SENATOR TAYLOR introduced SB 49 (YEAR-END CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS) and invited JOSH FINK, aide to SENATOR KELLY to review the bill. MR. FINK explained SB 49 would make some long needed adjustment to the campaign reporting laws, the main feature being the closing of the reporting gap. He gave some history on the fate of similar legislation from last year, and some general history on the APOC reporting gap, which occurs between the 7 day pre-election report and the 24 hour reports. He explained how this obscures the public's right-to-know. MR. FINK said the bill would change the deadline for filing year-end campaign reports from December 31 to February 15th, and he explained the advantages of such actions. He reported APOC had requested a couple of amendments which were included in the legislation. The first in Section 1 has new language which clarifies the scope of the year-end report, and the second, also in Section 1, makes the filing of zero reports mandatory. MR. FINK described the reasons for the amendments. SENATOR LITTLE asked if there would be a problem with including left-over information on the April report. She explained it would be any information from the last deadline for the year-end report and the April deadline. MR. FINK said her year-end report wouldn't really be a year- end report then, and he outlined the statutory problem with her question. He deferred to KAREN BOORMAN, from APOC, for additional answers. Number 312 MS. BOORMAN, Executive Director for the APUC, explained the deadline on the report and the April 15 report were two separate laws. The Conflict of Interest Law statement is due April 15, and the other deadline refers to the Campaign Disclosure Law. The February 15 deadline was the result of issues raised by legislators giving reasons for a delay in their records, and she said the commission was amenable to the delay. She said the information was still available to the public in a timely manner. MS. BOORMAN reported a zero fiscal note. SENATOR TAYLOR said the bill would be moved from committee as soon as there was a quorum.