AB494: Bill Text

LRB-3271/1

JTK:jld:rs

2009 - 2010 LEGISLATURE

2009 Assembly BILL 494

October 13, 2009 - Introduced by Representatives Mason, Vos, Sherman, Kestell, Roys, Gunderson, Berceau, LeMahieu, Pope-Roberts, A. Williams, Clark, Townsend, Nerison, Brooks, Jorgensen and Grigsby, cosponsored by Senators Risser, Darling, Holperin and Taylor. Referred to Committee on Elections and Campaign Reform.

AB494,1,2 An Act to amend 11.21 (16) of the statutes; relating to: the methodology for filing campaign finance reports in electronic format.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Currently, each registrant under the campaign finance law for whom the Government Accountability Board (GAB) serves as filing officer and who or which accepts political contributions in a total amount or value of $20,000 or more during a campaign period, as defined by law, must file reports in an electronic format. GAB is directed to specify, by rule, a type of software that is suitable for compliance with the electronic filing requirement. GAB must provide copies of the software to registrants at a price fixed by GAB that may not exceed cost.

This bill directs GAB to provide an Internet-based system that registrants may use to file campaign finance reports in an electronic format. The bill also directs GAB to permit registrants to file campaign finance reports in electronic format either by using the Internet-based system or by using software that produces a delimited file (such as Microsoft Office Excel software).

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB494, s. 1 Section 1. 11.21 (16) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB494,3,2 11.21 (16) Require each registrant for whom the board serves as filing officer and who or which accepts contributions in a total amount or value of $20,000 or more during a campaign period to file each campaign finance report that is required to be filed under this chapter in an electronic format, and accept from any other registrant for whom the board serves as a filing officer any campaign finance report that is required to be filed under this chapter in an electronic format. A registrant who or which becomes subject to a requirement to file reports in an electronic format under this subsection shall initially file the registrant's report in an electronic format for the period which includes the date on which the registrant becomes subject to the requirement. To facilitate implementation of this subsection, the The board shall provide an Internet-based system that registrants may use to file campaign finance reports in an electronic format. The board shall permit registrants to file campaign finance reports in electronic format either by using the Internet-based system or by using software that produces a delimited file. The board shall specify, by rule, a type of software that is suitable for compliance with the electronic filing requirement under this subsection. The board shall provide copies of the software to registrants at a price fixed by the board that may not exceed cost. Each registrant who or which files a report under this subsection in an electronic format shall also file a copy of the report with the board that is recorded on a medium specified by the board. The copy shall be signed by an authorized individual and filed with the board by each registrant no later than the time prescribed for filing of the report under this chapter. The board shall provide complete instructions to any registrant who or which files a report under this subsection. In this subsection, the "campaign period" of a candidate, personal campaign committee or support committee begins and ends with the "campaign" of the candidate whose candidacy is supported, as defined in s. 11.26 (17), and the "campaign period" of any other registrant begins on January 1 of each odd-numbered year and ends on December 31 of the following year.

AB494,3,3 (End)