Citations Affected:
IC 3-9-4-4.
Synopsis: Software for candidate reports. Requires the election
division to provide to candidates at no cost: (1) software that the
candidates may download and install on their personal computers; and
(2) training; to enable candidates to file campaign finance reports
electronically.
Effective: July 1, 2001.
January 22, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on Legislative Apportionment
& Elections.
A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning
elections.
SECTION 1.
IC 3-9-4-4
, AS AMENDED BY P.L.176-1999,
SECTION 43, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
JULY 1, 2001]: Sec. 4. (a) The election division shall develop a filing
and coding system consistent with the purposes of this article. The
election division and each county election board shall use the filing and
coding system. The coding system must provide:
(1) not more than ten (10) codes to account for various campaign
expenditure items; and
(2) a clear explanation of the kinds of expenditure items that must
be accounted for under each code.
(b) The election division shall develop and use a computer system
to store campaign finance reports required to be filed under
IC 3-9-5-6
,
IC 3-9-5-10
, and
IC 3-9-5-20.1.
The computer system must enable the
election division to do the following:
(1) Identify all candidates or committees that received
contributions from a contributor over the past three (3) years.
(2) Identify all contributors to a candidate or committee over the
past three (3) years.
(3) Provide for electronic submission, retrieval, storage, and
disclosure of campaign finance reports of candidates for the
following:
(A) Legislative office.
(B) State office.
The election division shall provide at no cost to candidates
software that candidates may download and install on their
personal computers and training at no cost to candidates to
enable candidates described in this subdivision to file campaign
finance reports electronically.
(c) This subsection applies to an electronic submission under
subsection (b)(3). An electronic submission must be in a format
previously approved by the commission that permits the election
division to print out a hard copy of the report upon the receipt of the
electronic submission from the candidate. Filing of a report occurs
under
IC 3-5-2-24.5
when the hard copy is printed out and the election
division records the date and time of the printout on the hard copy. If
a discrepancy exists between the text of the electronic submission and
the printed report, the text of the printed report prevails until an
amendment is filed under this article to correct the discrepancy.
(d) The election division is not required to accept an electronic
submission unless the submission complies with subsection (b)(3).
Upon receiving approval from the commission, the election division
may accept an electronic submission from candidates, committees, or
persons described in subsection (b)(3).
(e) The election division shall make campaign finance reports stored
on the computer system under subsection (b) available to the general
public through an on-line service.