PRINTER'S NO. 343

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE BILL

No.

346

Session of

2017

INTRODUCED BY BROWNE, GORDNER, MENSCH, BAKER, EICHELBERGER, YAW,

RAFFERTY, AUMENT, FOLMER, COSTA, FONTANA, BOSCOLA, BREWSTER,

SCHWANK AND HUGHES, FEBRUARY 15, 2017

and defining membership of county boards of elections;

imposing duties upon the Secretary of the Commonwealth,

courts, county boards of elections, county commissioners;

imposing penalties for violation of the act, and codifying,

revising and consolidating the laws relating thereto; and

repealing certain acts and parts of acts relating to

elections," in primary election expenses, further providing

for reporting by candidate and political committees and other

persons, for late contributions and independent expenditures

and for additional powers and duties of the Secretary of the

Section 1626. Reporting by Candidate and Political

Committees and other Persons.--

* * *

(k) (1) All campaign finance reports required to be filed

with the Secretary of the Commonwealth shall be filed

electronically using the electronic filing system developed by

the secretary that is consistent with the purposes of this

subsection. A campaign finance report submitted electronically

must:

(i) be made under oath or equivalent affirmation;

equivalent affirmation by the candidate that, to the best of the

candidate's knowledge, the political committee has not violated

a provision of this act; and

(iii) be made subject to the penalties for perjury.

(2) A candidate or political committee not able to file

electronically the report or statement required by this

subsection shall request an exemption from the secretary. The

candidate or political committee upon approval of the secretary

shall file reports and statements on forms developed by the

secretary.

contribution or pledge of five hundred dollars ($500) or more,

and any person making an independent expenditure, as defined by

this act, of five hundred dollars ($500) or more after the final

pre-election report has been deemed completed shall report such

contribution, pledge or expenditure to the appropriate

supervisor. Such report shall be sent by the candidate, chairman

or treasurer of the political committee within twenty-four (24)

hours of receipt of the contribution. It shall be the duty of

with this section by appearing personally before such supervisor

and reporting such late contributions or pledges.

Section 1640. Additional Powers and Duties of the Secretary

of the Commonwealth.--The Secretary of the Commonwealth shall

have the following additional powers and duties:

(1) To serve as the State clearing house for information

concerning the administration of this act.

(2) To prescribe suitable rules and regulations to carry out

the provisions of this act.

(3) To develop the prescribed forms required by the

(5) To examine the contributions to State legislative and

Statewide candidates and publish a list of all those political

committees who have contributed to candidates and who have

failed to file reports as required by this act within six (6)

days of their failure to comply.

(6) To maintain a searchable computer database and

electronic reporting system that contains the information

necessary for the proper administration of this article,

the system to malfunction.

(7) To establish a training program on the electronic

reporting system and make it available to a candidate or

political committee.

(8) To ensure all information contained in a statement

filed, that is not on the electronic reporting system, be

entered into the electronic reporting system as soon as

practicable but no later than four (4) business days after its

receipt by the secretary.

(9) The department shall issue to the registrant an