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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR:	Beam		DATE TYPED:	02/07/02		HB	268/aHAFC
SHORT TITLE:		Campaign & Political Committee Disclosures				SB
					ANALYST:		Woodlee

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained		Estimated Additional Impact		Recurring or Non-Rec	Fund Affected
FY02	FY03	FY02	FY03
NFI	NFI	NFI	NFI	NFI	NFI

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Response Received From:

Attorney General

No Response:

Secretary of State

SUMMARY

Synopsis of HAFC Amendment

The House Appropriations and Finance Committee amendment to House Bill 268 removes the appropriation of $75.0.

Synopsis of Original Bill

House Bill 268 appropriates $75.0 from the general fund to the Secretary of State for the purpose of enforcing the provisions of the Campaign Reporting Act. In addition, the bill requires that political or campaign committees disclose to a recipient of a telephone call made for political purposes the name of the organization that sponsors the call if the call:

Is one of five hundred or more calls similar in nature made during an election cycle made by an individual, individuals, or by electronic means;
Advocates support for, or opposition to, a candidate for public office or ballot measure.

The bill also states that a campaign or political committee that pays for telephone calls must maintain a record of the script of the calls or a recording of a recorded message for at least ninety days following election day. The committees may not contract with a phone bank vendor that does not disclose the required information.

Additionally, House Bill 268 changes the threshold of reporting to the Secretary of State by requiring any political committee that receives, contributes or expends in excess of five hundred dollars ($500) to register with the Secretary of State.

Significant Issues

Currently, statute specifies that it is unlawful for a political committee to receive, contribute or expend in excess of two thousand dollars ($2,000) for a political purpose unless the committee appoints a treasurer and registers with the Secretary of State. This bill would lower the threshold to five hundred dollars ($500). The committee must register within ten days of receiving, contributing or expending the funds.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $75.0 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2003 shall revert to the general fund.

MW/njw