Code of Alabama - Title 17: Elections - Chapter 5 - The Fair Campaign Practices Act

• Section 17-5-1 Short title
  This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Fair Campaign Practices Act."
• Section 17-5-2 Definitions
  (a) For purposes of this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings: (1) CANDIDATE. An individual who has done any of the following:...
• Section 17-5-3 Political action committees; officers; accounting and reporting
  (a) Every political action committee shall have a chair and a treasurer. (b) All funds of a political action committee shall be segregated from, and...
• Section 17-5-4 Filing statement to show principal campaign committee; duties and procedures
  (a) Within five days after any person becomes a candidate for office, such person shall file with the Secretary of State or judge of probate,...
• Section 17-5-5 Statement of organization; notice of termination or dissolution
  (a) The treasurer or designated filing agent of each political action committee which anticipates either receiving contributions or making expenditures during the calendar year in...
• Section 17-5-5.1 Regulation of legislative caucus organizations
  (a) Except as provided in subsection (d), each legislative caucus organization that raises funds for its administration and operation shall register with the Secretary of...
• Section 17-5-6 Checking account; expenditures
  A political action committee and a principal campaign committee shall maintain a checking account, money market account, or other similar banking account and shall deposit...
• Section 17-5-7 Use of excess moneys received; solicitation, etc., of contributions
  (a) Except as provided in subsection (d) and in Section 17-5-7.1, a candidate, public official, or treasurer of a principal campaign committee as defined in...
• Section 17-5-7.1 Return or refund of contributions
  (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a principal campaign committee or political action committee may return or refund, in full or in part, any...
• Section 17-5-7.2 Disposal of campaign property
  (a) Except as provided in subsection (b), property purchased by or contributed to a principal campaign committee with a value of five hundred dollars ($500)...
• Section 17-5-8 Reports of contributions and expenditures by candidates, committees, and officials; filing; procedure
  (a) The treasurer, designated filing agent, or candidate, shall file with the Secretary of State or judge of probate, as designated in Section 17-5-9, periodic...
• Section 17-5-8.1 Electronic reporting; electronic searchable database; rules
  (a) Commencing with the 2014 election cycle, all statements, reports of contributions, and expenditures, and other filings required to be filed pursuant to this chapter,...
• Section 17-5-8.2 Legislative findings
  (a) The Legislature determines that there is a compelling state and public interest in the disclosure of the source of funds used to advertise or...
• Section 17-5-9 Filing procedure
  (a) All statements and reports, including amendments, required of principal campaign committees under the provisions of this chapter shall be filed with the Secretary of...
• Section 17-5-10 Public inspection of reports; date of receipt
  (a) Each report or statement shall be preserved and a copy made available for public inspection by the Secretary of State or judge of probate,...
• Section 17-5-11 Duties of Secretary of State and judge of probate
  The Secretary of State and the judge of probate shall have the following duties: (1) To accept and file all reports and statements, including amendments,...
• Section 17-5-12 Identification of paid advertisements
  (a) Any paid political advertisement or electioneering communication appearing in any print media or broadcast on any electronic media shall clearly and distinctly identify the...
• Section 17-5-13 Cards, pamphlets, circulars, etc., to bear name of candidate, committee, etc
  It shall be unlawful for any person, candidate, principal campaign committee, or political action committee to publish or distribute or display, or cause to be...
• Section 17-5-14 Corporate contributions or expenditures to political action committees; establishment by corporation; actions by utilities
  (a) A corporation incorporated or organized under the laws of this state, or doing business in this state, may make a contribution or expenditure to...
• Section 17-5-14.1 Establishment of segregated, separate political funds; voluntary contributions; filing of disclosure reports; violations
  (a) Any business or nonprofit corporation, incorporated under the laws of or doing business in this state, or any officer or agent acting on behalf...
• Section 17-5-15 Contributions by one person in name of another; contributions between political action committees, etc
  (a) It shall be unlawful for any person, acting for himself or herself or on behalf of any entity, to make a contribution in the...
• Section 17-5-15.1 Limitation on receipt and spending of funds by principal campaign committee of a state or local candidate
  (a) A principal campaign committee of a state or local candidate and any person authorized to make an expenditure on its behalf may not receive...
• Section 17-5-16 Fraudulent misrepresentation as acting for candidate, etc., prohibited; automated or pre-recorded communications
  (a) It shall be unlawful for any person fraudulently to misrepresent himself or herself, or any other person or organization with which he or she...
• Section 17-5-17 Solicitation by force, job discrimination, threats, etc., prohibited
  It shall be unlawful for any person, principal campaign committee, or political action committee established pursuant to this chapter or for any person acting on...
• Section 17-5-18 Failure to file required statement or report
  Repealed by Act 2013-311, §3, effective August 1, 2013.
• Section 17-5-19 Violations
  (a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, a person who intentionally violates any provision of this chapter shall be guilty, upon conviction, of a...
• Section 17-5-19.1 Civil penalties
  (a) Commencing with the 2018 election cycle, the appropriate election official, based on the location of filing as required by Section 17-5-9, shall levy an...
• Section 17-5-19.2 Administrative review
  (a) Any person upon whom a civil penalty has been imposed pursuant to Section 17-5-19.1 may seek a review of such penalty by filing a...
• Section 17-5-20 Appointment of designated filing agents; submission of reports
  (a) A candidate, or in the case of a political action committee, the chair or treasurer, may appoint a designated filing agent on a form...
• Section 17-5-21 Administrative rules
  The Secretary of State is authorized to promulgate administrative rules pursuant to the Alabama Administrative Procedure Act as necessary to implement and administer the Alabama...

Last modified: May 3, 2021