SEC. 1.112. ELECTRONIC CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE.
§ 1.112
Political campaign committees in San Francisco must file their campaign finance disclosures electronically with the Ethics Commission if they meet certain thresholds or types (such as candidate-controlled committees or committees supporting local measures that raise or spend $1,000 or more annually), provided the Commission has set the electronic format at least 60 days ahead. Committees must include expenditure dates in their filings and remain subject to electronic filing until they formally terminate.
When campaign committees raise or spend $1,000 or more in a year, they must file their financial reports electronically with San Francisco's Ethics Commission instead of on paper. This applies to committees run by candidates for City office, committees created to support or oppose local ballot measures or candidates, and certain other political committees. The electronic filing format must be available at least two months before reports are due. Once a committee starts filing electronically, it must continue doing so every time it files a report, even if donations or spending drops below $1,000 in later years. The reports must show when each expense actually happened. Committees that are not required to file electronically can choose to do so voluntarily.
- Complex:The section contains multiple nested subsections with cross-references to state law and conditional requirements (e.g., 'provided that' clauses) that may confuse readers unfamiliar with campaign finance rules.
- Controversial:Campaign finance disclosure requirements and enforcement are subjects of ongoing debate in San Francisco regarding transparency, compliance burden, and fair elections.
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Official text
(a) FILING ELECTRONIC CAMPAIGN STATEMENTS.
(1) Filing Electronic Copies of Campaign Statements Required by State Law. Whenever any committee that meets the requirements of Subsection (b) of this Section is required by the California Political Reform Act, California Government Code Section 81000 et seq., to file a campaign disclosure statement or report with the Ethics Commission, the committee shall file the statement or report in an electronic format with the Ethics Commission, provided the Ethics Commission has prescribed the format at least 60 days before the statement or report is due to be filed.
(2) Filing Electronic Copies of Campaign Statements Required by Local Law. Whenever any committee is required to file a campaign disclosure statement or report with the Ethics Commission under this Chapter, the committee shall file the statement or report in an electronic format, provided the Ethics Commission has prescribed the format at least 60 days before the statement or report is due to be filed.
(3) Continuous Filing of Electronic Statements. Once a committee is subject to the electronic filing requirements imposed by this Section, the committee shall remain subject to the electronic filing requirements, regardless of the amount of contributions received or expenditures made during each reporting period, until the committee terminates pursuant to this Chapter and the California Political Reform Act, California Government Code Section 81000 et seq.
(4) Disclosure of Expenditure Dates. All electronic statements filed under this Section shall include the date any expenditure required to be reported on the statement was incurred, provided that the Ethics Commission's forms accommodate the reporting of such dates.
(b) COMMITTEES SUBJECT TO ELECTRONIC FILING REQUIREMENTS.
(1) A committee must file electronic copies of statements and reports if it receives contributions or makes expenditures that total $1,000 or more in a calendar year and is:
(A) a committee controlled by a candidate for City elective office;
(B) a committee primarily formed to support or oppose a local measure or a candidate for City elective office; or
(C) a general purpose recipient, independent expenditure or major donor committee that qualifies, under state law, as a county general purpose committee in the City and County of San Francisco; or
(D) a committee primarily formed to support or oppose a person seeking membership on a San Francisco county central committee, including a committee controlled by the person seeking membership on a San Francisco county central committee.
(2) The Ethics Commission may require additional committees not listed in this Section to file electronically through regulations adopted at least 60 days before the statement or report is due to be filed.
(c) VOLUNTARY ELECTRONIC FILING. Any committee not required to file electronic statements by this Section may voluntarily opt to file electronic statements by submitting written notice to the Ethics Commission. A committee that opts to file electronic statements shall be subject to the requirements of this Section.
(Added by Proposition O, 11/7/2000; amended by Ord. 3-06, File No. 051439, App. 1/20/2006; Ord. 228-06, File No. 060501, App. 9/14/2006; Ord. 234-09, File. No. 090989, App. 11/20/2009; Ord. 8-13 , File No. 120817, App. 2/4/2013, Eff. 3/6/2013)
(Former Sec. 1.112 added by Ord. 114-76, App. 4/2/76; amended by Ord. 386-95, App. 12/14/95; renumbered by Ord. 71-00, File No. 000358, App. 4/28/2000; renumbered by Proposition O, 11/7/2000)