ELIMINATE ELECTRONIC FILING ADVISORY BOARD

Senate Bill 477

Sponsor:  Sen. Jason Allen

House Committee:  House Oversight, Elections, and Ethics

Senate Committee:  Local, Urban and State Affairs

Complete to 2-27-06

A SUMMARY OF SENATE BILL 477 AS PASSED BY THE SENATE 6-22-05

The bill would amend the Michigan Campaign Finance Act to delete provisions that created the Electronic Filing Advisory Board.  Under the act, the board was dissolved 60 days after issuing its February 2003 report. 

Currently under the law, the secretary of state is required to implement an electronic filing and Internet disclosure system that permits the campaign committees that are required to file statements or reports to file them electronically.  The reports are then disclosed on a website.  Beginning with the annual campaign statement that was due January 31, 2004, each committee required to file with the secretary of state—that is, those that received or expended $20,000 or more in the preceding calendar year, or expected to do so in the current calendar year—has been required to electronically file all statements and reports required under the act.  Senate Bill 477 would retain these provisions.

An now-outdated provision of the law required the creation of a five-member Electronic Filing Advisory Board that did all of the following:

** Monitored the voluntary electronic filing of campaign statements in the 2000 and 2002 election cycle by candidate committees that received or spent more than $20,000 in the preceding election cycle.

**Monitored the Internet disclosure of the electronically filed campaign statements.

** By February 1, 2003, prepared and submitted to members of the legislature a report on the effectiveness and ease of use of the electronic filing and internet disclosure system.

Senate Bill 477 would eliminate these outdated provisions.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The bill would have no fiscal impact.

                                                                                           Legislative Analyst:   J. Hunault                 

■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.