Under current law, lobbyists shall file with the ethics commission five days after commencing lobbyist activities. This act allows for filing on January 5th of each year or five days after commencing lobbyist activities.

The act restricts lobbyist expenditures for caucuses only to include those of the minority and majority parties of the House and Senate.

Under the act, lobbyists shall not make expenditures on behalf of senators and representatives, for travel and lodging outside of the state unless approved prior to the date of expenditure by the Administration and Accounts committee of the House or the Administration Committee of the Senate. The act requires lobbyists to report the time, venue, and nature of entertainment expenditures.

The act requires the inclusion of the names and addresses of certain committees for which individuals received payment to be included on financial interest statements. The statements must be filed electronically with the Ethics Commission.

The Ethics Commission shall deliver copies of complaints, including the name of the complainant to any alleged violator within five days of receiving a complaint. The commission must also notify the alleged violator if the commission decides to audit the individual. The Ethics Commission must dismiss frivolous cases and provide notice to the complainant and alleged violator of the dismissal.

Under current law, the executive director of the Ethics Commission must assess fines and give notice to candidates who fail to file campaign disclosure reports. Alternatively, under the act, the executive director must assess fines upon and give notice to the committee.

Candidates shall be disqualified from elections if the candidate is a past or present corporate officer of any fee office that owes any taxes to the state or is delinquent in the filing or payment of income, personal property or real property taxes. Felons are barred from running for elective public office.

Members of or candidates for the General Assembly may not form a candidate committee for the office of the speaker of the House or pro tem of the Senate. Continuing committees shall be formed no later than 60 days prior to an election for which the committee receives contributions or makes expenditures.

The act repeals all caps on contributions. Monetary contributions shall not be made from any political party committees to any candidate committees, continuing committees, or political party committees. Candidate committees are not limited from making contributions to other committees.

Candidates for the House of Representatives, Senate, or statewide office shall not accept any contributions during legislative session. Only candidates for special election to the House, Senate, or statewide office may, during session, accept contributions from the date of their nomination by his or her respective political party until 30 days after the election.

The Ethics Commission shall organize its Internet website showing expenditures made in support of and against each candidate by candidate.

The act requires continuing committees to submit additional reports if it makes aggregate expenditures not later than 24 hours after expenditures of $500 or more if they are made after the 12th day before the election. Expenditures of $250 or more made by committees must be filed within 24 hours. The act also requires the electronic filing of disclosure reports with the Ethics Commission.

Complaints shall not be accepted by the Ethics Commission within 15 days prior to the primary or general election at which a candidate is running for office. The Ethics Commission shall study issues regarding political telephone solicitations and issue a report containing recommendations to the General Assembly by January 1, 2007.

This act is similar to SS/SCS/SB 1254 (2006).

The provisions of this act become effective January 1, 2007.

CHRIS HOGERTY