HOUSE VOTERS AND ELECTIONS COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
HOUSE BILL 908
47th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2006
AN ACT
RELATING TO THE PUBLIC PEACE, HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE; REMOVING PROVISIONS REQUIRING ELECTRONIC FILING OF CAMPAIGN REPORTS; DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
Section 1. Section 1-19-29 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1993, Chapter 46, Section 5, as amended) is amended to read:
"1-19-29. TIME AND PLACE OF FILING REPORTS.--
A. Annually, all reporting individuals shall file with the proper filing officer by 5:00 p.m. on the second Monday in May a report of all expenditures made and contributions received on or before the first Monday in May and not previously reported. The report shall be filed annually until the reporting individual's bank account has been closed and the other provisions specified in Subsection E of this section have been satisfied.
B. In an election year, in addition to the May report provided for in Subsection A of this section, all reporting individuals, except for persons who file a statement of exception pursuant to Section 1-19-33 NMSA 1978 and except for public officials who are not candidates in an election that year, shall file reports of all expenditures made and contributions received according to the following schedule:
(1) by 5:00 p.m. on the second Monday in October, a report of all expenditures made and contributions received on or before the first Monday in October and not previously reported;
(2) by 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday before a primary, general or statewide special election, a report of all expenditures made and contributions received by 5:00 p.m. on the Tuesday before the election. Any contribution or pledge to contribute that is received after 5:00 p.m. on the Tuesday before the election and that is for five hundred dollars ($500) or more in a legislative or non-statewide judicial election, or two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) or more in a statewide election, shall be reported to the proper filing officer either in a supplemental report on a prescribed form within twenty-four hours of receipt or in the report to be filed by 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday before a primary, general or statewide special election, except that any such contribution or pledge to contribute that is received after 5:00 p.m. on the Friday before the election may be reported by 12:00 noon on the Monday before the election; and
(3) by 5:00 p.m. on the thirtieth day after a primary, general or statewide special election, a report of all expenditures made and contributions received on or before the twenty-fifth day after the election and not previously reported.
C. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this section, the report due on the thirtieth day after an election need be the only report filed after the annual May report if the candidate is not opposed in the election and if the report includes all expenditures made and contributions received for that election and not previously reported.
D. A report of expenditures and contributions filed after a deadline set forth in this section shall not be deemed to have been timely filed.
E. Each reporting individual shall file a report of expenditures and contributions annually pursuant to the filing schedule set forth in this section, regardless of whether any expenditures were made or contributions were received during the reporting period. Reports shall be required until the reporting individual delivers a report to the proper filing officer stating that:
(1) there are no outstanding campaign debts;
(2) all money has been expended in accordance with the provisions of Section 1-19-29.1 NMSA 1978; and
(3) the bank account has been closed.
F. Each treasurer of a political committee shall file a report of expenditures and contributions annually pursuant to the filing schedule set forth in this section until the treasurer files a report that affirms that the committee has dissolved or no longer exists and that its bank account has been closed.
G. A reporting individual who is a candidate within the meaning of the Campaign Reporting Act because of the amount of contributions [he] the candidate receives or expenditures [he] the candidate makes and who does not ultimately file a declaration of candidacy or a nominating petition with the proper filing officer shall nevertheless file a report, not later than the second Monday in May for a primary election or the second Monday in October for a general election, of all contributions received and expenditures made on or before the first Monday in May for a primary election or the first Monday in October for a general election and not previously reported.
H. Reports required by this section [shall] may be filed electronically by all reporting individuals.
[I. Reporting individuals may apply to the secretary of state for exemption from electronic filing in case of hardship, which shall be defined by the secretary of state.]
I. The secretary of state shall convert campaign reports that are filed on paper into the electronic format used by the secretary of state's on-line searchable campaign report database."
Section 2. EMERGENCY.--It is necessary for the public peace, health and safety that this act take effect immediately.
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