§ 13-309.1. Filing deadlines -- Disclosure report following aggregate expenditures of $10,000 or more. (Section effective January 1, 2015.)

   (a) "Electioneering communication" defined. -- In this section, "electioneering communication" has the meaning stated in § 13-307(a) of this subtitle.

(b) Applicability. -- This section applies to a political action committee that exclusively makes:

   (1) independent expenditures; or

   (2) disbursements for electioneering communications.

(c) When expenditure considered to be made. -- For purposes of this section, a political action committee shall be considered to have made an expenditure if the political committee has executed a contract to make an expenditure.

(d) Section requires additional disclosure reports. --

   (1) The disclosure reports required under this section are in addition to the campaign finance reports required under § 13-309 of this subtitle.

   (2) The political action committee shall include all of the information reported on a disclosure report on its regularly filed campaign finance reports.

(e) In general. -- A political action committee shall file a disclosure report within 48 hours after a day on which the political action committee makes aggregate expenditures of $ 10,000 or more on campaign material during the reporting period covered by its next campaign finance report.

(f) In general -- Expenditures of $10,000 or more following closing date of preceding disclosure report. -- A political action committee shall file an additional disclosure report within 48 hours after a day on which the political action committee makes aggregate expenditures of $ 10,000 or more on campaign material following the closing date of the immediately preceding disclosure report filed by the political action committee.

(g) Penalties -- Failure to file. -- In addition to any other sanction provided by law, the State Board may assess a penalty for failure to file properly a disclosure report or an amended disclosure report required under this section in an amount not exceeding the greater of:

   (1) $ 1,000 for each day or part of a day that a disclosure report or an amended campaign finance report is overdue; or

   (2) 10% of the amount of the contributions or expenditures that were not reported in a timely manner.

(h) Penalties -- Relief from penalty. -- A person who fails to file properly a disclosure report or an amended disclosure report under this section may seek relief from a penalty under subsection (g) of this section for just cause as provided in § 13-337 of this subtitle.

(i) Penalties -- Assessment and distribution. -- A penalty under subsection (g) of this section shall be:

   (1) assessed in the manner specified in § 13-604.1 of this title; and

   (2) distributed to the General Fund of the State.

HISTORY: 2013, ch. 419, § 1.