, 4931.50, 4931.51 to 4931.54, 4931.60, 4931.66, 1209
4931.68, 4931.99, 4933.02 to 4933.06, 4933.08 to 4933.11, 4933.12, 1210
4933.121, 4933.122, 4933.123, 4933.13 to 4933.15, 4933.151, 1211
4933.16, 4933.17, 4933.25, 4933.28, 4933.32, 4933.33, 4933.81 to 1212
4933.90, 4933.99, 4935.03, 4935.04, 4937.03, 4937.05, 4955.30, 1213
4955.31, 4999.10, 5119.611, 5119.63, 5119.631, 5123.05, 5123.082, 1214
5123.36, 5123.37, or 5725.18 of the Revised Code, Chapter 145., 1215
742., 1101., 1103., 1105., 1107., 1109., 1111., 1113., 1115., 1216
1117., 1119., 1121., 1123., 1125., 1127., 1133., 1151., 1153., 1217
1155., 1157., 1161., 1163., 1165., 1513., 1514., 1561., 1563., 1218
1565., 1567., 1571., 1739., 1751., 3307., 3309., 3332., 3712., 1219
3721., 3727., 4903., 4907., 4921., 4939., 4951., 4953., 4955., 1220
4957., 4959., 4961., 4963., 4965., 4967., 4969., 4971., 4973., 1221
4999., 5111., 5505., or 5729. of the Revised Code, or Title XXXIX 1222
of the Revised Code.1223

       (b) The corporation or labor organization is in negotiations 1224
for, has placed a bid upon, or is the recipient of a contract from 1225
the state for the rendition of personal services or furnishing of 1226
any material, supplies, or equipment to the state or any 1227
department or agency of the state or for selling any land or 1228
building to the state or any department or agency of the state, if 1229
payment for the performance of the contract or payment for the 1230
material, supplies, equipment, land, or building is to be made 1231
wholly or partially from funds appropriated by the general 1232
assembly, and the revenue the entity receives or will receive from 1233
the state pursuant to that contract is or will be greater than or 1234
equal to ten per cent of the entity's total annual revenue.1235

       (c) The corporation or labor organization is the recipient or 1236
beneficiary of grants, loans, or tax credits from the state with a 1237
total value exceeding the greater of five per cent of the entity's 1238
total annual revenue or two hundred fifty thousand dollars in a 1239
fiscal year.1240

       (2)(a) The department of administrative services shall 1241
forward to the secretary of state, on a quarterly basis, any 1242
listing that it maintains of corporations or labor organizations 1243
that are current recipients of state contracts.1244

       (b) The department of development shall forward to the 1245
secretary of state, on a quarterly basis, any listing that it 1246
maintains of corporations or labor organizations that are current 1247
recipients of grants or loans from the state.1248

       (c) The department of taxation shall forward to the secretary 1249
of state, on a quarterly basis, any listing that it maintains of 1250
corporations or labor organizations that receive or are the 1251
beneficiaries of any state tax credit.1252

       (C) No corporation to which any of the following apply shall 1253
make an independent expenditure or make a contribution for the 1254
purpose of making an independent expenditure:1255

       (1) The corporation is organized under the laws of, or has 1256
its principal place of business in, a foreign country.1257

       (2) The number of shares of the corporation that are owned 1258
directly or indirectly by foreign principals that are, or that are 1259
located within, a single foreign country is equal to or greater 1260
than twenty-five per cent of the total number of outstanding 1261
shares of the corporation.1262

       (3) One or more foreign principals have the power to direct, 1263
dictate, or control the decision-making process of the corporation 1264
with respect to its interests in the United States.1265

        (4) One or more foreign principals have the power to direct, 1266
dictate, or control the decision-making process of the corporation 1267
with respect to its activities in connection with a federal, 1268
state, or local election.1269

       (D)(1) No corporation shall make an independent expenditure 1270
or make a contribution for the purpose of making an independent 1271
expenditure unless the corporation has done both of the following:1272

       (a) Conducted a vote of a majority of the board of directors 1273
approving the specific independent expenditure or contribution in 1274
advance; and1275

       (b) Filed a statement with the secretary of state specifying 1276
that the corporation has conducted the required vote and received 1277
support from its board of directors to make the independent 1278
expenditure or contribution.1279

       (2) No labor organization shall make an independent 1280
expenditure or make a contribution for the purpose of making an 1281
independent expenditure unless the labor organization has done 1282
both of the following:1283

       (a) Conducted a vote of a majority of the members of its 1284
board of directors or other governing board approving the specific 1285
independent expenditure or contribution in advance; and1286

       (b) Filed a statement with the secretary of state specifying 1287
that the labor organization has conducted the required vote and 1288
received support from its board of directors or other governing 1289
board to make the independent expenditure or contribution.1290

       (3) The secretary of state shall specify the form of the 1291
statements required to be filed under divisions (D)(1) and (2) of 1292
this section.1293

       (E)(1) Notwithstanding any provision of section 3517.20 of 1294
the Revised Code to the contrary, no corporation, labor 1295
organization, political action committee, or other entity that is 1296
subject to this section shall make an independent expenditure to 1297
pay the costs of public political advertising unless the 1298
advertising includes the following statement:1299

       "This advertisement was paid for by (name of corporation, 1300
labor organization, political action committee, or other entity 1301
paying for the advertising), whose funders include (the names of 1302
the five persons who provided the largest amount of funding to the 1303
paying entity for any purpose during the twelve-month period 1304
ending on the date that the entity paid for the advertising or, if 1305
the paying entity is a labor organization, the names of the five 1306
persons who provided the largest donations exceeding five thousand 1307
dollars to the labor organization during the twelve-month period 1308
ending on the date that the labor organization paid for the 1309
advertising). For a list of contributors, go to (internet web site 1310
address of the organization)."1311

       (2) If the public political advertising is transmitted 1312
through radio, the disclosure statement required under division 1313
(E)(1) of this section shall be made by audio in a clearly spoken 1314
manner.1315

       (3) If the public political advertising is transmitted 1316
through television, the disclosure statement required under 1317
division (E)(1) of this section shall be conveyed by an 1318
unobscured, full-screen view of a representative of the 1319
organization, or by a representative of the organization, making 1320
the statement in voice-over. The statement, together with clearly 1321
readable logos of the organization and each contributor identified 1322
in the disclosure statement, if any, also shall appear in writing 1323
at the end of the communication in a clearly readable manner with 1324
a reasonable degree of color contrast between the background and 1325
the printed statement and logos, for a period of at least four 1326
seconds.1327

       (4)(a) Each corporation, political action committee, or other 1328
entity except a labor organization that makes an independent 1329
expenditure to pay the costs of public political advertising under 1330
this section shall make available on a public internet web site a 1331
full list of persons who provided funding to the entity for any 1332
purpose during the twelve-month period ending on the date that the 1333
entity paid for the advertising.1334

       (b) Each labor organization that makes an independent 1335
expenditure to pay the costs of public political advertising under 1336
this section shall make available on a public internet web site a 1337
full list of persons who provided donations exceeding five 1338
thousand dollars to the labor organization during the twelve-month 1339
period ending on the date that the labor organization paid for the 1340
advertising.1341

       (F)(1)(a) Each corporation or labor organization that makes a 1342
contribution to a political action committee, or other entity the 1343
primary purpose of which is to accept corporate or labor 1344
organization funds for use in making independent expenditures 1345
shall report that contribution in accordance with division (F)(2) 1346
of this section.1347

       (b) Each political action committee or other entity the 1348
primary purpose of which is to accept corporate or labor 1349
organization funds for use in making independent expenditures that 1350
receives a contribution from a corporation or labor organization 1351
shall report that contribution in accordance with division (F)(2) 1352
of this section.1353

       (c) Each corporation or labor organization, and each 1354
political action committee or other entity the primary purpose of 1355
which is to accept corporate or labor organization funds for use 1356
in making independent expenditures, that makes one or more 1357
independent expenditures shall report that independent expenditure 1358
in accordance with division (F)(2) of this section.1359

       (2) Each entity required to report a contribution or 1360
independent expenditure under division (F)(1) of this section 1361
shall file a contribution and independent expenditure statement 1362
not later than the dates specified in divisions (A)(1), (2), (3), 1363
and (4) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code, except that a 1364
corporation or labor organization shall file the statement within 1365
seven days after the contribution is made or accepted or the 1366
independent expenditure is made for a contribution made or 1367
accepted or an independent expenditure made during the one hundred 1368
twenty days preceding the date of a primary or general election. A 1369
contribution and independent expenditure statement filed under 1370
this division shall contain the following information:1371

       (a) A statement of contributions made or accepted, which 1372
shall include all the following:1373

       (i) The month, day, and year that the corporation or labor 1374
organization made the contribution or contributions;1375

       (ii) The full name and address of the corporation or labor 1376
organization that made the contribution;1377

       (iii) A description of the contribution, if other than money;1378

       (iv) The value in dollars and cents of the contribution.1379

       (b) A statement of independent expenditures made, which shall 1380
include all of the following:1381

       (i) The full name and address of the entity making the 1382
independent expenditure, of any person sharing or exercising 1383
direction or control over the activities of that entity, and of 1384
the custodian of the books and accounts of that entity;1385

       (ii) The principal place of business of the entity making the 1386
independent expenditure;1387

       (iii) The amount of the independent expenditure, the identity 1388
of the person to whom the independent expenditure was made, and 1389
the type of activities or public political advertising being paid 1390
for with the independent expenditure;1391

       (iv) The original source of the contributions used by the 1392
entity to make the independent expenditure; and1393

       (v) The nominations or elections to which the independent 1394
expenditures pertain and the names, if known, of the candidates 1395
identified or to be identified.1396

       (c) A statement of government functions, which shall include 1397
all of the following, if applicable:1398

       (i) The amount of annual revenue the entity receives from the 1399
state pursuant to any contract the entity receives from the state;1400

       (ii) The entity's total annual revenue;1401

       (iii) Any grants, loans, or tax credits that the entity 1402
receives from the state, and the value of those grants, loans, and 1403
tax credits.1404

       (d) A statement that the contributions or independent 1405
expenditures identified under divisions (F)(2)(a) and (b) of this 1406
section were made in accordance with the requirements of this 1407
section.1408

       (3) Subject to the secretary of state having implemented, 1409
tested, and verified the successful operation of any system the 1410
secretary of state prescribes pursuant to divisions (C)(6)(b) and 1411
(D)(6) of section 3517.10 and division (H)(1) of section 3517.1016 1412
of the Revised Code for the filing of campaign finance statements 1413
by electronic means of transmission, a person shall file the 1414
contribution and independent expenditure statement prescribed 1415
under division (F)(2) of this section by electronic means of 1416
transmission to the office of the secretary of state.1417

       Within five business days after the secretary of state 1418
receives a contribution and independent expenditure statement 1419
under this division, the secretary of state shall make available 1420
online to the public through the internet, as provided in division 1421
(I) of section 3517.1016 of the Revised Code, the contribution and 1422
independent expenditure information in that statement.1423

       If a filed contribution and independent expenditure statement 1424
is found to be incomplete or inaccurate after its examination for 1425
completeness and accuracy under division (B)(3)(a) of section 1426
3517.11 of the Revised Code, the entity shall file by electronic 1427
means of transmission to the office of the secretary of state any 1428
addendum, amendment, or other correction to the statement that 1429
provides the information necessary to complete or correct the 1430
statement or, if required by the secretary of state under that 1431
division, an amended statement.1432

       Within five business days after the secretary of state 1433
receives an addendum, amendment, or other correction to a 1434
contribution and independent expenditure statement or an amended 1435
statement by electronic means of transmission under this division 1436
or division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the 1437
secretary of state shall make the contribution and independent 1438
expenditure information in the addendum, amendment, or other 1439
correction to the statement or amended statement available online 1440
to the public through the internet as provided in division (I) of 1441
section 3517.1016 of the Revised Code.1442

       (G) Any corporation or labor organization that makes a 1443
contribution under this section shall provide the full name and 1444
address of the corporation or labor organization to the recipient 1445
of the contribution at the time the contribution is made.1446

       (H) A corporation that makes a contribution or independent 1447
expenditure under this section shall include the information that 1448
the corporation is required to report to the secretary of state 1449
under division (F)(2) of this section regarding that contribution 1450
or independent expenditure in the information that the corporation 1451
is required to report and make available to its shareholders under 1452
the state or federal securities law, as applicable, at least once 1453
per year.1454

       (I) As used in this section:1455

       (1) "Contribution" means any loan, gift, deposit, forgiveness 1456
of indebtedness, donation, advance, payment, or transfer of funds 1457
or of anything of value from a corporation or labor organization 1458
to a political action committee or other entity for the purpose of 1459
making independent expenditures.1460

       (2) "Foreign principal" includes all of the following:1461

       (a) A government of a foreign country and a foreign political 1462
party; 1463

       (b) A person outside of the United States, unless it is 1464
established that the person is an individual and a citizen of and 1465
domiciled within the United States, or that the person is not an 1466
individual and is organized under or created by the laws of the 1467
United States or of any state or other place subject to the 1468
jurisdiction of the United States and has its principal place of 1469
business within the United States; and 1470

       (c) A partnership, association, corporation, organization, or 1471
other combination of persons organized under the laws of or having 1472
its principal place of business in a foreign country. 1473

       (3) "Public political advertising" has the same meaning as in 1474
section 3517.105 of the Revised Code.1475

       (J) If any provision of this section or the application 1476
thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the 1477
invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of 1478
this section or related sections that can be given effect without 1479
the invalid provision or application, and to this end the 1480
provisions are severable.1481

       Sec. 3517.1011.  (A) As used in this section:1482

       (1) "Address" has the same meaning as in section 3517.10 of 1483
the Revised Code.1484

       (2) "Broadcast, cable, or satellite communication" means a 1485
communication that is publicly distributed by a television 1486
station, radio station, cable television system, or satellite 1487
system.1488

       (3) "Candidate" has the same meaning as in section 3501.01 of 1489
the Revised Code;.1490

       (4) "Contribution" means any loan, gift, deposit, forgiveness 1491
of indebtedness, donation, advance, payment, or transfer of funds 1492
or of anything of value, including a transfer of funds from an 1493
inter vivos or testamentary trust or decedent's estate, and the 1494
payment by any person other than the person to whom the services 1495
are rendered for the personal services of another person, that is 1496
made, received, or used to pay the direct costs of producing or 1497
airing electioneering communications.1498

       (5)(a) "Coordinated electioneering communication" means any 1499
electioneering communication that is made pursuant to any 1500
arrangement, coordination, or direction by a candidate or a 1501
candidate's campaign committee, by an officer, agent, employee, or 1502
consultant of a candidate or a candidate's campaign committee, or 1503
by a former officer, former agent, former employee, or former 1504
consultant of a candidate or a candidate's campaign committee 1505
prior to the airing, broadcasting, or cablecasting of the 1506
communication. An electioneering communication is presumed to be a 1507
"coordinated electioneering communication" when it is either of 1508
the following:1509

       (i) Based on information about a candidate's plans, projects, 1510
or needs provided to the person making the disbursement by the 1511
candidate or the candidate's campaign committee, by an officer, 1512
agent, employee, or consultant of the candidate or the candidate's 1513
campaign committee, or by a former officer, former agent, former 1514
employee, or former consultant of the candidate or the candidate's 1515
campaign committee, with a view toward having the communication 1516
made;1517

       (ii) Made by or through any person who is, or has been, 1518
authorized to raise or expend funds on behalf of a candidate or 1519
the candidate's campaign committee, who is, or has been, an 1520
officer, agent, employee, or consultant of the candidate or of the 1521
candidate's campaign committee, or who is, or has been, receiving 1522
any form of compensation or reimbursement from the candidate or 1523
the candidate's campaign committee or from an officer, agent, 1524
employee, or consultant of the candidate or of the candidate's 1525
campaign committee.1526

       (b) An electioneering communication shall not be presumed to 1527
be a "coordinated electioneering communication" under division 1528
(A)(5)(a)(ii) of this section if the communication is made through 1529
any person who provides a service that does not affect the content 1530
of the communication, such as communications placed through the 1531
efforts of a media buyer, unless that person also affects the 1532
content of the communication.1533

       (6) "Disclosure date" means both of the following:1534

       (a) The first date during any calendar year by which a person 1535
makes disbursements for the direct costs of producing or airing 1536
electioneering communications aggregating in excess of ten 1537
thousand dollars;1538

       (b) The same day of the week of each remaining week in the 1539
same calendar year as the day of the week of the initial 1540
disclosure date established under division (A)(6)(a) of this 1541
section, if, during that remaining week, the person makes 1542
disbursements for the direct costs of producing or airing 1543
electioneering communications aggregating in excess of one dollar.1544

       (7)(a) "Electioneering communication" means any broadcast, 1545
cable, or satellite communication that refers to a clearly 1546
identified candidate and that is made during either of the 1547
following periods of time:1548

       (i) If the person becomes a candidate before the day of the 1549
primary election at which candidates will be nominated for 1550
election to that office, between the date that the person becomes 1551
a candidate and the thirtieth day prior to that primary election, 1552
and between the date of the primary election and the thirtieth day 1553
prior to the general election at which a candidate will be elected 1554
to that office;1555

       (ii) If the person becomes a candidate after the day of the 1556
primary election at which candidates were nominated for election 1557
to that office, between the date of the primary election and the 1558
thirtieth day prior to the general election at which a candidate 1559
will be elected to that office.1560

       (b) "Electioneering communication" does not include any of 1561
the following:1562

       (i) A communication that is publicly disseminated through a 1563
means of communication other than a broadcast, cable, or satellite 1564
television or radio station. For example, "electioneering 1565
communication" does not include communications appearing in print 1566
media, including a newspaper or magazine, handbill, brochure, 1567
bumper sticker, yard sign, poster, billboard, and other written 1568
materials, including mailings; communications over the internet, 1569
including electronic mail; or telephone communications.1570

       (ii) A communication that appears in a news story, 1571
commentary, public service announcement, bona fide news 1572
programming, or editorial distributed through the facilities of 1573
any broadcast, cable, or satellite television or radio station, 1574
unless those facilities are owned or controlled by any political 1575
party, political committee, or candidate;1576

        (iii) A communication that constitutes an expenditure or an 1577
independent expenditure under section 3517.01 of the Revised Code;1578

       (iv) A communication that constitutes a candidate debate or 1579
forum or that solely promotes a candidate debate or forum and is 1580
made by or on behalf of the person sponsoring the debate or forum.1581

       (8) "Filing date" has the same meaning as in section 3517.109 1582
of the Revised Code.1583

       (9) "Immigration and Nationality Act" means the Immigration 1584
and Nationality Act, 110 Stat. 309 (1996), 8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq., 1585
as amended.1586

       (10) "Person" has the same meaning as in section 1.59 of the 1587
Revised Code and includes any political organization considered 1588
exempt from income taxation under section 527 of the Internal 1589
Revenue Code.1590

       (11) "Political committee" means any of the following:1591

       (a) Any committee, club, association, or other group of 1592
persons that receives contributions aggregating in excess of one 1593
thousand dollars during a calendar year or that makes expenditures 1594
aggregating in excess of one thousand dollars during a calendar 1595
year;1596

       (b) Any separate segregated fund;1597

       (c) Any state, county, or local committee of a political 1598
party that does any of the following:1599

       (i) Receives contributions aggregating in excess of five 1600
thousand dollars during a calendar year;1601

       (ii) Makes payments that do not constitute contributions or 1602
expenditures aggregating in excess of five thousand dollars during 1603
a calendar year;1604

       (iii) Makes contributions or expenditures aggregating in 1605
excess of one thousand dollars during a calendar year.1606

       (12) "Publicly distributed" means aired, broadcast, 1607
cablecast, or otherwise disseminated for a fee.1608

       (13) "Refers to a clearly identified candidate" means that 1609
the candidate's name, nickname, photograph, or drawing appears, or 1610
the identity of the candidate is otherwise apparent through an 1611
unambiguous reference to the person such as "the chief justice," 1612
"the governor," "member of the Ohio senate," "member of the Ohio 1613
house of representatives," "county auditor," "mayor," or "township 1614
trustee" or through an unambiguous reference to the person's 1615
status as a candidate.1616

       (B) For the purposes of this section, a person shall be 1617
considered to have made a disbursement if the person has entered 1618
into a contract to make the disbursement.1619

       (C) Any person intending to make a disbursement or 1620
disbursements for the direct costs of producing or airing 1621
electioneering communications, prior to making the first 1622
disbursement for the direct costs of producing or airing an 1623
electioneering communication, shall file a notice with the office 1624
of the secretary of state that the person is intending to make 1625
such disbursements.1626

       (D)(1) Every person that makes a disbursement or 1627
disbursements for the direct costs of producing and airing 1628
electioneering communications aggregating in excess of ten 1629
thousand dollars during any calendar year shall file, within 1630
twenty-four hours of each disclosure date, a disclosure of 1631
electioneering communications statement containing the following 1632
information:1633

       (a) The full name and address of the person making the 1634
disbursement, of any person sharing or exercising direction or 1635
control over the activities of the person making the disbursement, 1636
and of the custodian of the books and accounts of the person 1637
making the disbursement;1638

       (b) The principal place of business of the person making the 1639
disbursement, if not an individual;1640

       (c) The amount of each disbursement of more than one dollar 1641
during the period covered by the statement and the identity of the 1642
person to whom the disbursement was made;1643

       (d) The nominations or elections to which the electioneering 1644
communications pertain and the names, if known, of the candidates 1645
identified or to be identified;1646

       (e) If the disbursements were paid out of a segregated bank 1647
account that consists of funds contributed solely by individuals 1648
who are United States citizens or nationals or lawfully admitted 1649
for permanent residence as defined in section 101(a)(20) of the 1650
Immigration and Nationality Act directly to the account for 1651
electioneering communications, the information specified in 1652
division (D)(2) of this section for all contributors who 1653
contributed an aggregate amount of two hundred dollars or more to 1654
the segregated bank account and whose contributions were used for 1655
making the disbursement or disbursements required to be reported 1656
under division (D) of this section during the period covered by 1657
the statement. Nothing in this division prohibits or shall be 1658
construed to prohibit the use of funds in such a segregated bank 1659
account for a purpose other than electioneering communications.1660

       (f) If the disbursements were paid out of funds not described 1661
in division (D)(1)(e) of this section, the information specified 1662
in division (D)(2) of this section for all contributors who 1663
contributed an aggregate amount of two hundred dollars or more to 1664
the person making the disbursement and whose contributions were 1665
used for making the disbursement or disbursements required to be 1666
reported under division (D) of this section during the period 1667
covered by the statement.1668

       (2) For each contributor for which information is required to 1669
be reported under division (D)(1)(e) or (f) of this section, all 1670
of the following shall be reported:1671

       (a) The month, day, and year that the contributor made the 1672
contribution or contributions aggregating two hundred dollars or 1673
more;1674

       (b)(i) The full name and address of the contributor, and, if 1675
the contributor is a political action committee, the registration 1676
number assigned to the political action committee under division 1677
(D)(1) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code;1678

       (ii) If the contributor is an individual, the name of the 1679
individual's current employer, if any, or, if the individual is 1680
self-employed, the individual's occupation and the name of the 1681
individual's business, if any;1682

       (iii) If the contribution is transmitted pursuant to section 1683
3599.031 of the Revised Code from amounts deducted from the wages 1684
and salaries of two or more employees that exceed in the aggregate 1685
one hundred dollars during the period specified in division 1686
(D)(1)(e) or (f) of this section, as applicable, the full name of 1687
the employees' employer and the full name of the labor 1688
organization of which the employees are members, if any.1689

       (c) A description of the contribution, if other than money;1690

       (d) The value in dollars and cents of the contribution.1691

       (3) Subject to the secretary of state having implemented, 1692
tested, and verified the successful operation of any system the 1693
secretary of state prescribes pursuant to divisions (C)(6)(b) and 1694
(D)(6) of section 3517.10 and division (H)(1) of section 3517.1061695
3517.1015 of the Revised Code for the filing of campaign finance 1696
statements by electronic means of transmission, a person shall 1697
file the disclosure of electioneering communications statement 1698
prescribed under divisions (D)(1) and (2) of this section by 1699
electronic means of transmission to the office of the secretary of 1700
state.1701

       Within five business days after the secretary of state 1702
receives a disclosure of electioneering communications statement 1703
under this division, the secretary of state shall make available 1704
online to the public through the internet, as provided in division 1705
(I) of section 3517.1063517.1015 of the Revised Code, the 1706
contribution and disbursement information in that statement.1707

       If a filed disclosure of electioneering communications 1708
statement is found to be incomplete or inaccurate after its 1709
examination for completeness and accuracy pursuant to division 1710
(B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the person shall 1711
file by electronic means of transmission to the office of the 1712
secretary of state any addendum, amendment, or other correction to 1713
the statement that provides the information necessary to complete 1714
or correct the statement or, if required by the secretary of state 1715
under that division, an amended statement.1716

       Within five business days after the secretary of state 1717
receives an addendum, amendment, or other correction to a 1718
disclosure of electioneering communications statement or an 1719
amended statement by electronic means of transmission under this 1720
division or division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised 1721
Code, the secretary of state shall make the contribution and 1722
disbursement information in the addendum, amendment, or other 1723
correction to the statement or amended statement available online 1724
to the public through the internet as provided in division (I) of 1725
section 3517.1063517.1016 of the Revised Code.1726

       (E)(1) Any person who makes a contribution for the purpose of 1727
funding the direct costs of producing or airing an electioneering 1728
communication under this section shall provide the person's full 1729
name and address to the recipient of the contribution at the time 1730
the contribution is made.1731

       (2) Any individual who makes a contribution or contributions 1732
aggregating two hundred dollars or more for the purpose of funding 1733
the direct costs of producing or airing an electioneering 1734
communication under this section shall provide the name of the 1735
individual's current employer, if any, or, if the individual is 1736
self-employed, the individual's occupation and the name of the 1737
individual's business, if any, to the recipient of the 1738
contribution at the time the contribution is made.1739

       (F) In each electioneering communication, a statement shall 1740
appear or be presented in a clear and conspicuous manner that does 1741
both of the following:1742

       (1) Clearly indicates that the electioneering communication 1743
is not authorized by the candidate or the candidate's campaign 1744
committee;1745

       (2) Clearly identifies the person making the disbursement for 1746
the electioneering communication in accordance with division (E) 1747
of section 3517.106 or section 3517.20 of the Revised Code, as 1748
applicable.1749

       (G) Any coordinated electioneering communication is an 1750
in-kind contribution, subject to the applicable contribution 1751
limits prescribed in section 3517.102 of the Revised Code, to the 1752
candidate by the person making disbursements to pay the direct 1753
costs of producing or airing the communication.1754

       (H) No person shall make, during the thirty days preceding a 1755
primary election or during the thirty days preceding a general 1756
election, any broadcast, cable, or satellite communication that 1757
refers to a clearly identified candidate using any contributions 1758
received from a corporation or labor organization.1759

       Sec. 3517.106.        Sec. 3517.1016.  (A) As used in this section: 1760

       (1) "Statewide office" means any of the offices of governor, 1761
lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor of state, 1762
treasurer of state, attorney general, chief justice of the supreme 1763
court, and justice of the supreme court. 1764

       (2) "Addendum to a statement" includes an amendment or other 1765
correction to that statement. 1766

       (B)(1) The secretary of state shall store on computer the 1767
information contained in statements of contributions and 1768
expenditures and monthly statements required to be filed under 1769
section 3517.10 of the Revised Code and in statements of 1770
independent expenditures required to be filed under section1771
sections 3517.105 and 3517.106 of the Revised Code by any of the 1772
following: 1773

       (a) The campaign committees of candidates for statewide 1774
office; 1775

       (b) The political action committees and political 1776
contributing entities described in division (A)(1) of section 1777
3517.11 of the Revised Code; 1778

       (c) Legislative campaign funds; 1779

       (d) State political parties; 1780

       (e) Individuals, partnerships, corporations, labor 1781
organizations, or other entities that make independent 1782
expenditures in support of or opposition to a statewide candidate 1783
or a statewide ballot issue or question; 1784

       (f) The campaign committees of candidates for the office of 1785
member of the general assembly; 1786

       (g) County political parties, with respect to their state 1787
candidate funds;1788

       (h) Corporations;1789

       (i) Labor organizations; or1790

       (j) Political action committees or other entities the primary 1791
purpose of which is to accept corporate or labor funds for use in 1792
making independent expenditures.1793

       (2) The secretary of state shall store on computer the 1794
information contained in disclosure of electioneering 1795
communications statements required to be filed under section 1796
3517.1011 of the Revised Code. 1797

       (3) The secretary of state shall store on computer the 1798
information contained in deposit and disbursement statements 1799
required to be filed with the office of the secretary of state 1800
under section 3517.1012 of the Revised Code. 1801

       (4) The secretary of state shall store on computer the gift 1802
and disbursement information contained in statements required to 1803
be filed with the office of the secretary of state under section 1804
3517.1013 of the Revised Code. 1805

       (5) The secretary of state shall store on computer the 1806
information contained in donation and disbursement statements 1807
required to be filed with the office of the secretary of state 1808
under section 3517.1014 of the Revised Code. 1809

       (C)(1) The secretary of state shall make available to the 1810
campaign committees, political action committees, political 1811
contributing entities, legislative campaign funds, political 1812
parties, individuals, partnerships, corporations, labor 1813
organizations, treasurers of transition funds, and other entities 1814
described in division (B) of this section, and to members of the 1815
news media and other interested persons, for a reasonable fee, 1816
computer programs that are compatible with the secretary of 1817
state's method of storing the information contained in the 1818
statements. 1819

       (2) The secretary of state shall make the information 1820
required to be stored under division (B) of this section available 1821
on computer at the secretary of state's office so that, to the 1822
maximum extent feasible, individuals may obtain at the secretary 1823
of state's office any part or all of that information for any 1824
given year, subject to the limitation expressed in division (D) of 1825
this section. 1826

       (D) The secretary of state shall keep the information stored 1827
on computer under division (B) of this section for at least six 1828
years. 1829

       (E)(1) Subject to division (L) of this section and subject to 1830
the secretary of state having implemented, tested, and verified 1831
the successful operation of any system the secretary of state 1832
prescribes pursuant to division (H)(1) of this section and 1833
divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of section 3517.10 of the Revised 1834
Code for the filing of campaign finance statements by electronic 1835
means of transmission, the campaign committee of each candidate 1836
for statewide office may file the statements prescribed by section 1837
3517.10 of the Revised Code by electronic means of transmission 1838
or, if the total amount of the contributions received or the total 1839
amount of the expenditures made by the campaign committee for the 1840
applicable reporting period as specified in division (A) of 1841
section 3517.10 of the Revised Code exceeds ten thousand dollars, 1842
shall file those statements by electronic means of transmission. 1843

       Except as otherwise provided in this division, within five 1844
business days after a statement filed by a campaign committee of a 1845
candidate for statewide office is received by the secretary of 1846
state by electronic or other means of transmission, the secretary 1847
of state shall make available online to the public through the 1848
internet, as provided in division (I) of this section, the 1849
contribution and expenditure information in that statement. The 1850
secretary of state shall not make available online to the public 1851
through the internet any contribution or expenditure information 1852
contained in a statement for any candidate until the secretary of 1853
state is able to make available online to the public through the 1854
internet the contribution and expenditure information for all 1855
candidates for a particular office, or until the applicable filing 1856
deadline for that statement has passed, whichever is sooner. As 1857
soon as the secretary of state has available all of the 1858
contribution and expenditure information for all candidates for a 1859
particular office, or as soon as the applicable filing deadline 1860
for a statement has passed, whichever is sooner, the secretary of 1861
state shall simultaneously make available online to the public 1862
through the internet the information for all candidates for that 1863
office. 1864

       If a statement filed by electronic means of transmission is 1865
found to be incomplete or inaccurate after the examination of the 1866
statement for completeness and accuracy pursuant to division 1867
(B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the campaign 1868
committee shall file by electronic means of transmission any 1869
addendum to the statement that provides the information necessary 1870
to complete or correct the statement or, if required by the 1871
secretary of state under that division, an amended statement. 1872

       Within five business days after the secretary of state 1873
receives from a campaign committee of a candidate for statewide 1874
office an addendum to the statement or an amended statement by 1875
electronic or other means of transmission under this division or 1876
division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the 1877
secretary of state shall make the contribution and expenditure 1878
information in the addendum or amended statement available online 1879
to the public through the internet as provided in division (I) of 1880
this section. 1881

       (2) Subject to the secretary of state having implemented, 1882
tested, and verified the successful operation of any system the 1883
secretary of state prescribes pursuant to division (H)(1) of this 1884
section and divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of section 3517.10 of 1885
the Revised Code for the filing of campaign finance statements by 1886
electronic means of transmission, a political action committee and 1887
a political contributing entity described in division (B)(1)(b) of 1888
this section, a legislative campaign fund, and a state political 1889
party may file the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the 1890
Revised Code by electronic means of transmission or, if the total 1891
amount of the contributions received or the total amount of the 1892
expenditures made by the political action committee, political 1893
contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or state political 1894
party for the applicable reporting period as specified in division 1895
(A) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code exceeds ten thousand 1896
dollars, shall file those statements by electronic means of 1897
transmission. 1898

       Within five business days after a statement filed by a 1899
political action committee or a political contributing entity 1900
described in division (B)(1)(b) of this section, a legislative 1901
campaign fund, or a state political party is received by the 1902
secretary of state by electronic or other means of transmission, 1903
the secretary of state shall make available online to the public 1904
through the internet, as provided in division (I) of this section, 1905
the contribution and expenditure information in that statement. 1906

       If a statement filed by electronic means of transmission is 1907
found to be incomplete or inaccurate after the examination of the 1908
statement for completeness and accuracy pursuant to division 1909
(B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the political 1910
action committee, political contributing entity, legislative 1911
campaign fund, or state political party shall file by electronic 1912
means of transmission any addendum to the statement that provides 1913
the information necessary to complete or correct the statement or, 1914
if required by the secretary of state under that division, an 1915
amended statement. 1916

       Within five business days after the secretary of state 1917
receives from a political action committee or a political 1918
contributing entity described in division (B)(1)(b) of this 1919
section, a legislative campaign fund, or a state political party 1920
an addendum to the statement or an amended statement by electronic 1921
or other means of transmission under this division or division 1922
(B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the secretary of 1923
state shall make the contribution and expenditure information in 1924
the addendum or amended statement available online to the public 1925
through the internet as provided in division (I) of this section. 1926

       (3) Subject to the secretary of state having implemented, 1927
tested, and verified the successful operation of any system the 1928
secretary of state prescribes pursuant to division (H)(1) of this 1929
section and divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of section 3517.10 of 1930
the Revised Code for the filing of campaign finance statements by 1931
electronic means of transmission, a county political party shall 1932
file the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised 1933
Code with respect to its state candidate fund by electronic means 1934
of transmission to the office of the secretary of state. 1935

       Within five business days after a statement filed by a county 1936
political party with respect to its state candidate fund is 1937
received by the secretary of state by electronic means of 1938
transmission, the secretary of state shall make available online 1939
to the public through the internet, as provided in division (I) of 1940
this section, the contribution and expenditure information in that 1941
statement. 1942

       If a statement is found to be incomplete or inaccurate after 1943
the examination of the statement for completeness and accuracy 1944
pursuant to division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised 1945
Code, a county political party shall file by electronic means of 1946
transmission any addendum to the statement that provides the 1947
information necessary to complete or correct the statement or, if 1948
required by the secretary of state under that division, an amended 1949
statement. 1950

       Within five business days after the secretary of state 1951
receives from a county political party an addendum to the 1952
statement or an amended statement by electronic means of 1953
transmission under this division or division (B)(3)(a) of section 1954
3517.11 of the Revised Code, the secretary of state shall make the 1955
contribution and expenditure information in the addendum or 1956
amended statement available online to the public through the 1957
internet as provided in division (I) of this section. 1958

       (F)(1) Subject to division (L) of this section and subject to 1959
the secretary of state having implemented, tested, and verified 1960
the successful operation of any system the secretary of state 1961
prescribes pursuant to division (H)(1) of this section and 1962
divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of section 3517.10 of the Revised 1963
Code for the filing of campaign finance statements by electronic 1964
means of transmission, a campaign committee of a candidate for the 1965
office of member of the general assembly or a campaign committee 1966
of a candidate for the office of judge of a court of appeals may 1967
file the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised 1968
Code in accordance with division (A)(2) of section 3517.11 of the 1969
Revised Code or by electronic means of transmission to the office 1970
of the secretary of state or, if the total amount of the 1971
contributions received by the campaign committee for the 1972
applicable reporting period as specified in division (A) of 1973
section 3517.10 of the Revised Code exceeds ten thousand dollars, 1974
shall file those statements by electronic means of transmission to 1975
the office of the secretary of state. 1976

       Except as otherwise provided in this division, within five 1977
business days after a statement filed by a campaign committee of a 1978
candidate for the office of member of the general assembly or a 1979
campaign committee of a candidate for the office of judge of a 1980
court of appeals is received by the secretary of state by 1981
electronic or other means of transmission, the secretary of state 1982
shall make available online to the public through the internet, as 1983
provided in division (I) of this section, the contribution and 1984
expenditure information in that statement. The secretary of state 1985
shall not make available online to the public through the internet 1986
any contribution or expenditure information contained in a 1987
statement for any candidate until the secretary of state is able 1988
to make available online to the public through the internet the 1989
contribution and expenditure information for all candidates for a 1990
particular office, or until the applicable filing deadline for 1991
that statement has passed, whichever is sooner. As soon as the 1992
secretary of state has available all of the contribution and 1993
expenditure information for all candidates for a particular 1994
office, or as soon as the applicable filing deadline for a 1995
statement has passed, whichever is sooner, the secretary of state 1996
shall simultaneously make available online to the public through 1997
the internet the information for all candidates for that office. 1998

       If a statement filed by electronic means of transmission is 1999
found to be incomplete or inaccurate after the examination of the 2000
statement for completeness and accuracy pursuant to division 2001
(B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the campaign 2002
committee shall file by electronic means of transmission to the 2003
office of the secretary of state any addendum to the statement 2004
that provides the information necessary to complete or correct the 2005
statement or, if required by the secretary of state under that 2006
division, an amended statement. 2007

       Within five business days after the secretary of state 2008
receives from a campaign committee of a candidate for the office 2009
of member of the general assembly or a campaign committee of a 2010
candidate for the office of judge of a court of appeals an 2011
addendum to the statement or an amended statement by electronic or 2012
other means of transmission under this division or division 2013
(B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the secretary of 2014
state shall make the contribution and expenditure information in 2015
the addendum or amended statement available online to the public 2016
through the internet as provided in division (I) of this section. 2017

       (2) If a statement, addendum, or amended statement is not 2018
filed by electronic means of transmission to the office of the 2019
secretary of state but is filed by printed version only under 2020
division (A)(2) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code with the 2021
appropriate board of elections, the campaign committee of a 2022
candidate for the office of member of the general assembly or a 2023
campaign committee of a candidate for the office of judge of a 2024
court of appeals shall file two copies of the printed version of 2025
the statement, addendum, or amended statement with the board of 2026
elections. The board of elections shall send one of those copies 2027
by certified mail to the secretary of state before the close of 2028
business on the day the board of elections receives the statement, 2029
addendum, or amended statement. 2030

       (G) Subject to the secretary of state having implemented, 2031
tested, and verified the successful operation of any system the 2032
secretary of state prescribes pursuant to division (H)(1) of this 2033
section and divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of section 3517.10 of 2034
the Revised Code for the filing of campaign finance statements by 2035
electronic means of transmission, any individual, partnership, or 2036
other entity that makes independent expenditures in support of or 2037
opposition to a statewide candidate or a statewide ballot issue or 2038
question as provided in division (B)(2)(b) or (C)(2)(b) of section 2039
3517.105 of the Revised Code may file the statement specified in 2040
that division by electronic means of transmission or, if the total 2041
amount of independent expenditures made during the reporting 2042
period under that division exceeds ten thousand dollars, shall 2043
file the statement specified in that division by electronic means 2044
of transmission. 2045

       Within five business days after a statement filed by an 2046
individual, partnership, or other entity is received by the 2047
secretary of state by electronic or other means of transmission, 2048
the secretary of state shall make available online to the public 2049
through the internet, as provided in division (I) of this section, 2050
the expenditure information in that statement. 2051

       If a statement filed by electronic means of transmission is 2052
found to be incomplete or inaccurate after the examination of the 2053
statement for completeness and accuracy pursuant to division 2054
(B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the individual, 2055
partnership, or other entity shall file by electronic means of 2056
transmission any addendum to the statement that provides the 2057
information necessary to complete or correct the statement or, if 2058
required by the secretary of state under that division, an amended 2059
statement. 2060

       Within five business days after the secretary of state 2061
receives from an individual, partnership, or other entity 2062
described in division (B)(2)(b) or (C)(2)(b) of section 3517.105 2063
of the Revised Code an addendum to the statement or an amended 2064
statement by electronic or other means of transmission under this 2065
division or division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised 2066
Code, the secretary of state shall make the expenditure 2067
information in the addendum or amended statement available online 2068
to the public through the internet as provided in division (I) of 2069
this section. 2070

       (H)(1) The secretary of state, by rule adopted pursuant to 2071
section 3517.23 of the Revised Code, shall prescribe one or more 2072
techniques by which a person who executes and transmits by 2073
electronic means a statement of contributions and expenditures, a 2074
statement of independent expenditures, a disclosure of 2075
electioneering communications statement, a deposit and 2076
disbursement statement, a gift and disbursement statement, or a 2077
donation and disbursement statement, or a contribution and 2078
independent expenditure statement, an addendum to any of those 2079
statements, an amended statement of contributions and 2080
expenditures, an amended statement of independent expenditures, an 2081
amended disclosure of electioneering communications statement, an 2082
amended deposit and disbursement statement, an amended gift and 2083
disbursement statement, or an amended donation and disbursement 2084
statement, an amended contribution and independent expenditure 2085
statement, under this section or section 3517.10, 3517.105, 2086
3517.106, 3517.1011, 3517.1012, 3517.1013, or 3517.1014 of the 2087
Revised Code shall electronically sign the statement, addendum, or 2088
amended statement. Any technique prescribed by the secretary of 2089
state pursuant to this division shall create an electronic 2090
signature that satisfies all of the following: 2091

       (a) It is unique to the signer. 2092

       (b) It objectively identifies the signer. 2093

       (c) It involves the use of a signature device or other means 2094
or method that is under the sole control of the signer and that 2095
cannot be readily duplicated or compromised. 2096

       (d) It is created and linked to the electronic record to 2097
which it relates in a manner that, if the record or signature is 2098
intentionally or unintentionally changed after signing, the 2099
electronic signature is invalidated. 2100

       (2) An electronic signature prescribed by the secretary of 2101
state under division (H)(1) of this section shall be attached to 2102
or associated with the statement of contributions and 2103
expenditures, the statement of independent expenditures, the 2104
disclosure of electioneering communications statement, the deposit 2105
and disbursement statement, the gift and disbursement statement, 2106
or the donation and disbursement statement, or a contribution and 2107
independent expenditure statement, the addendum to any of those 2108
statements, the amended statement of contributions and 2109
expenditures, the amended statement of independent expenditures, 2110
the amended disclosure of electioneering communications statement, 2111
the amended deposit and disbursement statement, the amended gift 2112
and disbursement statement, or the amended donation and 2113
disbursement statement, or the amended contribution and 2114
independent expenditure statement that is executed and transmitted 2115
by electronic means by the person to whom the electronic signature 2116
is attributed. The electronic signature that is attached to or 2117
associated with the statement, addendum, or amended statement 2118
under this division shall be binding on all persons and for all 2119
purposes under the campaign finance reporting law as if the 2120
signature had been handwritten in ink on a printed form. 2121

       (I) The secretary of state shall make the contribution and 2122
expenditure, the contribution and disbursement, the deposit and 2123
disbursement, the gift and disbursement, or the donation and 2124
disbursement, or the contribution and independent expenditure2125
information in all statements, all addenda to the statements, and 2126
all amended statements that are filed with the secretary of state 2127
by electronic or other means of transmission under this section or 2128
section 3517.10, 3517.105, 3517.106, 3517.1011, 3517.1012, 2129
3517.1013, 3517.1014, or 3517.11 of the Revised Code available 2130
online to the public by any means that are searchable, viewable, 2131
and accessible through the internet. 2132

       (J)(1) As used in this division, "library" means a library 2133
that is open to the public and that is one of the following: 2134

       (a) A library that is maintained and regulated under section 2135
715.13 of the Revised Code; 2136

       (b) A library that is created, maintained, and regulated 2137
under Chapter 3375. of the Revised Code. 2138

       (2) The secretary of state shall notify all libraries of the 2139
location on the internet at which the contribution and 2140
expenditure, contribution and disbursement, deposit and 2141
disbursement, gift and disbursement, or donation and disbursement, 2142
or contribution and independent expenditure information in 2143
campaign finance statements required to be made available online 2144
to the public through the internet pursuant to division (I) of 2145
this section may be accessed. 2146

       If that location is part of the world wide web and if the 2147
secretary of state has notified a library of that world wide web 2148
location as required by this division, the library shall include a 2149
link to that world wide web location on each internet-connected 2150
computer it maintains that is accessible to the public. 2151

       (3) If the system the secretary of state prescribes for the 2152
filing of campaign finance statements by electronic means of 2153
transmission pursuant to division (H)(1) of this section and 2154
divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of section 3517.10 of the Revised 2155
Code includes filing those statements through the internet via the 2156
world wide web, the secretary of state shall notify all libraries 2157
of the world wide web location at which those statements may be 2158
filed. 2159

       If those statements may be filed through the internet via the 2160
world wide web and if the secretary of state has notified a 2161
library of that world wide web location as required by this 2162
division, the library shall include a link to that world wide web 2163
location on each internet-connected computer it maintains that is 2164
accessible to the public. 2165

       (K) It is an affirmative defense to a complaint or charge 2166
brought against any campaign committee, political action 2167
committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign 2168
fund, or political party, any individual, partnership, 2169
corporation, labor organization, or other entity, any person 2170
making disbursements to pay the direct costs of producing or 2171
airing electioneering communications, or any treasurer of a 2172
transition fund, for the failure to file by electronic means of 2173
transmission a campaign finance statement as required by this 2174
section or section 3517.10, 3517.105, 3517.106, 3517.1011, 2175
3517.1012, 3517.1013, or 3517.1014 of the Revised Code that all of 2176
the following apply to the campaign committee, political action 2177
committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign 2178
fund, or political party, the individual, partnership, 2179
corporation, labor organization, or other entity, the person 2180
making disbursements to pay the direct costs of producing or 2181
airing electioneering communications, or the treasurer of a 2182
transition fund that failed to so file: 2183

       (1) The campaign committee, political action committee, 2184
political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or 2185
political party, the individual, partnership, corporation, labor 2186
organization, or other entity, the person making disbursements to 2187
pay the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering 2188
communications, or the treasurer of a transition fund attempted to 2189
file by electronic means of transmission the required statement 2190
prior to the deadline set forth in the applicable section. 2191

       (2) The campaign committee, political action committee, 2192
political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or 2193
political party, the individual, partnership, corporation, labor 2194
organization, or other entity, the person making disbursements to 2195
pay the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering 2196
communications, or the treasurer of a transition fund was unable 2197
to file by electronic means of transmission due to an expected or 2198
unexpected shutdown of the whole or part of the electronic 2199
campaign finance statement-filing system, such as for maintenance 2200
or because of hardware, software, or network connection failure. 2201

       (3) The campaign committee, political action committee, 2202
political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or 2203
political party, the individual, partnership, corporation, labor 2204
organization, or other entity, the person making disbursements to 2205
pay the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering 2206
communications, or the treasurer of a transition fund filed by 2207
electronic means of transmission the required statement within a 2208
reasonable period of time after being unable to so file it under 2209
the circumstance described in division (K)(2) of this section. 2210

       (L)(1) The secretary of state shall adopt rules pursuant to 2211
Chapter 119. of the Revised Code to permit a campaign committee of 2212
a candidate for statewide office that makes expenditures of less 2213
than twenty-five thousand dollars during the filing period or a 2214
campaign committee for the office of member of the general 2215
assembly or the office of judge of a court of appeals that would 2216
otherwise be required to file campaign finance statements by 2217
electronic means of transmission under division (E) or (F) of this 2218
section to file those statements by paper with the office of the 2219
secretary of state. Those rules shall provide for all of the 2220
following: 2221

       (a) An eligible campaign committee that wishes to file a 2222
campaign finance statement by paper instead of by electronic means 2223
of transmission shall file the statement on paper with the office 2224
of the secretary of state not sooner than twenty-four hours after 2225
the end of the filing period set forth in section 3517.10 of the 2226
Revised Code that is covered by the applicable statement. 2227

       (b) The statement shall be accompanied by a fee, the amount 2228
of which the secretary of state shall determine by rule. The 2229
amount of the fee established under this division shall not exceed 2230
the data entry and data verification costs the secretary of state 2231
will incur to convert the information on the statement to an 2232
electronic format as required under division (I) of this section. 2233

       (c) The secretary of state shall arrange for the information 2234
in campaign finance statements filed pursuant to division (L) of 2235
this section to be made available online to the public through the 2236
internet in the same manner, and at the same times, as information 2237
is made available under divisions (E), (F), and (I) of this 2238
section for candidates whose campaign committees file those 2239
statements by electronic means of transmission. 2240

       (d) The candidate of an eligible campaign committee that 2241
intends to file a campaign finance statement pursuant to division 2242
(L) of this section shall file a notice indicating that the 2243
candidate's campaign committee intends to so file and stating that 2244
filing the statement by electronic means of transmission would 2245
constitute a hardship for the candidate or for the eligible 2246
campaign committee. 2247

       (e) An eligible campaign committee that files a campaign 2248
finance statement on paper pursuant to division (L) of this 2249
section shall review the contribution and information made 2250
available online by the secretary of state with respect to that 2251
paper filing and shall notify the secretary of state of any errors 2252
with respect to that filing that appear in the data made available 2253
on that web site. 2254

       (f) If an eligible campaign committee whose candidate has 2255
filed a notice in accordance with rules adopted under division 2256
(L)(1)(d) of this section subsequently fails to file that 2257
statement on paper by the applicable deadline established in rules 2258
adopted under division (L)(1)(a) of this section, penalties for 2259
the late filing of the campaign finance statement shall apply to 2260
that campaign committee for each day after that paper filing 2261
deadline, as if the campaign committee had filed the statement 2262
after the applicable deadline set forth in division (A) of section 2263
3517.10 of the Revised Code. 2264

       (2) The process for permitting campaign committees that would 2265
otherwise be required to file campaign finance statements by 2266
electronic means of transmission to file those statements on paper 2267
with the office of the secretary of state that is required to be 2268
developed under division (L)(1) of this section shall be in effect 2269
and available for use by eligible campaign committees for all 2270
campaign finance statements that are required to be filed on or 2271
after June 30, 2005. Notwithstanding any provision of the Revised 2272
Code to the contrary, if the process the secretary of state is 2273
required to develop under division (L)(1) of this section is not 2274
in effect and available for use on and after June 30, 2005, all 2275
penalties for the failure of campaign committees to file campaign 2276
finance statements by electronic means of transmission shall be 2277
suspended until such time as that process is in effect and 2278
available for use. 2279

       (3) Notwithstanding any provision of the Revised Code to the 2280
contrary, any eligible campaign committee that files campaign 2281
finance statements on paper with the office of the secretary of 2282
state pursuant to division (L)(1) of this section shall be deemed 2283
to have filed those campaign finance statements by electronic 2284
means of transmission to the office of the secretary of state. 2285

       Sec. 3517.11.  (A)(1) Campaign committees of candidates for 2286
statewide office or the state board of education, political action 2287
committees or political contributing entities that make 2288
contributions to campaign committees of candidates that are 2289
required to file the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of 2290
the Revised Code with the secretary of state, political action 2291
committees or political contributing entities that make 2292
contributions to campaign committees of candidates for member of 2293
the general assembly, political action committees or political 2294
contributing entities that make contributions to state and 2295
national political parties and to legislative campaign funds, 2296
political action committees or political contributing entities 2297
that receive contributions or make expenditures in connection with 2298
a statewide ballot issue, political action committees or political 2299
contributing entities that make contributions to other political 2300
action committees or political contributing entities, political 2301
parties, and campaign committees, except as set forth in division 2302
(A)(3) of this section, legislative campaign funds, and state and 2303
national political parties shall file the statements prescribed by 2304
section 3517.10 of the Revised Code with the secretary of state. 2305

       (2)(a) Except as otherwise provided in division (F) of 2306
section 3517.1063517.1016 of the Revised Code, campaign 2307
committees of candidates for all other offices shall file the 2308
statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code with 2309
the board of elections where their candidates are required to file 2310
their petitions or other papers for nomination or election. 2311

       (b) A campaign committee of a candidate for office of member 2312
of the general assembly or a campaign committee of a candidate for 2313
the office of judge of a court of appeals shall file two copies of 2314
the printed version of any statement, addendum, or amended 2315
statement if the committee does not file pursuant to division 2316
(F)(1) or (L) of section 3517.1063517.1016 of the Revised Code 2317
but files by printed version only with the appropriate board of 2318
elections. The board of elections shall send one of those copies 2319
by certified mail to the secretary of state before the close of 2320
business on the day the board of elections receives the statement, 2321
addendum, or amended statement. 2322

       (3) Political action committees or political contributing 2323
entities that only contribute to a county political party, 2324
contribute to campaign committees of candidates whose nomination 2325
or election is to be submitted only to electors within a county, 2326
subdivision, or district, excluding candidates for member of the 2327
general assembly, and receive contributions or make expenditures 2328
in connection with ballot questions or issues to be submitted only 2329
to electors within a county, subdivision, or district shall file 2330
the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code 2331
with the board of elections in that county or in the county 2332
contained in whole or part within the subdivision or district 2333
having a population greater than that of any other county 2334
contained in whole or part within that subdivision or district, as 2335
the case may be. 2336

       (4) Except as otherwise provided in division (E)(3) of 2337
section 3517.1063517.1016 of the Revised Code with respect to 2338
state candidate funds, county political parties shall file the 2339
statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code with 2340
the board of elections of their respective counties. 2341

       (B)(1) The official with whom petitions and other papers for 2342
nomination or election to public office are filed shall furnish 2343
each candidate at the time of that filing a copy of sections 2344
3517.01, 3517.08 to 3517.11, 3517.13 to 3517.993, 3599.03, and 2345
3599.031 of the Revised Code and any other materials that the 2346
secretary of state may require. Each candidate receiving the 2347
materials shall acknowledge their receipt in writing. 2348

       (2) On or before the tenth day before the dates on which 2349
statements are required to be filed by section 3517.10 of the 2350
Revised Code, every candidate subject to the provisions of this 2351
section and sections 3517.10 and 3517.1063517.1016 of the Revised 2352
Code shall be notified of the requirements and applicable 2353
penalties of those sections. The secretary of state, by certified 2354
mail, return receipt requested, shall notify all candidates 2355
required to file those statements with the secretary of state's 2356
office. The board of elections of every county shall notify by 2357
first class mail any candidate who has personally appeared at the 2358
office of the board on or before the tenth day before the 2359
statements are required to be filed and signed a form, to be 2360
provided by the secretary of state, attesting that the candidate 2361
has been notified of the candidate's obligations under the 2362
campaign finance law. The board shall forward the completed form 2363
to the secretary of state. The board shall use certified mail, 2364
return receipt requested, to notify all other candidates required 2365
to file those statements with it. 2366

       (3)(a) Any statement required to be filed under sections 2367
3517.081 to 3517.17 of the Revised Code that is found to be 2368
incomplete or inaccurate by the officer to whom it is submitted 2369
shall be accepted on a conditional basis, and the person who filed 2370
it shall be notified by certified mail as to the incomplete or 2371
inaccurate nature of the statement. The secretary of state may 2372
examine statements filed for candidates for the office of member 2373
of the general assembly and candidates for the office of judge of 2374
a court of appeals for completeness and accuracy. The secretary of 2375
state shall examine for completeness and accuracy statements that 2376
campaign committees of candidates for the office of member of the 2377
general assembly and campaign committees of candidates for the 2378
office of judge of a court of appeals file pursuant to division 2379
(F) or (L) of section 3517.1063517.1016 of the Revised Code. If 2380
an officer at the board of elections where a statement filed for a 2381
candidate for the office of member of the general assembly or for 2382
a candidate for the office of judge of a court of appeals was 2383
submitted finds the statement to be incomplete or inaccurate, the 2384
officer shall immediately notify the secretary of state of its 2385
incomplete or inaccurate nature. If either an officer at the board 2386
of elections or the secretary of state finds a statement filed for 2387
a candidate for the office of member of the general assembly or 2388
for a candidate for the office of judge of a court of appeals to 2389
be incomplete or inaccurate, only the secretary of state shall 2390
send the notification as to the incomplete or inaccurate nature of 2391
the statement. 2392

       Within twenty-one days after receipt of the notice, in the 2393
case of a pre-election statement, a postelection statement, a 2394
monthly statement, an annual statement, or a semiannual statement 2395
prescribed by section 3517.10, an annual statement prescribed by 2396
section 3517.101, or a statement prescribed by division (B)(2)(b) 2397
or (C)(2)(b) of section 3517.105 or section 3517.107 of the 2398
Revised Code, the recipient shall file an addendum, amendment, or 2399
other correction to the statement providing the information 2400
necessary to complete or correct the statement. The secretary of 2401
state may require that, in lieu of filing an addendum, amendment, 2402
or other correction to a statement that is filed by electronic 2403
means of transmission to the office of the secretary of state 2404
pursuant to section 3517.1063517.1016 of the Revised Code, the 2405
recipient of the notice described in this division file by 2406
electronic means of transmission an amended statement that 2407
incorporates the information necessary to complete or correct the 2408
statement. 2409

       The secretary of state shall determine by rule when an 2410
addendum, amendment, or other correction to any of the following 2411
or when an amended statement of any of the following shall be 2412
filed: 2413

       (i) A two-business-day statement prescribed by section 2414
3517.10 of the Revised Code; 2415

       (ii) A disclosure of electioneering communications statement 2416
prescribed by division (D) of section 3517.1011 of the Revised 2417
Code; 2418

       (iii) A deposit and disbursement statement prescribed under 2419
division (B) of section 3517.1012 of the Revised Code; 2420

       (iv) A gift and disbursement statement prescribed under 2421
section 3517.1013 of the Revised Code; 2422

       (v) A donation and disbursement statement prescribed under 2423
section 3517.1014 of the Revised Code; or2424

       (vi) A contribution and independent expenditure statement 2425
prescribed under section 3517.106 of the Revised Code. 2426

       An addendum, amendment, or other correction to a statement 2427
that is filed by electronic means of transmission pursuant to 2428
section 3517.1063517.1016 of the Revised Code shall be filed in 2429
the same manner as the statement. 2430

       The provisions of sections 3517.10, 3517.106, 3517.1011, 2431
3517.1012, 3517.1013, and 3517.1014, and 3517.1016 of the Revised 2432
Code pertaining to the filing of statements of contributions and 2433
expenditures, statements of independent expenditures, disclosure 2434
of electioneering communications statements, deposit and 2435
disbursement statements, gift and disbursement statements, and2436
donation and disbursement statements, and contribution and 2437
independent expenditure statements by electronic means of 2438
transmission apply to the filing of addenda, amendments, or other 2439
corrections to those statements by electronic means of 2440
transmission and the filing of amended statements by electronic 2441
means of transmission. 2442

       (b) Within five business days after the secretary of state 2443
receives, by electronic or other means of transmission, an 2444
addendum, amendment, or other correction to a statement or an 2445
amended statement under division (B)(3)(a) of this section, the 2446
secretary of state, pursuant to divisions (E), (F), (G), and (I) 2447
of section 3517.1063517.1016 or division (D) of section 3517.1011 2448
of the Revised Code, shall make the contribution and expenditure, 2449
contribution and disbursement, deposit and disbursement, gift and 2450
disbursement, or donation and disbursement, or contribution and 2451
independent expenditure information in that addendum, amendment, 2452
correction, or amended statement available online to the public 2453
through the internet. 2454

       (4)(a) The secretary of state or the board of elections shall 2455
examine all statements for compliance with sections 3517.08 to 2456
3517.17 of the Revised Code. 2457

       (b) The secretary of state may contract with an individual or 2458
entity not associated with the secretary of state and experienced 2459
in interpreting the campaign finance law of this state to conduct 2460
examinations of statements filed by any statewide candidate, as 2461
defined in section 3517.103 of the Revised Code. 2462

       (c) The examination shall be conducted by a person or entity 2463
qualified to conduct it. The results of the examination shall be 2464
available to the public, and, when the examination is conducted by 2465
an individual or entity not associated with the secretary of 2466
state, the results of the examination shall be reported to the 2467
secretary of state. 2468

       (C)(1) In the event of a failure to file or a late filing of 2469
a statement required to be filed under sections 3517.081 to 2470
3517.17 of the Revised Code, or if a filed statement or any 2471
addendum, amendment, or other correction to a statement or any 2472
amended statement, if an addendum, amendment, or other correction 2473
or an amended statement is required to be filed, is incomplete or 2474
inaccurate or appears to disclose a failure to comply with or a 2475
violation of law, the official whose duty it is to examine the 2476
statement shall promptly file a complaint with the Ohio elections 2477
commission under section 3517.153 of the Revised Code if the law 2478
is one over which the commission has jurisdiction to hear 2479
complaints, or the official shall promptly report the failure or 2480
violation to the board of elections and the board shall promptly 2481
report it to the prosecuting attorney in accordance with division 2482
(J) of section 3501.11 of the Revised Code. If the official files 2483
a complaint with the commission, the commission shall proceed in 2484
accordance with sections 3517.154 to 3517.157 of the Revised Code. 2485

       (2) For purposes of division (C)(1) of this section, a 2486
statement or an addendum, amendment, or other correction to a 2487
statement or an amended statement required to be filed under 2488
sections 3517.081 to 3517.17 of the Revised Code is incomplete or 2489
inaccurate under this section if the statement, addendum, 2490
amendment, other correction, or amended statement fails to 2491
disclose substantially all contributions, gifts, or donations that 2492
are received or deposits that are made that are required to be 2493
reported under sections 3517.10, 3517.106, 3517.107, 3517.108, 2494
3517.1011, 3517.1012, 3517.1013, and 3517.1014 of the Revised Code 2495
or if the statement, addendum, amendment, other correction, or 2496
amended statement fails to disclose at least ninety per cent of 2497
the total contributions, gifts, or donations received or deposits 2498
made or of the total expenditures, independent expenditures, or 2499
disbursements made during the reporting period. 2500

       (D) No certificate of nomination or election shall be issued 2501
to a person, and no person elected to an office shall enter upon 2502
the performance of the duties of that office, until that person or 2503
that person's campaign committee, as appropriate, has fully 2504
complied with this section and sections 3517.08, 3517.081, 2505
3517.10, and 3517.13 of the Revised Code. 2506

       Sec. 3517.13.  (A)(1) No campaign committee of a statewide 2507
candidate shall fail to file a complete and accurate statement 2508
required under division (A)(1) of section 3517.10 of the Revised 2509
Code.2510

       (2) No campaign committee of a statewide candidate shall fail 2511
to file a complete and accurate monthly statement, and no campaign 2512
committee of a statewide candidate or a candidate for the office 2513
of chief justice or justice of the supreme court shall fail to 2514
file a complete and accurate two-business-day statement, as 2515
required under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.2516

        As used in this division, "statewide candidate" has the same 2517
meaning as in division (F)(2) of section 3517.10 of the Revised 2518
Code.2519

       (B) No campaign committee shall fail to file a complete and 2520
accurate statement required under division (A)(1) of section 2521
3517.10 of the Revised Code.2522

       (C) No campaign committee shall fail to file a complete and 2523
accurate statement required under division (A)(2) of section 2524
3517.10 of the Revised Code.2525

       (D) No campaign committee shall fail to file a complete and 2526
accurate statement required under division (A)(3) or (4) of 2527
section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.2528

       (E) No person other than a campaign committee shall knowingly 2529
fail to file a statement required under section 3517.10 or 2530
3517.107 of the Revised Code.2531

       (F) No person shall make cash contributions to any person 2532
totaling more than one hundred dollars in each primary, special, 2533
or general election.2534

       (G)(1) No person shall knowingly conceal or misrepresent 2535
contributions given or received, expenditures made, or any other 2536
information required to be reported by a provision in sections 2537
3517.08 to 3517.13 and 3517.17 of the Revised Code.2538

       (2)(a) No person shall make a contribution to a campaign 2539
committee, political action committee, political contributing 2540
entity, legislative campaign fund, political party, or person 2541
making disbursements to pay the direct costs of producing or 2542
airing electioneering communications in the name of another 2543
person.2544

       (b) A person does not make a contribution in the name of 2545
another when either of the following applies:2546

       (i) An individual makes a contribution from a partnership or 2547
other unincorporated business account, if the contribution is 2548
reported by listing both the name of the partnership or other 2549
unincorporated business and the name of the partner or owner 2550
making the contribution as required under division (I) of section 2551
3517.10 of the Revised Code.2552

       (ii) A person makes a contribution in that person's spouse's 2553
name or in both of their names.2554

       (H) No person within this state, publishing a newspaper or 2555
other periodical, shall charge a campaign committee for political 2556
advertising a rate in excess of the rate such person would charge 2557
if the campaign committee were a general rate advertiser whose 2558
advertising was directed to promoting its business within the same 2559
area as that encompassed by the particular office that the 2560
candidate of the campaign committee is seeking. The rate shall 2561
take into account the amount of space used, as well as the type of 2562
advertising copy submitted by or on behalf of the campaign 2563
committee. All discount privileges otherwise offered by a 2564
newspaper or periodical to general rate advertisers shall be 2565
available upon equal terms to all campaign committees.2566

       No person within this state, operating a radio or television 2567
station or network of stations in this state, shall charge a 2568
campaign committee for political broadcasts a rate that exceeds:2569

       (1) During the forty-five days preceding the date of a 2570
primary election and during the sixty days preceding the date of a 2571
general or special election in which the candidate of the campaign 2572
committee is seeking office, the lowest unit charge of the station 2573
for the same class and amount of time for the same period;2574

       (2) At any other time, the charges made for comparable use of 2575
that station by its other users.2576

       (I) Subject to divisions (K), (L), (M), and (N) of this 2577
section, no agency or department of this state or any political 2578
subdivision shall award any contract, other than one let by 2579
competitive bidding or a contract incidental to such contract or 2580
which is by force account, for the purchase of goods costing more 2581
than five hundred dollars or services costing more than five 2582
hundred dollars to any individual, partnership, association, 2583
including, without limitation, a professional association 2584
organized under Chapter 1785. of the Revised Code, estate, or 2585
trust if the individual has made or the individual's spouse has 2586
made, or any partner, shareholder, administrator, executor, or 2587
trustee or the spouse of any of them has made, as an individual, 2588
within the two previous calendar years, one or more contributions 2589
totaling in excess of one thousand dollars to the holder of the 2590
public office having ultimate responsibility for the award of the 2591
contract or to the public officer's campaign committee.2592

       (J) Subject to divisions (K), (L), (M), and (N) of this 2593
section, no agency or department of this state or any political 2594
subdivision shall award any contract, other than one let by 2595
competitive bidding or a contract incidental to such contract or 2596
which is by force account, for the purchase of goods costing more 2597
than five hundred dollars or services costing more than five 2598
hundred dollars to a corporation or business trust, except a 2599
professional association organized under Chapter 1785. of the 2600
Revised Code, if an owner of more than twenty per cent of the 2601
corporation or business trust or the spouse of that person has 2602
made, as an individual, within the two previous calendar years, 2603
taking into consideration only owners for all of that period, one 2604
or more contributions totaling in excess of one thousand dollars 2605
to the holder of a public office having ultimate responsibility 2606
for the award of the contract or to the public officer's campaign 2607
committee.2608

       (K) For purposes of divisions (I) and (J) of this section, if 2609
a public officer who is responsible for the award of a contract is 2610
appointed by the governor, whether or not the appointment is 2611
subject to the advice and consent of the senate, excluding members 2612
of boards, commissions, committees, authorities, councils, boards 2613
of trustees, task forces, and other such entities appointed by the 2614
governor, the office of the governor is considered to have 2615
ultimate responsibility for the award of the contract.2616

       (L) For purposes of divisions (I) and (J) of this section, if 2617
a public officer who is responsible for the award of a contract is 2618
appointed by the elected chief executive officer of a municipal 2619
corporation, or appointed by the elected chief executive officer 2620
of a county operating under an alternative form of county 2621
government or county charter, excluding members of boards, 2622
commissions, committees, authorities, councils, boards of 2623
trustees, task forces, and other such entities appointed by the 2624
chief executive officer, the office of the chief executive officer 2625
is considered to have ultimate responsibility for the award of the 2626
contract.2627

       (M)(1) Divisions (I) and (J) of this section do not apply to 2628
contracts awarded by the board of commissioners of the sinking 2629
fund, municipal legislative authorities, boards of education, 2630
boards of county commissioners, boards of township trustees, or 2631
other boards, commissions, committees, authorities, councils, 2632
boards of trustees, task forces, and other such entities created 2633
by law, by the supreme court or courts of appeals, by county 2634
courts consisting of more than one judge, courts of common pleas 2635
consisting of more than one judge, or municipal courts consisting 2636
of more than one judge, or by a division of any court if the 2637
division consists of more than one judge. This division shall 2638
apply to the specified entity only if the members of the entity 2639
act collectively in the award of a contract for goods or services.2640

       (2) Divisions (I) and (J) of this section do not apply to 2641
actions of the controlling board.2642

       (N)(1) Divisions (I) and (J) of this section apply to 2643
contributions made to the holder of a public office having 2644
ultimate responsibility for the award of a contract, or to the 2645
public officer's campaign committee, during the time the person 2646
holds the office and during any time such person was a candidate 2647
for the office. Those divisions do not apply to contributions made 2648
to, or to the campaign committee of, a candidate for or holder of 2649
the office other than the holder of the office at the time of the 2650
award of the contract.2651

       (2) Divisions (I) and (J) of this section do not apply to 2652
contributions of a partner, shareholder, administrator, executor, 2653
trustee, or owner of more than twenty per cent of a corporation or 2654
business trust made before the person held any of those positions 2655
or after the person ceased to hold any of those positions in the 2656
partnership, association, estate, trust, corporation, or business 2657
trust whose eligibility to be awarded a contract is being 2658
determined, nor to contributions of the person's spouse made 2659
before the person held any of those positions, after the person 2660
ceased to hold any of those positions, before the two were 2661
married, after the granting of a decree of divorce, dissolution of 2662
marriage, or annulment, or after the granting of an order in an 2663
action brought solely for legal separation. Those divisions do not 2664
apply to contributions of the spouse of an individual whose 2665
eligibility to be awarded a contract is being determined made 2666
before the two were married, after the granting of a decree of 2667
divorce, dissolution of marriage, or annulment, or after the 2668
granting of an order in an action brought solely for legal 2669
separation.2670

       (O) No beneficiary of a campaign fund or other person shall 2671
convert for personal use, and no person shall knowingly give to a 2672
beneficiary of a campaign fund or any other person, for the 2673
beneficiary's or any other person's personal use, anything of 2674
value from the beneficiary's campaign fund, including, without 2675
limitation, payments to a beneficiary for services the beneficiary 2676
personally performs, except as reimbursement for any of the 2677
following:2678

       (1) Legitimate and verifiable prior campaign expenses 2679
incurred by the beneficiary;2680

       (2) Legitimate and verifiable ordinary and necessary prior 2681
expenses incurred by the beneficiary in connection with duties as 2682
the holder of a public office, including, without limitation, 2683
expenses incurred through participation in nonpartisan or 2684
bipartisan events if the participation of the holder of a public 2685
office would normally be expected;2686

       (3) Legitimate and verifiable ordinary and necessary prior 2687
expenses incurred by the beneficiary while doing any of the 2688
following:2689

       (a) Engaging in activities in support of or opposition to a 2690
candidate other than the beneficiary, political party, or ballot 2691
issue;2692

       (b) Raising funds for a political party, political action 2693
committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign 2694
fund, campaign committee, or other candidate;2695

       (c) Participating in the activities of a political party, 2696
political action committee, political contributing entity, 2697
legislative campaign fund, or campaign committee;2698

       (d) Attending a political party convention or other political 2699
meeting.2700

       For purposes of this division, an expense is incurred 2701
whenever a beneficiary has either made payment or is obligated to 2702
make payment, as by the use of a credit card or other credit 2703
procedure or by the use of goods or services received on account.2704

       (P) No beneficiary of a campaign fund shall knowingly accept, 2705
and no person shall knowingly give to the beneficiary of a 2706
campaign fund, reimbursement for an expense under division (O) of 2707
this section to the extent that the expense previously was 2708
reimbursed or paid from another source of funds. If an expense is 2709
reimbursed under division (O) of this section and is later paid or 2710
reimbursed, wholly or in part, from another source of funds, the 2711
beneficiary shall repay the reimbursement received under division 2712
(O) of this section to the extent of the payment made or 2713
reimbursement received from the other source.2714

       (Q) No candidate or public official or employee shall accept 2715
for personal or business use anything of value from a political 2716
party, political action committee, political contributing entity, 2717
legislative campaign fund, or campaign committee other than the 2718
candidate's or public official's or employee's own campaign 2719
committee, and no person shall knowingly give to a candidate or 2720
public official or employee anything of value from a political 2721
party, political action committee, political contributing entity, 2722
legislative campaign fund, or such a campaign committee, except 2723
for the following:2724

       (1) Reimbursement for legitimate and verifiable ordinary and 2725
necessary prior expenses not otherwise prohibited by law incurred 2726
by the candidate or public official or employee while engaged in 2727
any legitimate activity of the political party, political action 2728
committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign 2729
fund, or such campaign committee. Without limitation, reimbursable 2730
expenses under this division include those incurred while doing 2731
any of the following:2732

       (a) Engaging in activities in support of or opposition to 2733
another candidate, political party, or ballot issue;2734

       (b) Raising funds for a political party, legislative campaign 2735
fund, campaign committee, or another candidate;2736

       (c) Attending a political party convention or other political 2737
meeting.2738

       (2) Compensation not otherwise prohibited by law for actual 2739
and valuable personal services rendered under a written contract 2740
to the political party, political action committee, political 2741
contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or such campaign 2742
committee for any legitimate activity of the political party, 2743
political action committee, political contributing entity, 2744
legislative campaign fund, or such campaign committee.2745

       Reimbursable expenses under this division do not include, and 2746
it is a violation of this division for a candidate or public 2747
official or employee to accept, or for any person to knowingly 2748
give to a candidate or public official or employee from a 2749
political party, political action committee, political 2750
contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or campaign 2751
committee other than the candidate's or public official's or 2752
employee's own campaign committee, anything of value for 2753
activities primarily related to the candidate's or public 2754
official's or employee's own campaign for election, except for 2755
contributions to the candidate's or public official's or 2756
employee's campaign committee.2757

       For purposes of this division, an expense is incurred 2758
whenever a candidate or public official or employee has either 2759
made payment or is obligated to make payment, as by the use of a 2760
credit card or other credit procedure, or by the use of goods or 2761
services on account.2762

       (R)(1) Division (O) or (P) of this section does not prohibit 2763
a campaign committee from making direct advance or post payment 2764
from contributions to vendors for goods and services for which 2765
reimbursement is permitted under division (O) of this section, 2766
except that no campaign committee shall pay its candidate or other 2767
beneficiary for services personally performed by the candidate or 2768
other beneficiary.2769

       (2) If any expense that may be reimbursed under division (O), 2770
(P), or (Q) of this section is part of other expenses that may not 2771
be paid or reimbursed, the separation of the two types of expenses 2772
for the purpose of allocating for payment or reimbursement those 2773
expenses that may be paid or reimbursed may be by any reasonable 2774
accounting method, considering all of the surrounding 2775
circumstances.2776

       (3) For purposes of divisions (O), (P), and (Q) of this 2777
section, mileage allowance at a rate not greater than that allowed 2778
by the internal revenue service at the time the travel occurs may 2779
be paid instead of reimbursement for actual travel expenses 2780
allowable.2781

       (S)(1) As used in division (S) of this section:2782

       (a) "State elective office" has the same meaning as in 2783
section 3517.092 of the Revised Code.2784

       (b) "Federal office" means a federal office as defined in the 2785
Federal Election Campaign Act.2786

       (c) "Federal campaign committee" means a principal campaign 2787
committee or authorized committee as defined in the Federal 2788
Election Campaign Act.2789

       (2) No person who is a candidate for state elective office 2790
and who previously sought nomination or election to a federal 2791
office shall transfer any funds or assets from that person's 2792
federal campaign committee for nomination or election to the 2793
federal office to that person's campaign committee as a candidate 2794
for state elective office.2795

       (3) No campaign committee of a person who is a candidate for 2796
state elective office and who previously sought nomination or 2797
election to a federal office shall accept any funds or assets from 2798
that person's federal campaign committee for that person's 2799
nomination or election to the federal office.2800

       (T)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (B)(6)(c) of 2801
section 3517.102 of the Revised Code, a state or county political 2802
party shall not disburse moneys from any account other than a 2803
state candidate fund to make contributions to any of the 2804
following:2805

       (a) A state candidate fund;2806

       (b) A legislative campaign fund;2807

       (c) A campaign committee of a candidate for the office of 2808
governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor of 2809
state, treasurer of state, attorney general, member of the state 2810
board of education, or member of the general assembly.2811

       (2) No state candidate fund, legislative campaign fund, or 2812
campaign committee of a candidate for any office described in 2813
division (T)(1)(c) of this section shall knowingly accept a 2814
contribution in violation of division (T)(1) of this section.2815

       (U) No person shall fail to file a statement required under 2816
section 3517.12 of the Revised Code.2817

       (V) No campaign committee shall fail to file a statement 2818
required under division (K)(3) of section 3517.10 of the Revised 2819
Code.2820

       (W)(1) No foreign national shall, directly or indirectly 2821
through any other person or entity, make a contribution, 2822
expenditure, or independent expenditure or promise, either 2823
expressly or implicitly, to make a contribution, expenditure, or 2824
independent expenditure in support of or opposition to a candidate 2825
for any elective office in this state, including an office of a 2826
political party.2827

       (2) No candidate, campaign committee, political action 2828
committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign 2829
fund, state candidate fund, political party, or separate 2830
segregated fund shall solicit or accept a contribution, 2831
expenditure, or independent expenditure from a foreign national. 2832
The secretary of state may direct any candidate, committee, 2833
entity, fund, or party that accepts a contribution, expenditure, 2834
or independent expenditure in violation of this division to return 2835
the contribution, expenditure, or independent expenditure or, if 2836
it is not possible to return the contribution, expenditure, or 2837
independent expenditure, then to return instead the value of it, 2838
to the contributor.2839

       (3) As used in division (W) of this section, "foreign 2840
national" has the same meaning as in section 441e(b) of the 2841
Federal Election Campaign Act.2842

       (X)(1) No state or county political party shall transfer any 2843
moneys from its restricted fund to any account of the political 2844
party into which contributions may be made or from which 2845
contributions or expenditures may be made.2846

       (2)(a) No state or county political party shall deposit a 2847
contribution or contributions that it receives into its restricted 2848
fund.2849

       (b) No state or county political party shall make a 2850
contribution or an expenditure from its restricted fund.2851

       (3)(a) No corporation or labor organization shall make a gift 2852
or gifts from the corporation's or labor organization's money or 2853
property aggregating more than ten thousand dollars to any one 2854
state or county political party for the party's restricted fund in 2855
a calendar year.2856

       (b) No state or county political party shall accept a gift or 2857
gifts for the party's restricted fund aggregating more than ten 2858
thousand dollars from any one corporation or labor organization in 2859
a calendar year.2860

       (4) No state or county political party shall transfer any 2861
moneys in the party's restricted fund to any other state or county 2862
political party.2863

       (5) No state or county political party shall knowingly fail 2864
to file a statement required under section 3517.1012 of the 2865
Revised Code.2866

       (Y) The administrator of workers' compensation and the 2867
employees of the bureau of workers' compensation shall not conduct 2868
any business with or award any contract, other than one awarded by 2869
competitive bidding, for the purchase of goods costing more than 2870
five hundred dollars or services costing more than five hundred 2871
dollars to any individual, partnership, association, including, 2872
without limitation, a professional association organized under 2873
Chapter 1785. of the Revised Code, estate, or trust, if the 2874
individual has made, or the individual's spouse has made, or any 2875
partner, shareholder, administrator, executor, or trustee, or the 2876
spouses of any of those individuals has made, as an individual, 2877
within the two previous calendar years, one or more contributions 2878
totaling in excess of one thousand dollars to the campaign 2879
committee of the governor or lieutenant governor or to the 2880
campaign committee of any candidate for the office of governor or 2881
lieutenant governor.2882

       (Z) The administrator of workers' compensation and the 2883
employees of the bureau of workers' compensation shall not conduct 2884
business with or award any contract, other than one awarded by 2885
competitive bidding, for the purchase of goods costing more than 2886
five hundred dollars or services costing more than five hundred 2887
dollars to a corporation or business trust, except a professional 2888
association organized under Chapter 1785. of the Revised Code, if 2889
an owner of more than twenty per cent of the corporation or 2890
business trust, or the spouse of the owner, has made, as an 2891
individual, within the two previous calendar years, taking into 2892
consideration only owners for all of such period, one or more 2893
contributions totaling in excess of one thousand dollars to the 2894
campaign committee of the governor or lieutenant governor or to 2895
the campaign committee of any candidate for the office of governor 2896
or lieutenant governor.2897

       (AA)(1) No person shall make a contribution for the purpose 2898
of influencing the outcome of an election on a question or issue 2899
to a person or entity that is not subject to the reporting 2900
requirements of this chapter.2901

        (2) A person or entity that is not subject to the reporting 2902
requirements of this chapter shall not accept any contribution 2903
from a person for the purpose of influencing the outcome of an 2904
election on a question or issue.2905

       Sec. 3517.153.  (A) Upon the filing of a complaint with the 2906
Ohio elections commission, which shall be made by affidavit of any 2907
person, on personal knowledge, and subject to the penalties for 2908
perjury, or upon the filing of a complaint made by the secretary 2909
of state or an official at the board of elections, setting forth a 2910
failure to comply with or a violation of any provision in sections 2911
3517.08 to 3517.13, 3517.17, 3517.18, 3517.20 to 3517.22, 3599.03, 2912
or 3599.031 of the Revised Code, the commission shall proceed in 2913
accordance with sections 3517.154 to 3517.157 of the Revised Code. 2914

       (B) The commission shall prescribe the form for complaints 2915
made under division (A) of this section. The secretary of state 2916
and boards of elections shall furnish the information that the 2917
commission requests. The commission or a member of the commission 2918
may administer oaths, and the commission may issue subpoenas to 2919
any person in the state compelling the attendance of witnesses and 2920
the production of relevant papers, books, accounts, and reports. 2921
In the case of an alleged violation of division (AA) of section 2922
3517.13 of the Revised Code, the commission may issue subpoenas to 2923
any person inside or outside this state compelling the attendance 2924
of witnesses and the production of relevant papers, books, 2925
accounts, and reports, for the purpose of determining the source 2926
and amounts of contributions made or accepted in violation of that 2927
division. Section 101.42 of the Revised Code governs the issuance 2928
of subpoenas insofar as applicable. Upon the refusal of any person 2929
to obey a subpoena or to be sworn or to answer as a witness, the 2930
commission may apply to the court of common pleas of Franklin 2931
county under section 2705.03 of the Revised Code. The court shall 2932
hold proceedings in accordance with Chapter 2705. of the Revised 2933
Code. 2934

       (C) No prosecution shall commence for a violation of a 2935
provision in sections 3517.08 to 3517.13, 3517.17, 3517.18, 2936
3517.20 to 3517.22, 3599.03, or 3599.031 of the Revised Code 2937
unless a complaint has been filed with the commission under this 2938
section and all proceedings of the commission or a panel of the 2939
commission, as appropriate, under sections 3517.154 to 3517.157 of 2940
the Revised Code are completed. 2941

       (D) The commission may recommend legislation and render 2942
advisory opinions concerning sections 3517.08, 3517.082, 3517.092, 2943
3517.102, 3517.103, 3517.105, 3517.106, 3517.1014, 3517.13, 2944
3517.18, 3517.20 to 3517.22, 3599.03, and 3599.031 of the Revised 2945
Code for persons over whose acts it has or may have jurisdiction. 2946
When the commission renders an advisory opinion relating to a 2947
specific set of circumstances involving any of those sections 2948
stating that there is no violation of a provision in those 2949
sections, the person to whom the opinion is directed or a person 2950
who is similarly situated may reasonably rely on the opinion and 2951
is immune from criminal prosecution and a civil action, including, 2952
without limitation, a civil action for removal from public office 2953
or employment, based on facts and circumstances covered by the 2954
opinion. 2955

       (E) The commission shall establish a web site on which it 2956
shall post, at a minimum, all decisions and advisory opinions 2957
issued by the commission and copies of each election law as it is 2958
amended by the general assembly. The commission shall update the 2959
web site regularly to reflect any changes to those decisions and 2960
advisory opinions and any new decisions and advisory opinions. 2961

       Sec. 3517.154.  (A)(1) The full-time attorney for the Ohio 2962
elections commission shall review each complaint filed with the 2963
commission under section 3517.153 of the Revised Code, shall 2964
determine the nature of the complaint, and, unless division 2965
(A)(2)(a) of this section requires that the complaint receive an 2966
automatic expedited hearing, shall make a recommendation to the 2967
commission for its disposition, in accordance with this section. 2968
The attorney shall make the determination and the recommendation, 2969
if required, not later than one business day after the complaint 2970
is filed. 2971

       (2)(a) If the attorney determines that the complaint sets 2972
forth a violation of division (B) of section 3517.21 or division 2973
(B) of section 3517.22 of the Revised Code and that the complaint 2974
is filed during one of the periods of time specified in division 2975
(B)(1) of section 3517.156 of the Revised Code, or that the 2976
complaint sets forth a violation of section 3517.103 of the 2977
Revised Code or a violation described in division (D) of section 2978
3517.1010 of the Revised Code, the complaint shall receive an 2979
automatic expedited hearing under section 3517.156 of the Revised 2980
Code. 2981

       (b) If the attorney determines that the complaint sets forth 2982
a failure to comply with or a violation of division (G), (I), (J), 2983
(O), (P), or (Q) of section 3517.13, division (A) of section 2984
3517.21, or division (A) of section 3517.22 of the Revised Code 2985
and that the complaint is filed during one of the periods of time 2986
specified in division (B)(1) of section 3517.156 of the Revised 2987
Code, the attorney shall recommend to the commission that the 2988
complaint receive an expedited hearing under section 3517.156 of 2989
the Revised Code, and the complaint shall receive such a hearing. 2990

       (c) If the attorney determines that the complaint sets forth 2991
a failure to comply with or a violation of a section of the 2992
Revised Code over which the commission has jurisdiction to hear 2993
complaints other than the sections described in divisions 2994
(A)(2)(a) and (b) of this section, and unless the attorney makes a 2995
determination as provided for in division (A)(3) of this section, 2996
the attorney shall recommend to the commission that the complaint 2997
be submitted to the commission under section 3517.155 of the 2998
Revised Code. After the attorney makes that recommendation, the 2999
attorney shall notify all parties to the complaint of the 3000
attorney's recommendation. 3001

       (3)(a) If a complaint sets forth a failure to comply with or 3002
a violation of a section of the Revised Code over which the 3003
commission has jurisdiction to hear complaints other than the 3004
sections described in divisions (A)(2)(a) and (b) of this section 3005
and if the complaint is filed during one of the periods of time 3006
specified in division (B)(1) of section 3517.156 of the Revised 3007
Code, the attorney may determine that the complaint should receive 3008
an expedited hearing under that section. The attorney shall make 3009
that determination by considering one or more of the following: 3010

       (i) The number of prior failures to comply with or violations 3011
of Title XXXV of the Revised Code that the person or entity 3012
against whom the complaint has been brought has committed and any 3013
prior penalties the commission has imposed on the person or 3014
entity; 3015

       (ii) If the complaint involves a statement required to be 3016
filed under section 3517.10, division (E) of section 3517.102, or 3017
section 3517.103, 3517.105, 3517.106, 3517.107, 3517.108, 3018
3517.109, 3517.1011, 3517.1012, or 3517.1014 of the Revised Code 3019
or an addendum required to be filed under section 3517.11 of the 3020
Revised Code that is filed late, how late the filing is and how 3021
much time has elapsed between the deadline for filing the 3022
statement or addendum and the filing of the complaint; 3023

       (iii) If the complaint involves contributions and 3024
expenditures, contributions and disbursements, deposits and 3025
disbursements, gifts and disbursements, or donations and 3026
disbursements, or contributions and independent expenditures3027
required to be reported under section 3517.10, division (E) of 3028
section 3517.102, or section 3517.105, 3517.106, 3517.107, 3029
3517.108, 3517.109, 3517.1011, 3517.1012, 3517.1013, or 3517.1014 3030
of the Revised Code that are either not reported or reported late, 3031
the number of contributions and expenditures, contributions and 3032
disbursements, deposits and disbursements, gifts and 3033
disbursements, or donations and disbursements, or contributions 3034
and independent expenditures not reported or how late they were 3035
reported; 3036

       (iv) If the complaint involves contributions required to be 3037
reported by a campaign committee under section 3517.10, division 3038
(E) of section 3517.102, or section 3517.105, 3517.107, 3517.108, 3039
or 3517.109 of the Revised Code that are not reported, whether any 3040
of the contributors of the contributions not reported have a 3041
personal or professional relationship with the campaign 3042
committee's candidate; 3043

       (v) If the complaint involves a statement required to be 3044
filed under section 3517.10, division (E) of section 3517.102, or 3045
section 3517.103, 3517.105, 3517.106, 3517.107, 3517.108, 3046
3517.109, 3517.1011, 3517.1012, 3517.1013, or 3517.1014 of the 3047
Revised Code that is incomplete, the degree to which it is 3048
incomplete; 3049

       (vi) If the complaint involves the receipt of contributions 3050
in violation of section 3599.03 of the Revised Code, the dollar 3051
amount and number of contributions received in violation of that 3052
section; 3053

       (vii) If the complaint involves a failure to make the 3054
identification or a misstatement of the identification required 3055
under section 3517.105, 3517.106, or 3517.20 of the Revised Code, 3056
whether the failure or misstatement was purposely made; 3057

       (viii) If the complaint sets forth a failure to comply with 3058
or a violation of a section of the Revised Code described in 3059
division (A)(2)(c) of this section, whether the person or entity 3060
against whom the complaint has been made has committed more than 3061
one such failure or violation within a reasonable amount of time, 3062
or whether the cumulative nature of the failures or violations 3063
indicates a systematic disregard for the law. 3064

       (b) Prior to making a determination under division (A)(3)(a) 3065
of this section that the complaint should receive an expedited 3066
hearing under section 3517.156 of the Revised Code, the attorney 3067
shall take into consideration the number of panels of the 3068
commission that have cases pending before them and the number of 3069
cases pending before the panels and shall not make a determination 3070
that will place an undue burden on a panel of the commission. 3071

       (c) If the attorney determines that the complaint should 3072
receive an expedited hearing under section 3517.156 of the Revised 3073
Code, the attorney shall recommend to the commission that the 3074
complaint receive an expedited hearing, and, if a majority of the 3075
members of the commission agrees with the recommendation, the 3076
complaint shall receive an expedited hearing under that section. 3077

       (4) The attorney may join two or more complaints if the 3078
attorney determines that the allegations in each complaint are of 3079
the same or similar character, are based on the same act or 3080
failure to act, or are based on two or more acts or failures to 3081
act constituting parts of a common scheme or plan. If one 3082
complaint contains two or more allegations, the attorney may 3083
separate the allegations if they are not of the same or similar 3084
character, if they are not based on the same act or failure to 3085
act, or if they are not based on two or more acts or failures to 3086
act constituting parts of a common scheme or plan. If the attorney 3087
separates the allegations in a complaint, the attorney may make 3088
separate recommendations under division (A)(2) or (3) of this 3089
section for each allegation. 3090

       (B) Whenever a person or other entity files a complaint with 3091
the commission setting forth a failure to comply with or a 3092
violation of a section of the Revised Code as described in 3093
division (A)(2)(c) of this section and the complaint is filed 3094
during one of the periods of time specified in division (B)(1) of 3095
section 3517.156 of the Revised Code, the person or entity may 3096
request an expedited hearing under that section at the time the 3097
complaint is filed. The attorney for the commission shall inform 3098
the members of the commission of that request at the time the 3099
attorney makes a recommendation under division (A) of this 3100
section. The commission may grant the request for an expedited 3101
hearing under this division if it determines that an expedited 3102
hearing is practicable. 3103

       Sec. 3517.20.  (A)(1) As used in this section:3104

       (a) "Political publication for or against a candidate" means 3105
a notice, placard, advertisement, sample ballot, brochure, flyer, 3106
direct mailer, or other form of general publication that is 3107
designed to promote the nomination, election, or defeat of a 3108
candidate.3109

       (b) "Political publication for or against an issue" means a 3110
notice, placard, advertisement, sample ballot, brochure, flyer, 3111
direct mailer, or other form of general publication that is 3112
designed to promote the adoption or defeat of a ballot issue or 3113
question or to influence the voters in an election.3114

       (c) "Public political advertising" means newspapers, 3115
magazines, outdoor advertising facilities, direct mailings, or 3116
other similar types of general public political advertising, or 3117
flyers, handbills, or other nonperiodical printed matter.3118

       (d) "Statewide candidate" has the same meaning as in section 3119
3517.102 of the Revised Code.3120

       (e) "Legislative candidate" means a candidate for the office 3121
of member of the general assembly.3122

       (f) "Local candidate" means a candidate for an elective 3123
office of a political subdivision of this state.3124

       (g) "Legislative campaign fund" has the same meaning as in 3125
section 3517.01 of the Revised Code.3126

       (h) "Limited political action committee" means a political 3127
action committee of fewer than ten members.3128

       (i) "Limited political contributing entity" means a political 3129
contributing entity of fewer than ten members.3130

        (j) "Designated amount" means one hundred dollars in the case 3131
of a local candidate or a local ballot issue, two hundred fifty 3132
dollars in the case of a legislative candidate, or five hundred 3133
dollars in the case of a statewide candidate or a statewide ballot 3134
issue.3135

       (k) "To issue" includes to print, post, distribute, reproduce 3136
for distribution, or cause to be issued, printed, posted, 3137
distributed, or reproduced for distribution.3138

       (l) "Telephone bank" means more than five hundred telephone 3139
calls of an identical or substantially similar nature within any 3140
thirty-day period, whether those telephone calls are made by 3141
individual callers or by recording.3142

       (2) No candidate, campaign committee, legislative campaign 3143
fund, political party, or other entity, except a political action 3144
committee or political contributing entity, shall issue a form of 3145
political publication for or against a candidate, or shall make an 3146
expenditure for the purpose of financing political communications 3147
in support of or opposition to a candidate through public 3148
political advertising, unless the name and residence or business 3149
address of the candidate or the chairperson, treasurer, or 3150
secretary of the campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, 3151
political party, or other entity that issues or otherwise is 3152
responsible for that political publication or that makes an 3153
expenditure for that political communication appears in a 3154
conspicuous place on that political publication or is contained 3155
within that political communication. 3156

       (3) No limited political action committee or limited 3157
political contributing entity shall do either of the following 3158
unless the name and residence or business address of the 3159
chairperson, treasurer, or secretary of the limited political 3160
action committee or limited political contributing entity involved 3161
appears in a conspicuous place in the political publication for or 3162
against a candidate described in division (A)(3)(a) of this 3163
section or is contained within the political communication 3164
described in division (A)(3)(b) of this section:3165

       (a) Issue a form of political publication for or against a 3166
candidate that costs in excess of the designated amount or that is 3167
issued in cooperation, consultation, or concert with, or at the 3168
request or suggestion of, a candidate, a campaign committee, a 3169
legislative campaign fund, a political party, a political action 3170
committee with ten or more members, a political contributing 3171
entity with ten or more members, or a limited political action 3172
committee or limited political contributing entity that spends in 3173
excess of the designated amount on a related or the same or 3174
similar political publication for or against a candidate;3175

       (b) Make an expenditure in excess of the designated amount in 3176
support of or opposition to a candidate or make an expenditure in 3177
cooperation, consultation, or concert with, or at the request or 3178
suggestion of, a candidate, a campaign committee, a legislative 3179
campaign fund, a political party, a political action committee 3180
with ten or more members, a political contributing entity with ten 3181
or more members, or a limited political action committee or 3182
limited political contributing entity that spends in excess of the 3183
designated amount in support of or opposition to the same 3184
candidate, for the purpose of financing political communications 3185
in support of or opposition to that candidate through public 3186
political advertising.3187

       (4) No political action committee with ten or more members 3188
and no political contributing entity with ten or more members 3189
shall issue a form of political publication for or against a 3190
candidate, or shall make an expenditure for the purpose of 3191
financing political communications in support of or opposition to 3192
a candidate through public political advertising, unless the name 3193
and residence or business address of the chairperson, treasurer, 3194
or secretary of the political action committee or political 3195
contributing entity that issues or otherwise is responsible for 3196
that political publication or that makes an expenditure for that 3197
political communication through public political advertising 3198
appears in a conspicuous place in that political publication or is 3199
contained within that political communication.3200

       (5) No corporation, labor organization, campaign committee, 3201
legislative campaign fund, political party, or other entity, 3202
except a political action committee, shall issue a form of 3203
political publication for or against an issue, or shall make an 3204
expenditure for the purpose of financing political communications 3205
in support of or opposition to a ballot issue or question through 3206
public political advertising, unless the name and residence or 3207
business address of the chairperson, treasurer, or secretary of 3208
the corporation, labor organization, campaign committee, 3209
legislative campaign fund, political party, or other entity that 3210
issues or otherwise is responsible for that political publication 3211
or that makes an expenditure for that political communication 3212
through public political advertising appears in a conspicuous 3213
place in that political publication or is contained within that 3214
political communication.3215

       (6) No limited political action committee shall do either of 3216
the following unless the name and residence or business address of 3217
the chairperson, treasurer, or secretary of the limited political 3218
action committee involved appears in a conspicuous place in the 3219
political publication for or against a ballot issue described in 3220
division (A)(6)(a) of this section or is contained within the 3221
political communication described in division (A)(6)(b) of this 3222
section:3223

       (a) Issue a form of political publication for or against a 3224
ballot issue that costs in excess of the designated amount or that 3225
is issued in cooperation, consultation, or concert with, or at the 3226
request or suggestion of, a candidate, a campaign committee, a 3227
legislative campaign fund, a political party, a political action 3228
committee with ten or more members, or a limited political action 3229
committee that spends in excess of the designated amount for a 3230
related or the same or similar political publication for or 3231
against an issue;3232

       (b) Make an expenditure in excess of the designated amount in 3233
support of or opposition to a ballot issue or make an expenditure 3234
in cooperation, consultation, or concert with, or at the request 3235
or suggestion of, a candidate, a campaign committee, a legislative 3236
campaign fund, a political party, a political action committee 3237
with ten or more members, or a limited political action committee 3238
that spends in excess of the designated amount in support of or 3239
opposition to the same ballot issue, for the purpose of financing 3240
political communications in support of or opposition to that 3241
ballot issue through public political advertising.3242

       (7) No political action committee with ten or more members 3243
shall issue a form of political publication for or against an 3244
issue, or shall make an expenditure for the purpose of financing 3245
political communications in support of or opposition to a ballot 3246
issue or question through public political advertising, unless the 3247
name and residence or business address of the chairperson, 3248
treasurer, or secretary of the political action committee that 3249
issues or otherwise is responsible for that political publication 3250
or that makes an expenditure for that political communication 3251
appears in a conspicuous place in that political publication or is 3252
contained within that political communication.3253

       (8) The disclaimer "paid political advertisement" is not 3254
sufficient to meet the requirements of this section. 3255

       (9) If the political publication described in division (A) of 3256
this section is issued by the regularly constituted central or 3257
executive committee of a political party that is organized as 3258
provided in this chapter, it shall be sufficiently identified if 3259
it bears the name of the committee and its chairperson or 3260
treasurer. 3261

       (10) If more than one piece of printed matter or printed 3262
political communications are mailed as a single packet, the 3263
requirements of division (A) of this section are met if one of the 3264
pieces of printed matter or printed political communications in 3265
the packet contains the name and residence or business address of 3266
the chairperson, treasurer, or secretary of the organization or 3267
entity that issues or is responsible for the printed matter or 3268
other printed political communications.3269

       (11) This section does not apply to the transmittal of 3270
personal correspondence that is not reproduced by machine for 3271
general distribution.3272

       (12) The secretary of state, by rule, may exempt from the 3273
requirements of this section, printed matter and certain other 3274
kinds of printed communications such as campaign buttons, 3275
balloons, pencils, or similar items, the size or nature of which 3276
makes it unreasonable to add an identification or disclaimer. 3277

       (13) The disclaimer or identification described in division 3278
(A) of this section, when paid for by a campaign committee, shall 3279
be identified by the words "paid for by" followed by the name and 3280
address of the campaign committee and the appropriate officer of 3281
the committee, identified by name and title. The identification or 3282
disclaimer may use reasonable abbreviations for common terms such 3283
as "treasurer" or "committee".3284

       (B)(1) NoSubject to division (E) of section 3517.106 of the 3285
Revised Code, no candidate, campaign committee, legislative 3286
campaign fund, political party, political action committee, 3287
limited political action committee, political contributing entity, 3288
limited political contributing entity, or other entity shall utter 3289
or cause to be uttered, over the broadcasting facilities of any 3290
radio or television station within this state, any communication 3291
that is designed to promote the nomination, election, or defeat of 3292
a candidate, or the adoption or defeat of an issue or to influence 3293
the voters in an election, unless the speaker identifies the 3294
speaker with the speaker's name and residence address or unless 3295
the communication identifies the chairperson, treasurer, or 3296
secretary of the organization responsible for the communication 3297
with the name and residence or business address of that officer, 3298
except that communications by radio need not broadcast the 3299
residence or business address of the officer. However, a radio 3300
station, for a period of at least six months, shall keep the 3301
residence or business address on file and divulge it to any person 3302
upon request.3303

       No person operating a broadcast station or an organ of 3304
printed media shall broadcast or print a paid political 3305
communication that does not contain the identification required by 3306
this section.3307

       (2) Division (B) of this section does not apply to any 3308
communications made on behalf of a radio or television station or 3309
network by any employee of such radio or television station or 3310
network while acting in the course of the employee's employment.3311

       (3) No candidate or entity described in division (B)(1) of 3312
this section shall use or cause to be used a false, fictitious, or 3313
fraudulent name or address in the making or issuing of a 3314
publication or communication included within the provisions of 3315
this section.3316

       (C) No candidate, campaign committee, legislative campaign 3317
fund, political party, political action committee, limited 3318
political action committee, political contributing entity, limited 3319
political contributing entity, or other person or entity shall 3320
conduct a telephone bank for the purpose of promoting the 3321
nomination, election, or defeat of a candidate or the adoption or 3322
defeat of an issue or to influence the voters in an election, 3323
unless the call includes a disclaimer that identifies the name of 3324
the candidate, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, 3325
political party, political action committee, limited political 3326
action committee, political contributing entity, limited political 3327
contributing entity, or other person or entity paying for the 3328
telephone bank.3329

        (D) Before a prosecution may commence under this section, a 3330
complaint shall be filed with the Ohio elections commission under 3331
section 3517.153 of the Revised Code. After the complaint is 3332
filed, the commission shall proceed in accordance with sections 3333
3517.154 to 3517.157 of the Revised Code.3334

       Sec. 3517.992.  This section establishes penalties only with 3335
respect to acts or failures to act that occur on and after August 3336
24, 1995. 3337

       (A)(1) A candidate whose campaign committee violates 3338
division (A), (B), (C), (D), or (V) of section 3517.13 of the 3339
Revised Code, or a treasurer of a campaign committee who violates 3340
any of those divisions, shall be fined not more than one hundred 3341
dollars for each day of violation. 3342

       (2) Whoever violates division (E) or (X)(5) of section 3343
3517.13 or division (E)(1) of section 3517.1014 of the Revised 3344
Code shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars for each day 3345
of violation. 3346

       (B) A political party that violates division (F)(1) of 3347
section 3517.101 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than 3348
one hundred dollars for each day of violation. 3349

       (C) Whoever violates division (F)(2) of section 3517.101, 3350
division (G) of section 3517.13, or division (E)(2) or (3) of 3351
section 3517.1014 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than 3352
ten thousand dollars or, if the offender is a person who was 3353
nominated or elected to public office, shall forfeit the 3354
nomination or the office to which the offender was elected, or 3355
both. 3356

       (D) Whoever violates division (F) of section 3517.13 of the 3357
Revised Code shall be fined not more than three times the amount 3358
contributed. 3359

       (E) Whoever violates division (H) of section 3517.13 of the 3360
Revised Code shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars. 3361

       (F) Whoever violates division (O), (P), or (Q) of section 3362
3517.13 of the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the 3363
first degree. 3364

       (G) A state or county committee of a political party that 3365
violates division (B)(1) of section 3517.18 of the Revised Code 3366
shall be fined not more than twice the amount of the improper 3367
expenditure. 3368

       (H) A state or county political party that violates division 3369
(G) of section 3517.101 of the Revised Code shall be fined not 3370
more than twice the amount of the improper expenditure or use. 3371

       (I)(1) Any individual who violates division (B)(1) of section 3372
3517.102 of the Revised Code and knows that the contribution the 3373
individual makes violates that division shall be fined an amount 3374
equal to three times the amount contributed in excess of the 3375
amount permitted by that division. 3376

       (2) Any political action committee that violates division 3377
(B)(2) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an 3378
amount equal to three times the amount contributed in excess of 3379
the amount permitted by that division. 3380

       (3) Any campaign committee that violates division (B)(3) or 3381
(5) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an 3382
amount equal to three times the amount contributed in excess of 3383
the amount permitted by that division. 3384

       (4)(a) Any legislative campaign fund that violates division 3385
(B)(6) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an 3386
amount equal to three times the amount transferred or contributed 3387
in excess of the amount permitted by that division, as applicable. 3388

       (b) Any state political party, county political party, or 3389
state candidate fund of a state political party or county 3390
political party that violates division (B)(6) of section 3517.102 3391
of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times 3392
the amount transferred or contributed in excess of the amount 3393
permitted by that division, as applicable. 3394

       (c) Any political contributing entity that violates division 3395
(B)(7) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an 3396
amount equal to three times the amount contributed in excess of 3397
the amount permitted by that division. 3398

       (5) Any political party that violates division (B)(4) of 3399
section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount 3400
equal to three times the amount contributed in excess of the 3401
amount permitted by that division. 3402

       (6) Notwithstanding divisions (I)(1), (2), (3), (4), and (5) 3403
of this section, no violation of division (B) of section 3517.102 3404
of the Revised Code occurs, and the secretary of state shall not 3405
refer parties to the Ohio elections commission, if the amount 3406
transferred or contributed in excess of the amount permitted by 3407
that division meets either of the following conditions: 3408

       (a) It is completely refunded within five business days after 3409
it is accepted. 3410

       (b) It is completely refunded on or before the tenth business 3411
day after notification to the recipient of the excess transfer or 3412
contribution by the board of elections or the secretary of state 3413
that a transfer or contribution in excess of the permitted amount 3414
has been received. 3415

       (J)(1) Any campaign committee that violates division (C)(1), 3416
(2), (3), or (6) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be 3417
fined an amount equal to three times the amount accepted in excess 3418
of the amount permitted by that division. 3419

       (2)(a) Any county political party that violates division 3420
(C)(4)(a)(ii) or (iii) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code 3421
shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount accepted. 3422

       (b) Any county political party that violates division 3423
(C)(4)(a)(i) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be 3424
fined an amount from its state candidate fund equal to three times 3425
the amount accepted in excess of the amount permitted by that 3426
division. 3427

       (c) Any state political party that violates division 3428
(C)(4)(b) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined 3429
an amount from its state candidate fund equal to three times the 3430
amount accepted in excess of the amount permitted by that 3431
division. 3432

       (3) Any legislative campaign fund that violates division 3433
(C)(5) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an 3434
amount equal to three times the amount accepted in excess of the 3435
amount permitted by that division. 3436

       (4) Any political action committee or political contributing 3437
entity that violates division (C)(7) of section 3517.102 of the 3438
Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the 3439
amount accepted in excess of the amount permitted by that 3440
division. 3441

       (5) Notwithstanding divisions (J)(1), (2), (3), and (4) of 3442
this section, no violation of division (C) of section 3517.102 of 3443
the Revised Code occurs, and the secretary of state shall not 3444
refer parties to the Ohio elections commission, if the amount 3445
transferred or contributed in excess of the amount permitted to be 3446
accepted by that division meets either of the following 3447
conditions: 3448

       (a) It is completely refunded within five business days after 3449
its acceptance. 3450

       (b) It is completely refunded on or before the tenth business 3451
day after notification to the recipient of the excess transfer or 3452
contribution by the board of elections or the secretary of state 3453
that a transfer or contribution in excess of the permitted amount 3454
has been received. 3455

       (K)(1) Any legislative campaign fund that violates division 3456
(F)(1) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined 3457
twenty-five dollars for each day of violation. 3458

       (2) Any legislative campaign fund that violates division 3459
(F)(2) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall give to the 3460
treasurer of state for deposit into the state treasury to the 3461
credit of the Ohio elections commission fund all excess 3462
contributions not disposed of as required by division (E) of 3463
section 3517.102 of the Revised Code. 3464

       (L) Whoever violates section 3517.105 of the Revised Code 3465
shall be fined one thousand dollars. 3466

       (M)(1) Whoever solicits a contribution in violation of 3467
section 3517.092 or violates division (B) of section 3517.09 of 3468
the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree. 3469

       (2) Whoever knowingly accepts a contribution in violation of 3470
division (B) or (C) of section 3517.092 of the Revised Code shall 3471
be fined an amount equal to three times the amount accepted in 3472
violation of either of those divisions and shall return to the 3473
contributor any amount so accepted. Whoever unknowingly accepts a 3474
contribution in violation of division (B) or (C) of section 3475
3517.092 of the Revised Code shall return to the contributor any 3476
amount so accepted. 3477

       (N) Whoever violates division (S) of section 3517.13 of the 3478
Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the 3479
amount of funds transferred or three times the value of the assets 3480
transferred in violation of that division. 3481

       (O) Any campaign committee that accepts a contribution or 3482
contributions in violation of section 3517.108 of the Revised 3483
Code, uses a contribution in violation of that section, or fails 3484
to dispose of excess contributions in violation of that section 3485
shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount accepted, 3486
used, or kept in violation of that section. 3487

       (P) Any political party, state candidate fund, legislative 3488
candidate fund, or campaign committee that violates division (T) 3489
of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount 3490
equal to three times the amount contributed or accepted in 3491
violation of that section. 3492

       (Q) A treasurer of a committee or another person who violates 3493
division (U) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined 3494
not more than two hundred fifty dollars. 3495

       (R) Whoever violates division (I) or (J) of section 3517.13 3496
of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than one thousand 3497
dollars. Whenever a person is found guilty of violating division 3498
(I) or (J) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code, the contract 3499
awarded in violation of either of those divisions shall be 3500
rescinded if its terms have not yet been performed. 3501

       (S) A candidate whose campaign committee violates or a 3502
treasurer of a campaign committee who violates section 3517.081 of 3503
the Revised Code, and a candidate whose campaign committee 3504
violates or a treasurer of a campaign committee or another person 3505
who violates division (C) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code, 3506
shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars. 3507

       (T) A candidate whose campaign committee violates or a 3508
treasurer of a committee who violates division (B) of section 3509
3517.09 of the Revised Code, or a candidate whose campaign 3510
committee violates or a treasurer of a campaign committee or 3511
another person who violates division (C) of section 3517.09 of the 3512
Revised Code shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars. 3513

       (U) Whoever violates division (E) of section 3517.106 or3514
section 3517.20 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than 3515
five hundred dollars. 3516

       (V) Whoever violates section 3517.21 or 3517.22 of the 3517
Revised Code shall be imprisoned for not more than six months or 3518
fined not more than five thousand dollars, or both. 3519

       (W) A campaign committee that is required to file a 3520
declaration of no limits under division (D)(2) of section 3517.103 3521
of the Revised Code that, before filing that declaration, accepts 3522
a contribution or contributions that exceed the limitations 3523
prescribed in section 3517.102 of the Revised Code, shall return 3524
that contribution or those contributions to the contributor. 3525

       (X) Any campaign committee that fails to file the declaration 3526
of filing-day finances required by division (F) of section 3527
3517.109 of the Revised Code or the declaration of primary-day 3528
finances or declaration of year-end finances required by division 3529
(E) of section 3517.1010 of the Revised Code shall be fined 3530
twenty-five dollars for each day of violation. 3531

       (Y)(1) Any campaign committee that fails to dispose of excess 3532
funds or excess aggregate contributions under division (B) of 3533
section 3517.109 of the Revised Code in the manner required by 3534
division (C) of that section or under division (B) of section 3535
3517.1010 of the Revised Code in the manner required by division 3536
(C) of that section shall give to the treasurer of state for 3537
deposit into the Ohio elections commission fund created under 3538
division (I) of section 3517.152 of the Revised Code all funds not 3539
disposed of pursuant to those divisions. 3540

       (2) Any treasurer of a transition fund that fails to dispose 3541
of assets remaining in the transition fund as required under 3542
division (H)(1) or (2) of section 3517.1014 of the Revised Code 3543
shall give to the treasurer of state for deposit into the Ohio 3544
elections commission fund all assets not disposed of pursuant to 3545
that division. 3546

       (Z) Any individual, campaign committee, political action 3547
committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign 3548
fund, political party, treasurer of a transition fund, or other 3549
entity that violates any provision of sections 3517.09 to 3517.12 3550
of the Revised Code for which no penalty is provided for under any 3551
other division of this section shall be fined not more than one 3552
thousand dollars. 3553

       (AA)(1) Whoever knowingly violates division (W)(1) of section 3554
3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to 3555
three times the amount contributed, expended, or promised in 3556
violation of that division or ten thousand dollars, whichever 3557
amount is greater. 3558

       (2) Whoever knowingly violates division (W)(2) of section 3559
3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to 3560
three times the amount solicited or accepted in violation of that 3561
division or ten thousand dollars, whichever amount is greater. 3562

       (BB) Whoever knowingly violates division (C) or (D) of 3563
section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than 3564
ten thousand dollars plus not more than one thousand dollars for 3565
each day of violation. 3566

       (CC)(1) Subject to division (CC)(2) of this section, whoever 3567
violates division (H) of section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code 3568
shall be fined an amount up to three times the amount disbursed 3569
for the direct costs of airing the communication made in violation 3570
of that division.3571

       (2) Whoever has been ordered by the Ohio elections commission 3572
or by a court of competent jurisdiction to cease making 3573
communications in violation of division (H) of section 3517.1011 3574
of the Revised Code who again violates that division shall be 3575
fined an amount equal to three times the amount disbursed for the 3576
direct costs of airing the communication made in violation of that 3577
division.3578

       (DD)(1) Any corporation or labor organization that violates 3579
division (X)(3)(a) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be 3580
fined an amount equal to three times the amount given in excess of 3581
the amount permitted by that division. 3582

       (2) Any state or county political party that violates 3583
division (X)(3)(b) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be 3584
fined an amount equal to three times the amount accepted in excess 3585
of the amount permitted by that division. 3586

       (EE)(DD)(1) Any campaign committee or person who violates 3587
division (C)(1)(b) or (c) of section 3517.1014 of the Revised Code 3588
shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount donated 3589
in excess of the amount permitted by that division. 3590

       (2) Any officeholder or treasurer of a transition fund who 3591
violates division (C)(3)(a) or (b) of section 3517.1014 of the 3592
Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the 3593
amount accepted in excess of the amount permitted by that 3594
division. 3595

       (EE)(1) Whoever violates division (B)(1), (C), or (D) of 3596
section 3517.106 of the Revised Code shall be fined three times 3597
the amount of the independent expenditure or contribution made in 3598
violation of that division.3599

       (2) Whoever violates division (F) of section 3517.106 of the 3600
Revised Code shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars for 3601
each day of violation.3602

       (FF) Whoever violates division (AA) of section 3517.13 of the 3603
Revised Code shall be fined the larger of either one thousand 3604
dollars or three times the amount contributed or accepted in 3605
violation of that division. If the amount contributed or accepted 3606
in violation of that division cannot be determined, the amount 3607
fined shall be one thousand dollars.3608

       Sec. 3599.03.  (A)(1) Except to carry on activities specified 3609
in sections 3517.082 and 3517.1011, division (A)(2) of section 3610
3517.1012, division (B) of section 3517.1013, division (C)(1) of 3611
section 3517.1014, and section 3599.031 of the Revised Code and 3612
except as provided in divisions (D), (E), and (F) of this section 3613
3517.106 of the Revised Code, no corporation, no nonprofit 3614
corporation, and no labor organization, directly or indirectly, 3615
shall pay or use, or offer, advise, consent, or agree to pay or 3616
use, the corporation's money or property, or the labor 3617
organization's money, including dues, initiation fees, or other 3618
assessments paid by members, or property, for or in aid of or 3619
oppositionto make a contribution to a political party, a 3620
candidate for election or nomination to public office, a political 3621
action committee including a political action committee of the 3622
corporation or labor organization, or a legislative campaign fund, 3623
or any organization that supports or opposes any such candidate, 3624
or for any partisan political purpose, shall violate any law 3625
requiring the filing of an affidavit or statement respecting such 3626
use of those funds, or shall pay or use the corporation's or labor 3627
organization's money for the expenses of a social fund-raising 3628
event for its political action committee if an employee's or labor 3629
organization member's right to attend such an event is predicated 3630
on the employee's or member's contribution to the corporation's or 3631
labor organization's political action committee. 3632

       (2) Whoever violates division (A)(1) of this section shall be 3633
fined not less than five hundred nor more than five thousand 3634
dollars. 3635

       (B)(1) No officer, stockholder, attorney, or agent of a 3636
corporation or nonprofit corporation, no member, including an 3637
officer, attorney, or agent, of a labor organization, and no 3638
candidate, political party official, or other individual shall 3639
knowingly aid, advise, solicit, or receive money or other property 3640
in violation of division (A)(1) of this section. 3641

       (2) Whoever violates division (B)(1) of this section shall be 3642
fined not more than one thousand dollars, or imprisoned not more 3643
than one year, or both. 3644

       (C)(1) A corporation, a nonprofit corporation, or a labor 3645
organization may use its funds or property to make an independent 3646
expenditure for or in aid of or opposition to a candidate or a 3647
proposed or certified ballot issue. Such use of funds or property 3648
shall be reported on a form prescribed by the secretary of state.3649
Reports3650

       (2) Reports of independent expenditures regarding a candidate 3651
shall be filed under division (F) of section 3517.106 of the 3652
Revised Code.3653

       (3) Reports of contributions in connection with statewide 3654
ballot issues shall be filed with the secretary of state. Reports 3655
of contributions in connection with local issues shall be filed 3656
with the board of elections of the most populous county of the 3657
district in which the issue is submitted or to be submitted to the 3658
electors. Reports made pursuant to this division shall be filed by 3659
the times specified in divisions (A)(1) and (2) of section 3517.10 3660
of the Revised Code. 3661

       (D)(1) Any gift made pursuant to section 3517.101 of the 3662
Revised Code does not constitute a violation of this section or of 3663
any other section of the Revised Code. 3664

       (2) Any gift made pursuant to division (A)(2) of section 3665
3517.1012 of the Revised Code does not constitute a violation of 3666
this section. 3667

       (3) Any gift made pursuant to division (B) of section 3668
3517.1013 of the Revised Code does not constitute a violation of 3669
this section. 3670

       (4) Any donation made pursuant to division (C)(1) of section 3671
3517.1014 of the Revised Code does not constitute a violation of 3672
this section. 3673

       (E) Any compensation or fees paid by a financial institution 3674
to a state political party for services rendered pursuant to 3675
division (B) of section 3517.19 of the Revised Code do not 3676
constitute a violation of this section or of any other section of 3677
the Revised Code. 3678

       (F)(1) The use by aA nonprofit corporation ofthat is 3679
prohibited from making a contribution or independent expenditure 3680
under section 3517.106 of the Revised Code may use its money or 3681
property for communicating information for a purpose specified in 3682
division (A) of this section is not a violation of that division3683
without violating section 3517.106 of the Revised Code if the 3684
stockholders, members, donors, trustees, or officers of the 3685
nonprofit corporation are the predominant recipients of the 3686
communication. 3687

       (2) The placement of a campaign sign on the property of a 3688
corporation, nonprofit corporation, or labor organization is not a 3689
use of propertycontribution in violation of division (A) of this 3690
section by that corporation, nonprofit corporation, or labor 3691
organization. 3692

       (3) The use by aA corporation or labor organization ofthat 3693
is prohibited from making a contribution or independent 3694
expenditure under section 3517.106 of the Revised Code may use its 3695
money or property for communicating information for a purpose 3696
specified in division (A) of this section is not a violation of 3697
that divisionwithout violating section 3517.106 of the Revised 3698
Code if it is not a communication made by mass broadcast such as 3699
radio or television or made by advertising in a newspaper of 3700
general circulation but is a communication sent exclusively to 3701
members, employees, officers, or trustees of that labor 3702
organization or shareholders, employees, officers, or directors of 3703
that corporation or to members of the immediate families of any 3704
such individuals or if the communication intended to be so sent 3705
exclusively is unintentionally sent as well to a de minimis number 3706
of other individuals. 3707

       (G) In addition to the laws listed in division (A) of section 3708
4117.10 of the Revised Code that prevail over conflicting 3709
agreements between employee organizations and public employers, 3710
this section prevails over any conflicting provisions of 3711
agreements between labor organizations and public employers that 3712
are entered into on or after March 31, 2005, pursuant to Chapter 3713
4117. of the Revised Code. 3714

       (H) As used in this section, "labor organization" has the 3715
same meaning as in section 3517.01 of the Revised Code. 3716

       Sec. 5727.61.  Every public utility required by law to make 3717
returns, statements, or reports to the tax commissioner under 3718
sections 5727.01 to 5727.62 of the Revised Code shall file 3719
therewith, in such form as the commissioner prescribes, an 3720
affidavit subscribed and sworn to by a person or officer having 3721
knowledge of the facts setting forth that such public utility has 3722
not, during the preceding year, except as permitted by sections 3723
3517.082, 3599.03, and 3599.031under Title XXXV of the Revised 3724
Code, directly or indirectly paid, used or offered, consented, or 3725
agreed to pay or use any of its money or property for or in aid of 3726
or oppositionto make a contribution to a political party, a 3727
candidate for election or nomination to public office, or a 3728
political action committee, or legislative campaign fund, or 3729
organization that supports or opposes any such candidate or in any 3730
manner used any of its money or property for any partisan 3731
political purpose whatever, or for the reimbursement or 3732
indemnification of any person for money or property so used. Such 3733
forms of affidavit as the commissioner prescribes shall be 3734
attached to or made a part of the return, statement, or report 3735
required to be made by such public utility under sections 5727.01 3736
to 5727.62 of the Revised Code.3737

       Sec. 5733.27.  Every corporation required by law to make 3738
returns, statements, or reports to the tax commissioner shall file 3739
therewith, in such form as the commissioner prescribes, an 3740
affidavit subscribed and sworn to by a person or officer having 3741
knowledge of the facts setting forth that such corporation has 3742
not, during the preceding year, except as permitted by sections 3743
3517.082, 3599.03, and 3599.031under Title XXXV of the Revised 3744
Code, directly or indirectly paid, used or offered, consented, or 3745
agreed to pay or use any of its money or property for or in aid of 3746
or oppositionto make a contribution to a political party, a 3747
candidate for election or nomination to public office, or a 3748
political action committee, or legislative campaign fund, or 3749
organization that supports or opposes any such candidate or in any 3750
manner used any of its money or property for any partisan 3751
political purpose whatever, or for the reimbursement or 3752
indemnification of any person for money or property so used. Such 3753
forms of affidavit as the commissioner prescribes shall be 3754
attached to or made a part of the return, statement, or report 3755
required to be made by such corporation.3756

       Section 2.  That existing sections 3517.01, 3517.10, 3757
3517.105, 3517.106, 3517.1011, 3517.11, 3517.13, 3517.153, 3758
3517.154, 3517.20, 3517.992, 3599.03, 5727.61, and 5733.27 of the 3759
Revised Code are hereby repealed.3760

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