Align Regular Biennial School Elections & FCPA Fair Campaign Practices Act

The act aligns regular biennial school elections with disclosure requirements governing other election races under the 'Fair Campaign Practices Act' (FCPA) in the following respects:

• Adds a definition to the FCPA of 'regular biennial school election and 'regular biennial school electioneering communication', which is the same as an 'electioneering communication' with modifications adapted to a candidate in a regular biennial school election;
• Extends existing disclosure requirements applicable to a person making an independent expenditure in excess of $1,000 to include such expenditures made in connection with a regular biennial school election;
• Makes large regular biennial school electioneering communications subject to the same disclosure requirements as electioneering communications;
• Modifies the definitions of 'election year' and 'major election' so the terms are applicable to regular biennial school elections;
• Requires various committees or political organizations that participate in a regular biennial school election to begin filing quarterly disclosure reports as of the date they commence various forms of political activity in connection with the election; and
• Extends the existing requirement that various committees or political parties must disclose a contribution in excess of $1,000 30 days before a general or primary election to include 30 days before a regular biennial school election.

For the 2016-17 state fiscal year, the act appropriates $5,047 to the department of state from the department of state cash fund. To implement the act, the department is authorized to use the appropriation for personal services related to information technology services.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)