Signed by Governor Kate Brown

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires the disclosure of organizations giving at minimum $50,000 for advertisements involving legislative candidates, and $250,000 for statewide races.

Highlights:

• Defines “covered organization” as a combination of two or more individuals, or a person other than an individual, political committee, petition committee or a not-for-profit corporation that is tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, that both accepts donations and makes political communications (Sec. 2).

• Defines “electioneering threshold for a legislative race” as political communications made by a covered organization of less than $25,000 for a particular seat of the Legislative Assembly.

• Defines “electioneering threshold for a measure” as political communications made by a covered organization of less than $100,000 for a particular measure, though the type of measure and the population count can alter the conditions of this definition (Sec. 2).

• Defines “electioneering threshold for a political committee” as political communications made by a covered organization of less than $100,000 for a particular political committee (Sec. 2).

• Defines “electioneering threshold for a statewide race” as political communications made by a covered organization of less than $100,000 for a particular state office as defined in ORS 249.215 (Sec. 2).

• Requires covered organizations that exceed the electioneering threshold for a legislative race, the electioneering threshold for a measure, the electioneering threshold for a political committee, or the electioneering threshold for a statewide race to file with the Secretary of State an initial donor identification list that has the name, address and aggregate amount donated by each donor that donated $10,000 or more to the covered organization during that election cycle (Sec. 3). 

• Requires covered organizations that need to file an initial donor identification list to file this list no later than seven calendar days after the covered organization engages in political communication over the relevant threshold (Sec. 3).

• Requires covered organizations that have filed an initial donor identification list to update the list with all subsequent donations of or more than $10,000 and the relevant donor information (Sec. 3).

• Requires the Secretary of State to deliver the initial and updated donor identification lists to any individual that requests them no later than five days after the request is received (Sec. 3).

• Exempts covered organizations from filing this information if aggregate donations of $10,000 or more are (Sec. 3):

• Donations from an affiliated charitable organization that is tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; and

• Donations and grants received from foundations and other donors that may not be used for political communications.

• Establishes civil penalties, at the discretion of the Secretary of State, for not filing (Sec. 4):

• An initial donor identification list in a timely manner;

• An updated initial donor identification list in a timely manner; or

• All donors or amounts donated and required under the previous section, on initial or updated donor identification lists.

• Prohibits an individual from directly or indirectly reimbursing a person for a contribution or donation, or making a contribution or donation in another name that is not that individual’s name to politically relevant actors (Sec. 5).

• Defines “independent expenditure” as an expenditure by a person for communication in support of or in opposition to a clearly identified candidate or measure that is not made with the cooperation or with the prior consent of, or in consultation with, or at the request or suggestion of, a candidate or any agent or authorized committee of the candidate, or any political committee or agent of a political committee supporting or opposing a measure (Sec. 7).

• Requires individuals that make independent expenditures of more than $250 in a calendar year to use the electronic filing system adopted under ORS 260.057 to file with the Secretary of State a statement of independent expenditures no later than seven calendar days after the monetary amount exceeds $250 in a calendar year (Sec. 8).

• Requires each candidate (excluding candidates for political party office), the treasurer of each political committee, the treasurer of each petition committee, and each individual that makes independent expenditures more than $250 in a calendar year, to keep detailed, up-to-date accounts, which can be inspected under reasonable circumstances and during specific time periods randomly (Sec. 9).

• Establishes an emergency, declaring that this act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety (Sec. 12).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires the disclosure of organizations giving at minimum $50,000 for advertisements involving legislative candidates, and $250,000 for statewide races.

Highlights:

• Defines “covered organization” as a combination of two or more individuals, or a person other than an individual, political committee, petition committee or a not-for-profit corporation that is tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, that both accepts donations and makes political communications (Sec. 2).

• Defines “electioneering threshold for a legislative race” as political communications made by a covered organization of less than $25,000 for a particular seat of the Legislative Assembly.

• Defines “electioneering threshold for a measure” as political communications made by a covered organization of less than $100,000 for a particular measure, though the type of measure and the population count can alter the conditions of this definition (Sec. 2).

• Defines “electioneering threshold for a political committee” as political communications made by a covered organization of less than $100,000 for a particular political committee (Sec. 2).

• Defines “electioneering threshold for a statewide race” as political communications made by a covered organization of less than $100,000 for a particular state office as defined in ORS 249.215 (Sec. 2).

• Requires covered organizations that exceed the electioneering threshold for a legislative race, the electioneering threshold for a measure, the electioneering threshold for a political committee, or the electioneering threshold for a statewide race to file with the Secretary of State an initial donor identification list that has the name, address and aggregate amount donated by each donor that donated $10,000 or more to the covered organization during that election cycle (Sec. 3). 

• Requires covered organizations that need to file an initial donor identification list to file this list no later than seven calendar days after the covered organization engages in political communication over the relevant threshold (Sec. 3).

• Requires covered organizations that have filed an initial donor identification list to update the list with all subsequent donations of or more than $10,000 and the relevant donor information (Sec. 3).

• Requires the Secretary of State to deliver the initial and updated donor identification lists to any individual that requests them no later than five days after the request is received (Sec. 3).

• Exempts covered organizations from filing this information if aggregate donations of $10,000 or more are (Sec. 3):

• Donations from an affiliated charitable organization that is tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; and

• Donations and grants received from foundations and other donors that may not be used for political communications.

• Establishes civil penalties, at the discretion of the Secretary of State, for not filing (Sec. 4):

• An initial donor identification list in a timely manner;

• An updated initial donor identification list in a timely manner; or

• All donors or amounts donated and required under the previous section, on initial or updated donor identification lists.

• Prohibits an individual from directly or indirectly reimbursing a person for a contribution or donation, or making a contribution or donation in another name that is not that individual’s name to politically relevant actors (Sec. 5).

• Defines “independent expenditure” as an expenditure by a person for communication in support of or in opposition to a clearly identified candidate or measure that is not made with the cooperation or with the prior consent of, or in consultation with, or at the request or suggestion of, a candidate or any agent or authorized committee of the candidate, or any political committee or agent of a political committee supporting or opposing a measure (Sec. 7).

• Requires individuals that make independent expenditures of more than $250 in a calendar year to use the electronic filing system adopted under ORS 260.057 to file with the Secretary of State a statement of independent expenditures no later than seven calendar days after the monetary amount exceeds $250 in a calendar year (Sec. 8).

• Requires each candidate (excluding candidates for political party office), the treasurer of each political committee, the treasurer of each petition committee, and each individual that makes independent expenditures more than $250 in a calendar year, to keep detailed, up-to-date accounts, which can be inspected under reasonable circumstances and during specific time periods randomly (Sec. 9).

• Establishes an emergency, declaring that this act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety (Sec. 12).

Full Bill Text