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HOUSE BILL NO. 371
IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION
BY REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE
Introduced: 2/23/26
Referred: State Affairs, Judiciary
A BILL
FOR AN ACT ENTITLED
"An Act requiring a group supporting or opposing a candidate or ballot proposition in a 1
state or local election to maintain an address in the state; amending campaign 2
contribution disclosure requirements; requiring the disclosure of certain persons who 3
coordinate and aggregate individual campaign contributions; limiting contributions to 4
groups or nongroup entities that make only independent expenditures; requiring certain 5
groups and nongroup entities to register with the Alaska Public Offices Commission as 6
majority-nonresident-funded entities; requiring certain disclosures in communications 7
funded by independent expenditures; relating to disbursement of campaign assets after 8
an election; and providing for an effective date." 9
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 10
* Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section 11
to read: 12
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LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT. The legislature finds it is in the best 1
interests of the state that transparency exists in elections, particularly elections where ballot 2
propositions are being voted on, and that voter awareness of substantial nonresident funding is 3
an important aspect of ensuring an informed electorate. It is the intent of the legislature that 4
contribution requirements and information disclosures as required under this Act further 5
support and preserve the integrity of the state's elections. 6
* Sec. 2. AS 15.13.040(e) is amended to read: 7
(e) Each person required to report under (d) of this section shall file a full 8
report in accordance with AS 15.13.110(h) on a form prescribed by the commission. 9
The report must contain 10
(1) the name, address, principal occupation, and employer of the 11
individual filing the report; 12
(2) an itemized list of all expenditures made, incurred, or authorized by 13
the person; 14
(3) the name of the candidate or the title of the ballot proposition or 15
question supported or opposed by each expenditure and whether the expenditure is 16
made to support or oppose the candidate or ballot proposition or question; 17
(4) the name and address of each officer and director, when applicable; 18
(5) the aggregate amount of all contributions made to the person, if 19
any, for the purpose of influencing the outcome of an election; for all contributions, 20
the date of the contribution and amount contributed by each contributor; and, for a 21
contributor 22
(A) who is an individual, the name and address of the 23
contributor and, for contributions in excess of $50 in the aggregate during a 24
calendar year, the name, address, principal occupation, and employer of the 25
contributor; or 26
(B) that is not an individual, 27
(i) the name and address of the contributor; 28
(ii) [AND] the name and address of each officer and 29
director of the contributor; and 30
(iii) when applicable, the address of the 31
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contributor's agent registered under AS 15.13.050(d). 1
* Sec. 3. AS 15.13.040(g) is amended to read: 2
(g) The provisions of (a), (b), and (l) of this section do not apply to a 3
(1) delegate to a constitutional convention, a judge seeking judicial 4
retention, or a candidate for election to a municipal office under AS 15.13.010, if that 5
delegate, judge, or candidate 6
(A) [(1)] indicates, on a form prescribed by the commission, an 7
intent not to raise and not to expend more than $5,000 in seeking election to 8
office, including both the primary and general elections; 9
(B) [(2)] accepts contributions totaling not more than $5,000 in 10
seeking election to office, including both the primary and general elections; 11
and 12
(C) [(3)] makes expenditures totaling not more than $5,000 in 13
seeking election to office, including both the primary and general elections; 14
(2) group, if the group 15
(A) indicates, on a form prescribed by the commission, an 16
intent not to raise and not to expend more than $5,000 in a calendar year; 17
(B) accepts contributions totaling not more than $5,000 in a 18
calendar year; and 19
(C) makes expenditures totaling not more than $5,000 in a 20
calendar year. 21
* Sec. 4. AS 15.13.040(m) is amended to read: 22
(m) Information required under this chapter shall be submitted to the 23
commission electronically, except that the following information may be submitted in 24
clear and legible black typeface or hand-printed in dark ink on paper in a format 25
approved by the commission or on forms provided by the commission: 26
(1) information submitted by [(A)] a candidate for 27
(A) election to a borough or city office of mayor, membership 28
on a borough assembly, city council, or school board, or any state office, who 29
(i) meets the requirements of (g)(1) [(g)(1) - (3)] of this 30
section; or 31
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(ii) does not have reasonable access to the technology 1
necessary to file electronically; in this sub-subparagraph, a candidate is 2
considered not to have reasonable access to the technology necessary to 3
file electronically if the candidate does not own a personal computer or 4
does not have broadband Internet access at the candidate's residence; in 5
this sub-subparagraph, "broadband Internet access" means high-speed 6
Internet access that is always on and that is faster than traditional dial-7
up access; or 8
(B) [A CANDIDATE FOR] municipal office for a municipality 9
with a population of less than 15,000; in this subparagraph, "municipal office" 10
means the office of an elected borough or city 11
(i) mayor; or 12
(ii) assembly, council, or school board member; 13
(2) information submitted by a group that meets the requirements 14
of (g)(2) of this section; or 15
(3) any information if the commission determines that circumstances 16
warrant an exception to the electronic submission requirement. 17
* Sec. 5. AS 15.13 is amended by adding a new section to read: 18
Sec. 15.13.042. Bundled contribution disclosures. (a) Each candidate shall 19
make a full report, on a form prescribed by the commission, 20
(1) listing 21
(A) the name, address, and employer of each person reasonably 22
known by the candidate to be a person who provided bundled contributions to 23
the candidate in an aggregate amount greater than $10,000 during an election 24
cycle; and 25
(B) the aggregate amount of bundled contributions provided by 26
each person who provided bundled contributions to the candidate during the 27
election cycle; 28
(2) filed in accordance with AS 15.13.110 and certified correct by the 29
candidate or campaign treasurer. 30
(b) In this section, '"bundled contribution"' means a contribution 31
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(1) forwarded from a contributor or contributors to a candidate by a 1
person; or 2
(2) received by a candidate from a contributor or contributors but 3
credited by the candidate to a person through a record, designation, or other 4
recognition that the person was responsible for raising the contribution. 5
* Sec. 6. AS 15.13.050(a) is amended to read: 6
(a) Before making an expenditure in support of or in opposition to a candidate 7
or before making an expenditure in support of or in opposition to a ballot proposition 8
or question or to an initiative proposal application filed with the lieutenant governor 9
under AS 15.45.020, each person other than an individual shall 10
(1) register, on forms provided by the commission, with the 11
commission; and 12
(2) provide the person's physical address in the state or the 13
physical address of the person's agent registered under (d) of this section. 14
* Sec. 7. AS 15.13.050 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 15
(d) A person may not register under (a) of this section unless the person has a 16
physical address in the state or registers with the commission an individual resident of 17
the state who maintains a physical address in the state or a domestic corporation 18
authorized to transact business in this state as the person's agent. A person shall notify 19
the commission within 10 days after a change to the person's in-state address, 20
registered agent, or the physical address of the person's registered agent. 21
* Sec. 8. AS 15.13.070 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 22
(h) Notwithstanding (b), (c), and (f) of this section, an individual, group, or 23
nongroup entity may contribute not more than $3,000 each year to a group or 24
nongroup entity that makes only independent expenditures. 25
* Sec. 9. AS 15.13 is amended by adding a new section to read: 26
Sec. 15.13.073. Group or nongroup entity required to register as majority-27
nonresident-funded entity. A group or nongroup entity that accepts a majority of its 28
total contributions during a calendar year from individuals who are not residents of the 29
state, and groups and nongroup entities that are not incorporated in the state, shall 30
register with the commission, on forms provided by the commission, as a majority-31
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nonresident-funded entity. 1
* Sec. 10. AS 15.13.090 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 2
(h) In addition to other applicable disclosures of this section, a communication 3
paid for by a person making an independent expenditure for a communication 4
described in (a) of this section who, during a calendar year, accepts the majority of the 5
person's contributions from individuals who are not residents of the state and groups 6
and nongroup entities that are not incorporated in the state under AS 15.13.073, that 7
(1) includes a print or video component must have the following 8
statement placed in the communication so as to be easily discernible and, for a 9
broadcast, cable, satellite, or Internet or other digital communication, that the 10
statement remains onscreen throughout the entirety of the communication: "A 11
MAJORITY OF CONTRIBUTIONS TO (PERSON'S NAME) CAME FROM 12
OUTSIDE THE STATE OF ALASKA"; and 13
(2) is transmitted through radio or other audio media or that has an 14
audio component includes the following statement read in a manner that is easily 15
heard: "A majority of contributions to (person's name) came from outside the State of 16
Alaska." 17
* Sec. 11. AS 15.13.110(a) is amended to read: 18
(a) Each candidate, group, and nongroup entity shall make a full report in 19
accordance with AS 15.13.040 and 15.13.042 for the period ending three days before 20
the due date of the report and beginning on the last day covered by the most recent 21
previous report. If the report is a first report, it must cover the period from the 22
beginning of the campaign to the date three days before the due date of the report. If 23
the report is a report due February 15, it must cover the period beginning on the last 24
day covered by the most recent previous report or on the day that the campaign 25
started, whichever is later, and ending on February 1 of that year. The report shall be 26
filed 27
(1) 30 days before the election; however, this report is not required if 28
the deadline for filing a nominating petition or declaration of candidacy is within 30 29
days of the election; 30
(2) one week before the election; 31
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(3) 105 days after a special election; and 1
(4) February 15 for expenditures made and contributions received that 2
were not reported previously, including, if applicable, all amounts expended from a 3
public office expense term account established under AS 15.13.116(a)(8) and all 4
amounts expended from a municipal office account under AS 15.13.116(a)(9), or 5
when expenditures were not made or contributions were not received during the 6
previous year. 7
* Sec. 12. AS 15.13.110(h) is amended to read: 8
(h) An independent expenditure report required under AS 15.13.040(e) shall 9
be filed with the commission not later than 10 days after an independent expenditure 10
has been made. However, a person making an independent expenditure shall 11
report to the commission within 24 hours after the person 12
(1) makes an independent expenditure if the expenditure [THAT] 13
exceeds $250 and [THAT] is made within nine days of an election [SHALL BE 14
REPORTED TO THE COMMISSION NOT LATER THAN 24 HOURS AFTER 15
THE EXPENDITURE IS MADE]; 16
(2) receives a contribution that exceeds $1,000 if the person uses or 17
intends to use the contribution to make an independent expenditure. 18
* Sec. 13. AS 15.13.110(i) is amended to read: 19
(i) During an election cycle [A CAMPAIGN PERIOD], the commission may 20
not change the manner or format in which reports required of a candidate under this 21
chapter must be filed. [IN THIS SUBSECTION, "CAMPAIGN PERIOD" MEANS 22
THE PERIOD BEGINNING ON THE DATE THAT A CANDIDATE BECOMES 23
ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS UNDER THIS 24
CHAPTER AND ENDING ON THE DATE THAT A FINAL REPORT FOR THAT 25
SAME CAMPAIGN MUST BE FILED.] 26
* Sec. 14. AS 15.13.110 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 27
(l) A group or nongroup entity registered as a majority-nonresident-funded 28
entity under AS 15.13.073 that receives a contribution exceeding $500 shall, within 24 29
hours, report to the commission the name, address, principal occupation, and employer 30
of the contributor and the date and amount of the contribution. 31
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* Sec. 15. AS 15.13.116(b) is amended to read: 1
(b) After a general, special, municipal, or municipal runoff election, a 2
candidate may retain the ownership of one computer and one printer and of personal 3
property, except money, that was acquired by and for use in the campaign. The current 4
fair market value of the property retained, exclusive of the computer and printer, may 5
not exceed $5,000. All other property shall be disposed of, or sold and the sale 6
proceeds disposed of, in accordance with (a) or (c) of this section. Notwithstanding 7
any other provision of this chapter, 8
(1) a candidate may (A) retain a bulk mailing permit that was paid for 9
with campaign funds, and (B) use personal funds, campaign funds, or unused 10
campaign contributions transferred to a public office expense term account under 11
(a)(8) of this section to pay the continuing charges for the permit after the election; 12
money used to continue the life of the permit is not considered to be a contribution 13
under this chapter; in addition to any other use permitted under this chapter, during the 14
candidate's term of office, the candidate may use the bulk mailing permit for mailings 15
associated with service in the office to which the candidate was elected; during the 16
candidate's term of office, if the candidate files a declaration of candidacy or the 17
document necessary to permit the candidate to incur election-related expenses under 18
AS 15.13.100 for the same or a different elective office, the candidate may also use 19
the bulk mailing permit in that election campaign; 20
(2) a candidate may retain campaign photographs and use the 21
photographs for any purpose associated with service in the office to which the 22
candidate was elected; 23
(3) a candidate may retain seasonal greeting cards purchased with 24
campaign funds; and 25
(4) campaign signs prepared for an election that has already taken 26
place have no monetary value and may be retained or disposed of at the candidate's 27
discretion; a campaign sign that is used in a candidate's subsequent campaign has 28
no monetary value and need not be declared if reused. 29
* Sec. 16. AS 15.13.400 is amended by adding a new paragraph to read: 30
(20) "election cycle" means the period beginning on the date that a 31
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candidate becomes eligible to receive campaign contributions under this chapter and 1
ending on the date that a final report for that same campaign must be filed. 2
* Sec. 17. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 3
read: 4
APPLICABILITY. This Act does not apply to contributions made to influence the 5
outcome of an election that occurred before the effective date of this Act. 6
* Sec. 18. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c). 7