SB906: Campaign advertisements; independent expenditures, electioneering communications.

Legislative Summary

Campaign advertisements; independent expenditures; electioneering communications; disclaimer requirements. Broadens the scope of disclaimer requirements for campaign advertisements to include electioneering communications, as defined in the bill, and messages advocating for the passage or defeat of a referendum. The bill also requires an advertisement that is an independent expenditure to contain a disclaimer providing the names of the advertisement sponsor's three largest contributors. The bill also requires independent expenditure reports to be filed electronically. Current law allows such reports to be filed either electronically or in writing. The bill increases the reporting and disclosure thresholds for independent expenditures from $1,000 or more for a statewide election or $200 or more for any other election to $5,000 or more for a statewide election or $1,000 or more for any other election and exempts the sponsor of an independent expenditure from disclosing its top three contributors if its independent expenditures aggregate to less than $20,000 in an election cycle. Finally, the bill includes in the definition of "political action committee" any organization holding tax-exempt status that expressly advocates for or against candidates, solicits donations for such purpose, and makes contributions or independent expenditures in excess of $20,000 for such purpose.