00 CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 407(STA) 01 "An Act relating to the location of offices for the Alaska Public Offices Commission and 02 the locations at which certain statements and reports filed with the commission are 03 made available; relating to the duties of the Alaska Public Offices Commission; 04 clarifying the limits on making, accepting, and reporting certain cash campaign 05 contributions; relating to campaign finance reporting by certain groups; increasing the 06 time the Alaska Public Offices Commission has to respond to a request for an advisory 07 opinion; repealing a reporting requirement for certain contributions; relating to 08 propositions and initiative proposals; and providing for an effective date." 09 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 10  * Section 1. AS 15.13.020(j) is amended to read: 11 (j) The commission shall establish a central [AN] office [, WHICH MAY BE 12 CALLED A REGIONAL OFFICE, IN EACH SENATE DISTRICT IN THE STATE] 01 to keep on file for public inspection copies of all reports filed with the commission 02 [BY CANDIDATES FOR STATEWIDE OFFICE AND BY CANDIDATES FOR 03 LEGISLATIVE OFFICE IN THAT DISTRICT; HOWEVER, WHERE ONE 04 MUNICIPALITY CONTAINS MORE THAN ONE HOUSE DISTRICT, ONLY 05 ONE COMMISSION OFFICE SHALL BE ESTABLISHED IN THAT 06 MUNICIPALITY. THE REGIONAL OFFICE SHALL MAKE ALL FORMS AND 07 PERTINENT MATERIAL AVAILABLE TO CANDIDATES. ALL REPORTS 08 SHALL BE FILED BY CANDIDATES, GROUPS, AND INDIVIDUALS 09 DIRECTLY WITH THE COMMISSION'S CENTRAL DISTRICT OFFICE. THE 10 COMMISSION SHALL ENSURE THAT COPIES OF ALL REPORTS BY 11 STATEWIDE AND LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATES IN EACH SENATE DISTRICT 12 ARE FORWARDED PROMPTLY TO THAT DISTRICT OR REGIONAL OFFICE].  13  * Sec. 2. AS 15.13.030 is amended to read: 14 Sec. 15.13.030. Duties of the commission. The commission shall 15 (1) develop and provide all forms for the reports and statements 16 required to be made under this chapter, AS 24.45, and AS 39.50; 17 (2) prepare and publish a manual setting out uniform methods of 18 bookkeeping and reporting for use by persons required to make reports and statements 19 under this chapter and otherwise assist all persons in complying with the requirements 20 of this chapter; 21 (3) receive and hold open for public inspection reports and statements 22 required to be made under this chapter and, upon request, furnish copies at cost to 23 interested persons; 24 (4) compile and maintain a current list of all filed reports and 25 statements; 26 (5) prepare a summary of each report filed under AS 15.13.110 and 27 make copies of this summary available to interested persons at their actual cost; 28 (6) notify, by registered or certified mail, all persons who are 29 delinquent in filing reports and statements required to be made under this chapter; 30 (7) examine, investigate, and compare [ALL] reports, statements, and 31 actions required by this chapter, AS 24.45, and AS 39.50; 01 (8) prepare and publish a biennial report concerning the activities of 02 the commission, the effectiveness of this chapter, its enforcement by the attorney 03 general's office, and recommendations and proposals for change; the commission shall 04 notify the legislature that the report is available; 05 (9) adopt regulations necessary to implement and clarify the provisions 06 of AS 24.45, AS 39.50, and this chapter, subject to the provisions of AS 44.62 07 (Administrative Procedure Act); and 08 (10) consider a written request for an advisory opinion concerning the 09 application of this chapter, AS 24.45, AS 24.60.200 - 24.60.260, or AS 39.50. 10  * Sec. 3. AS 15.13.040(b) is amended to read: 11 (b) Each group shall make a full report on [UPON] a form prescribed by the 12 commission, listing 13 (1) the name and address of each officer and director; 14 (2) the aggregate amount of all contributions made to it; and, for all 15 contributions in excess of $100 in the aggregate in a calendar year, the name, address, 16 principal occupation, and employer of the contributor, and the date and amount 17 contributed by each contributor; for purposes of this paragraph, "contributor" means 18 the true source of the funds, property, or services being contributed; and 19 (3) the date and amount of all contributions made by it and all 20 expenditures made, incurred, or authorized by it. 21  * Sec. 4. AS 15.13.040(g) is amended to read: 22 (g) The provisions of (a), (b), and (l) of this section do not apply to a 23 (1) delegate to a constitutional convention, a judge seeking judicial 24 retention, or a candidate for election to a municipal office under AS 15.13.010, if that 25 delegate, judge, or candidate 26 (A) [(1)] indicates, on a form prescribed by the commission, an 27 intent not to raise and not to expend more than $5,000 in seeking election to 28 office, including both the primary and general elections; 29 (B) [(2)] accepts contributions totaling not more than $5,000 in 30 seeking election to office, including both the primary and general elections; 31 and 01 (C) [(3)] makes expenditures totaling not more than $5,000 in 02 seeking election to office, including both the primary and general elections; 03 (2) group, if the group  04 (A) indicates, on a form prescribed by the commission, an  05 intent not to raise and not to expend more than $2,500 in a calendar year;  06 (B) accepts contributions totaling not more than $2,500 in a  07 calendar year; and  08 (C) makes expenditures totaling not more than $2,500 in a  09 calendar year. 10  * Sec. 5. AS 15.13.040(m) is amended to read: 11 (m) Information required under this chapter shall be submitted to the 12 commission electronically, except that the following information may be submitted in 13 clear and legible black typeface or hand-printed in dark ink on paper in a format 14 approved by the commission or on forms provided by the commission: 15 (1) information submitted by 16 (A) a candidate for election to a borough or city office of 17 mayor, membership on a borough assembly, city council, or school board, or 18 any state office, who 19 (i) meets the requirements of (g)(1)(A) - (C) [(g)(1) - 20 (3)] of this section; or 21 (ii) does not have reasonable access to the technology 22 necessary to file electronically; in this sub-subparagraph, a candidate is 23 considered not to have reasonable access to the technology necessary to 24 file electronically if the candidate does not own a personal computer or 25 does not have broadband Internet access at the candidate's residence; in 26 this sub-subparagraph, "broadband Internet access" means high-speed 27 Internet access that is always on and that is faster than traditional dial- 28 up access; or 29 (B) a candidate for municipal office for a municipality with a 30 population of less than 15,000; in this subparagraph, "municipal office" means 31 the office of an elected borough or city 01 (i) mayor; or 02 (ii) assembly, council, or school board member; 03 (2) any information if the commission determines that circumstances 04 warrant an exception to the electronic submission requirement. 05  * Sec. 6. AS 15.13.072(b) is amended to read: 06 (b) In a calendar year, a [A] candidate or an individual who has filed with 07 the commission the document necessary to permit the individual to incur election- 08 related expenses under AS 15.13.100, or a group, may not solicit or accept a cash 09 contribution that exceeds $100. 10  * Sec. 7. AS 15.13.074(e) is amended to read: 11 (e) A person or group may not make a cash contribution that exceeds $100 in  12 a calendar year. 13  * Sec. 8. AS 15.13.374(c) is amended to read: 14 (c) Within seven business days after receiving a request satisfying the 15 requirements of (b) of this section, the executive director of the commission shall 16 recommend a draft advisory opinion for the commission to consider at its next 17 meeting. 18  * Sec. 9. AS 24.45.091 is amended to read: 19 Sec. 24.45.091. Publication of reports. Copies of the statements and reports 20 filed under this chapter shall be made available to the public at the commission's 21 central office and on the commission's Internet website [, THE OFFICE OF THE 22 LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, THE LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE LIBRARY OF 23 THE LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS AGENCY, AND AT THE COMMISSION'S 24 DISTRICT OFFICES PRESCRIBED IN AS 15.13.020(j)] as soon as practicable after 25 each reporting period. 26  * Sec. 10. AS 24.45.111(b) is amended to read: 27 (b) The commission shall preserve the statements and reports required to be 28 filed under this chapter for a period of six years from the date of filing. Copies [IF 29 THE COMMISSION'S CENTRAL OFFICE IS NOT IN THE STATE CAPITAL, 30 COPIES] of all statements and reports filed under this chapter shall be maintained in 31 the commission's central [AN] office and be made available on the commission's  01 Internet website [ESTABLISHED BY THE COMMISSION IN THE STATE 02 CAPITAL OR IN THE OFFICE OF THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR]. 03  * Sec. 11. AS 15.13.040(k) is repealed. 04  * Sec. 12. This Act takes effect January 1, 2019.