To amend sections 102.03, 2921.01, 2921.43, 3501.38, 3503.14, 3513.07, 3513.10, 3513.261, 3517.01, 3517.08, 3517.082, 3517.09, 3517.092, 3517.10, 3517.102, 3517.103, 3517.104, 3517.105, 3517.106, 3517.108, 3517.109, 3517.11, 3517.13, 3517.151, 3517.152, 3517.154, 3517.155, 3517.16, 3517.17, 3517.20, 3517.23, 3517.992, and 3599.031, to enact new section 3599.03 and sections 3501.381, 3517.1011, 3517.1012, and 3599.111, and to repeal section 3599.03 of the Revised Code to revise the Campaign Finance Law.

Section 1. That sections 102.03, 2921.01, 2921.43, 3501.38, 3503.14, 3513.07, 3513.10, 3513.261, 3517.01, 3517.08, 3517.082, 3517.09, 3517.092, 3517.10, 3517.102, 3517.103, 3517.104, 3517.105, 3517.106, 3517.108, 3517.109, 3517.11, 3517.13, 3517.151, 3517.152, 3517.154, 3517.155, 3517.16, 3517.17, 3517.20, 3517.23, 3517.992, and 3599.031 be amended and new section 3599.03 and sections 3501.381, 3517.1011, 3517.1012, and 3599.111 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 102.03.  (A)(1) No present or former public official or employee shall, during public employment or service or for twelve months thereafter, represent a client or act in a representative capacity for any person on any matter in which the public official or employee personally participated as a public official or employee through decision, approval, disapproval, recommendation, the rendering of advice, investigation, or other substantial exercise of administrative discretion.

(2) For twenty-four months after the conclusion of service, no former commissioner or attorney examiner of the public utilities commission shall represent a public utility, as defined in section 4905.02 of the Revised Code, or act in a representative capacity on behalf of such a utility before any state board, commission, or agency.

(3) For twenty-four months after the conclusion of employment or service, no former public official or employee who personally participated as a public official or employee through decision, approval, disapproval, recommendation, the rendering of advice, the development or adoption of solid waste management plans, investigation, inspection, or other substantial exercise of administrative discretion under Chapter 343. or 3734. of the Revised Code shall represent a person who is the owner or operator of a facility, as defined in section 3734.01 of the Revised Code, or who is an applicant for a permit or license for a facility under that chapter, on any matter in which the public official or employee personally participated as a public official or employee.

(4) For a period of one year after the conclusion of employment or service as a member or employee of the general assembly, no former member or employee of the general assembly shall represent, or act in a representative capacity for, any person on any matter before the general assembly, any committee of the general assembly, or the controlling board. Division (A)(4) of this section does not apply to or affect a person who separates from service with the general assembly on or before December 31, 1995. As used in division (A)(4) of this section "person" does not include any state agency or political subdivision of the state.

(5) As used in divisions (A)(1), (2), and (3) of this section, "matter" includes any case, proceeding, application, determination, issue, or question, but does not include the proposal, consideration, or enactment of statutes, rules, ordinances, resolutions, or charter or constitutional amendments. As used in division (A)(4) of this section, "matter" includes the proposal, consideration, or enactment of statutes, resolutions, or constitutional amendments. As used in division (A) of this section, "represent" includes any formal or informal appearance before, or any written or oral communication with, any public agency on behalf of any person.

(6) Nothing contained in division (A) of this section shall prohibit, during such period, a former public official or employee from being retained or employed to represent, assist, or act in a representative capacity for the public agency by which the public official or employee was employed or on which the public official or employee served.

(7) Division (A) of this section shall not be construed to prohibit the performance of ministerial functions, including, but not limited to, the filing or amendment of tax returns, applications for permits and licenses, incorporation papers, and other similar documents.

(B) No present or former public official or employee shall disclose or use, without appropriate authorization, any information acquired by the public official or employee in the course of the public official's or employee's official duties that is confidential because of statutory provisions, or that has been clearly designated to the public official or employee as confidential when that confidential designation is warranted because of the status of the proceedings or the circumstances under which the information was received and preserving its confidentiality is necessary to the proper conduct of government business.

(C) No public official or employee shall participate within the scope of duties as a public official or employee, except through ministerial functions as defined in division (A) of this section, in any license or rate-making proceeding that directly affects the license or rates of any person, partnership, trust, business trust, corporation, or association in which the public official or employee or immediate family owns or controls more than five per cent. No public official or employee shall participate within the scope of duties as a public official or employee, except through ministerial functions as defined in division (A) of this section, in any license or rate-making proceeding that directly affects the license or rates of any person to whom the public official or employee or immediate family, or a partnership, trust, business trust, corporation, or association of which the public official or employee or the public official's or employee's immediate family owns or controls more than five per cent, has sold goods or services totaling more than one thousand dollars during the preceding year, unless the public official or employee has filed a written statement acknowledging that sale with the clerk or secretary of the public agency and the statement is entered in any public record of the agency's proceedings. This division shall not be construed to require the disclosure of clients of attorneys or persons licensed under section 4732.12 or 4732.15 of the Revised Code, or patients of persons certified under section 4731.14 of the Revised Code.

(D) No public official or employee shall use or authorize the use of the authority or influence of office or employment to secure anything of value or the promise or offer of anything of value that is of such a character as to manifest a substantial and improper influence upon the public official or employee with respect to that person's duties.

(E) No public official or employee shall solicit or accept anything of value that is of such a character as to manifest a substantial and improper influence upon the public official or employee with respect to that person's duties.

(F) No person shall promise or give to a public official or employee anything of value that is of such a character as to manifest a substantial and improper influence upon the public official or employee with respect to that person's duties.

(G) In the absence of bribery or another offense under the Revised Code or a purpose to defraud, contributions made to a campaign committee, political party, legislative campaign fund, or political action committee, or political contributing entity on behalf of an elected public officer or other public official or employee who seeks elective office shall be considered to accrue ordinarily to the public official or employee for the purposes of divisions (D), (E), and (F) of this section.

As used in this division, "contributions," "campaign committee," "political party," "legislative campaign fund," and "political action committee," and "political contributing entity" have the same meanings as in section 3517.01 of the Revised Code.

(H)(1) No public official or employee, except for the president or other chief administrative officer of or a member of a board of trustees of a state institution of higher education as defined in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code, who is required to file a financial disclosure statement under section 102.02 of the Revised Code shall solicit or accept, and no person shall give to that public official or employee, an honorarium. Except as provided in division (H)(2) of this section, this division and divisions (D), (E), and (F) of this section do not prohibit a public official or employee who is required to file a financial disclosure statement under section 102.02 of the Revised Code from accepting and do not prohibit a person from giving to that public official or employee the payment of actual travel expenses, including any expenses incurred in connection with the travel for lodging, and meals, food, and beverages provided to the public official or employee at a meeting at which the public official or employee participates in a panel, seminar, or speaking engagement or provided to the public official or employee at a meeting or convention of a national organization to which any state agency, including, but not limited to, any state legislative agency or state institution of higher education as defined in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code, pays membership dues. Except as provided in division (H)(2) of this section, this division and divisions (D), (E), and (F) of this section do not prohibit a public official or employee who is not required to file a financial disclosure statement under section 102.02 of the Revised Code from accepting and do not prohibit a person from promising or giving to that public official or employee an honorarium or the payment of travel, meal, and lodging expenses if the honorarium, expenses, or both were paid in recognition of demonstrable business, professional, or esthetic interests of the public official or employee that exist apart from public office or employment, including, but not limited to, such a demonstrable interest in public speaking and were not paid by any person or other entity, or by any representative or association of those persons or entities, that is regulated by, doing business with, or seeking to do business with the department, division, institution, board, commission, authority, bureau, or other instrumentality of the governmental entity with which the public official or employee serves.

(2) No person who is a member of the board of a state retirement system, a state retirement system investment officer, or an employee of a state retirement system whose position involves substantial and material exercise of discretion in the investment of retirement system funds shall solicit or accept, and no person shall give to that board member, officer, or employee, payment of actual travel expenses, including expenses incurred with the travel for lodging, meals, food, and beverages.

(I) A public official or employee may accept travel, meals, and lodging or expenses or reimbursement of expenses for travel, meals, and lodging in connection with conferences, seminars, and similar events related to official duties if the travel, meals, and lodging, expenses, or reimbursement is not of such a character as to manifest a substantial and improper influence upon the public official or employee with respect to that person's duties. The house of representatives and senate, in their code of ethics, and the Ohio ethics commission, under section 111.15 of the Revised Code, may adopt rules setting standards and conditions for the furnishing and acceptance of such travel, meals, and lodging, expenses, or reimbursement.

A person who acts in compliance with this division and any applicable rules adopted under it, or any applicable, similar rules adopted by the supreme court governing judicial officers and employees, does not violate division (D), (E), or (F) of this section. This division does not preclude any person from seeking an advisory opinion from the appropriate ethics commission under section 102.08 of the Revised Code.

(J) For purposes of divisions (D), (E), and (F) of this section, the membership of a public official or employee in an organization shall not be considered, in and of itself, to be of such a character as to manifest a substantial and improper influence on the public official or employee with respect to that person's duties. As used in this division, "organization" means a church or a religious, benevolent, fraternal, or professional organization that is tax exempt under subsection 501(a) and described in subsection 501(c)(3), (4), (8), (10), or (19) of the "Internal Revenue Code of 1986." This division does not apply to a public official or employee who is an employee of an organization, serves as a trustee, director, or officer of an organization, or otherwise holds a fiduciary relationship with an organization. This division does not allow a public official or employee who is a member of an organization to participate, formally or informally, in deliberations, discussions, or voting on a matter or to use his official position with regard to the interests of the organization on the matter if the public official or employee has assumed a particular responsibility in the organization with respect to the matter or if the matter would affect that person's personal, pecuniary interests.

(K) It is not a violation of this section for a prosecuting attorney to appoint assistants and employees in accordance with division (B) of section 309.06 and section 2921.421 of the Revised Code, for a chief legal officer of a municipal corporation or an official designated as prosecutor in a municipal corporation to appoint assistants and employees in accordance with sections 733.621 and 2921.421 of the Revised Code, for a township law director appointed under section 504.15 of the Revised Code to appoint assistants and employees in accordance with sections 504.151 and 2921.421 of the Revised Code, or for a coroner to appoint assistants and employees in accordance with division (B) of section 313.05 of the Revised Code.

As used in this division, "chief legal officer" has the same meaning as in section 733.621 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 2921.01.  As used in sections 2921.01 to 2921.45 of the Revised Code:

(A) "Public official" means any elected or appointed officer, or employee, or agent of the state or any political subdivision, whether in a temporary or permanent capacity, and includes, but is not limited to, legislators, judges, and law enforcement officers.

(B) "Public servant" means any of the following:

(1) Any public official;

(2) Any person performing ad hoc a governmental function, including, but not limited to, a juror, member of a temporary commission, master, arbitrator, advisor, or consultant;

(3) A person who is a candidate for public office, whether or not the person is elected or appointed to the office for which the person is a candidate. A person is a candidate for purposes of this division if the person has been nominated according to law for election or appointment to public office, or if the person has filed a petition or petitions as required by law to have the person's name placed on the ballot in a primary, general, or special election, or if the person campaigns as a write-in candidate in any primary, general, or special election.

(C) "Party official" means any person who holds an elective or appointive post in a political party in the United States or this state, by virtue of which the person directs, conducts, or participates in directing or conducting party affairs at any level of responsibility.

(D) "Official proceeding" means any proceeding before a legislative, judicial, administrative, or other governmental agency or official authorized to take evidence under oath, and includes any proceeding before a referee, hearing examiner, commissioner, notary, or other person taking testimony or a deposition in connection with an official proceeding.

(E) "Detention" means arrest; confinement in any vehicle subsequent to an arrest; confinement in any public or private facility for custody of persons charged with or convicted of crime in this state or another state or under the laws of the United States or alleged or found to be a delinquent child or unruly child in this state or another state or under the laws of the United States; hospitalization, institutionalization, or confinement in any public or private facility that is ordered pursuant to or under the authority of section 2945.37, 2945.371, 2945.38, 2945.39, 2945.40, 2945.401, or 2945.402 of the Revised Code; confinement in any vehicle for transportation to or from any facility of any of those natures; detention for extradition or deportation; except as provided in this division, supervision by any employee of any facility of any of those natures that is incidental to hospitalization, institutionalization, or confinement in the facility but that occurs outside the facility; supervision by an employee of the department of rehabilitation and correction of a person on any type of release from a state correctional institution; or confinement in any vehicle, airplane, or place while being returned from outside of this state into this state by a private person or entity pursuant to a contract entered into under division (E) of section 311.29 of the Revised Code or division (B) of section 5149.03 of the Revised Code. For a person confined in a county jail who participates in a county jail industry program pursuant to section 5147.30 of the Revised Code, "detention" includes time spent at an assigned work site and going to and from the work site.

(F) "Detention facility" means any public or private place used for the confinement of a person charged with or convicted of any crime in this state or another state or under the laws of the United States or alleged or found to be a delinquent child or unruly child in this state or another state or under the laws of the United States.

(G) "Valuable thing or valuable benefit" includes, but is not limited to, a contribution. This inclusion does not indicate or imply that a contribution was not included in those terms before September 17, 1986.

(H) "Campaign committee," "contribution," "political action committee," "legislative campaign fund," and "political party," and "political contributing entity" have the same meanings as in section 3517.01 of the Revised Code.

(I) "Provider agreement" and "medical assistance program" have the same meanings as in section 2913.40 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 2921.43.  (A) No public servant shall knowingly solicit or accept, and no person shall knowingly promise or give to a public servant, either of the following:

(1) Any compensation, other than as allowed by divisions (G), (H), and (I) of section 102.03 of the Revised Code or other provisions of law, to perform the public servant's official duties, to perform any other act or service in the public servant's public capacity, for the general performance of the duties of the public servant's public office or public employment, or as a supplement to the public servant's public compensation;

(2) Additional or greater fees or costs than are allowed by law to perform the public servant's official duties.

(B) No public servant for the public servant's own personal or business use, and no person for the person's own personal or business use or for the personal or business use of a public servant or party official, shall solicit or accept anything of value in consideration of either of the following:

(1) Appointing or securing, maintaining, or renewing the appointment of any person to any public office, employment, or agency;

(2) Preferring, or maintaining the status of, any public employee with respect to compensation, duties, placement, location, promotion, or other material aspects of employment.

(C) No person for the benefit of a political party, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, or political action committee, or political contributing entity shall coerce any contribution in consideration of either of the following:

(1) Appointing or securing, maintaining, or renewing the appointment of any person to any public office, employment, or agency;

(2) Preferring, or maintaining the status of, any public employee with respect to compensation, duties, placement, location, promotion, or other material aspects of employment.

(D) Whoever violates this section is guilty of soliciting improper compensation, a misdemeanor of the first degree.

(E) A public servant who is convicted of a violation of this section is disqualified from holding any public office, employment, or position of trust in this state for a period of seven years from the date of conviction.

(F) Divisions (A), (B), and (C) of this section do not prohibit a person from making voluntary contributions to a political party, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, or political action committee, or political contributing entity or prohibit a political party, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, or political action committee, or political contributing entity from accepting voluntary contributions.

Sec. 3501.38.  All declarations of candidacy, nominating petitions, or other petitions presented to or filed with the secretary of state or a board of elections or with any other public office for the purpose of becoming a candidate for any nomination or office or for the holding of an election on any issue shall, in addition to meeting the other specific requirements prescribed in the sections of the Revised Code relating to them, be governed by the following rules:

(A) Only electors qualified to vote on the candidacy or issue which is the subject of the petition shall sign a petition. Each signer shall be a registered elector pursuant to section 3503.11 of the Revised Code. The facts of qualification shall be determined as of the date when the petition is filed.

(B) Signatures shall be affixed in ink. Each signer may also print the signer's name, so as to clearly identify the signer's signature.

(C) Each signer shall place on the petition after the signer's name the date of signing and the location of the signer's voting residence, including the street and number if in a municipal corporation or the rural route number, post office address, or township if outside a municipal corporation. The voting address given on the petition shall be the address appearing in the registration records at the board of elections.

(D) No person shall write any name other than the person's own on any petition. No person may authorize another to sign for the person. Where If a petition contains the signature of an elector two or more times, only the first signature shall be counted.

(E)(1) On each petition paper, the circulator shall indicate the number of signatures contained on it, and shall sign a statement made under penalty of election falsification that the circulator witnessed the affixing of every signature, that all signers were to the best of the circulator's knowledge and belief qualified to sign, and that every signature is to the best of the circulator's knowledge and belief the signature of the person whose signature it purports to be. On the circulator's statement for a declaration of candidacy, nominating petition, or declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate for a person seeking to become a statewide candidate or for a statewide initiative or a statewide referendum petition, the circulator shall identify the name and address of the person employing the circulator to circulate the petition, if any.

(2) As used in division (E) of this section, "statewide candidate" means the joint candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor or a candidate for the office of secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, or attorney general.

(F) If a circulator knowingly permits an unqualified person to sign a petition paper or permits a person to write a name other than the person's own on a petition paper, that petition paper is invalid; otherwise, the signature of a person not qualified to sign shall be rejected but shall not invalidate the other valid signatures on the paper.

(G) The circulator of a petition may, before filing it in a public office, strike from it any signature the circulator does not wish to present as a part of the petition.

(H) Any signer of a petition may remove the signer's signature from that petition at any time before the petition is filed in a public office by striking the signer's name from the petition; no signature may be removed after the petition is filed in any public office.

(I)(1) No alterations, corrections, or additions may be made to a petition after it is filed in a public office.

(2) No petition may be withdrawn after it is filed in a public office. Nothing in this division prohibits a person from withdrawing as a candidate as otherwise provided by law.

(J) All declarations of candidacy, nominating petitions, or other petitions under this section shall be accompanied by the following statement in boldface capital letters: WHOEVER COMMITS ELECTION FALSIFICATION IS GUILTY OF A FELONY OF THE FIFTH DEGREE.

(K) All separate petition papers shall be filed at the same time, as one instrument.

(L) If a board of elections distributes for use a petition form for a declaration of candidacy, nominating petition, declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate, or any type of question or issue petition that does not satisfy the requirements of law as of the date of that distribution, the board shall not invalidate the petition on the basis that the petition form does not satisfy the requirements of law, if the petition otherwise is valid. Division (L) of this section applies only if the candidate received the petition from the board within ninety days of when the petition is required to be filed.

Sec. 3501.381. (A)(1) Any person who will receive compensation for supervising, managing, or otherwise organizing any effort to obtain signatures for a declaration of candidacy, nominating petition, or declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate for a person seeking to become a statewide candidate or for a statewide initiative petition or a statewide referendum petition shall file a statement to that effect with the office of the secretary of state before any signatures are obtained for the petition or before the person is engaged to supervise, manage, or otherwise organize the effort to obtain signatures for the petition, whichever is later.

(2) Any person who will compensate a person for supervising, managing, or otherwise organizing any effort to obtain signatures for a declaration of candidacy, nominating petition, or declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate for a person seeking to become a statewide candidate or for a statewide initiative or a statewide referendum petition shall file a statement to that effect with the office of the secretary of state before any signatures are obtained for the petition or before the person engages a person to supervise, manage, or otherwise organize the effort to obtain signatures for the petition, whichever is later.

(B) The secretary of state shall prescribe the form and content of the statements required under division (A) of this section.

(C) Whoever violates division (A) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, and the petition for which a person was compensated for supervising, managing, or otherwise organizing the effort to obtain signatures shall be deemed invalid.

(D) As used in this section, "statewide candidate" means the joint candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor or a candidate for the office of secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, or attorney general.

Sec. 3503.14.  (A) The secretary of state shall prescribe the form and content of the registration and change of residence and change of name form used in this state. The form shall set forth the eligibility requirements needed to qualify as an elector and meet the requirements of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. The form shall include a space on which the person registering an applicant shall sign the person's name and a space on which the person registering an applicant shall name the employer who is employing that person to register the applicant. No election official or employee of a designated agency who is registering an applicant shall be required to sign the election official's or employee's name or to name the employer who is employing the election official or employee to register an applicant on a form prepared under this section.

(B) Any applicant who is unable to sign his the applicant's own name shall make an "X," if possible, which shall be certified by the signing of the name of the applicant by the person filling out the registration form, who shall add his the person's own signature. If an applicant is unable to make an "X," he the applicant shall indicate in some manner that he the applicant desires to register to vote or to change his the applicant's name or residence. The person registering such an the applicant shall sign the form and attest that the applicant indicated that he the applicant desired to register to vote or to change his the applicant's name or residence.

(C) No registration and change of residence and change of name form shall be rejected solely on the basis that a person registering an applicant failed to sign the person's name or failed to name the employer who is employing that person to register the applicant as required under division (A) of this section.

(D) As used in this section, "registering an applicant" includes any effort, for compensation, to provide voter registration forms or to assist persons in completing those forms or returning them to the board of elections, the office of the secretary of state, or another appropriate public office.

Sec. 3513.07.  The form of declaration of candidacy and petition of a person desiring to be a candidate for a party nomination or a candidate for election to an office or position to be voted for at a primary election shall be substantially as follows:

I, ........................... (Name of Candidate), the undersigned, hereby declare under penalty of election falsification that my voting residence is in ............... precinct of the ............................. (Township) or (Ward and City or Village) in the county of ................, Ohio; that my voting residence is ............... (Street and Number, if any, or Rural Route and Number) of the ............................. (City or Village) of ................., Ohio; and that I am a qualified elector in the precinct in which my voting residence is located. I am a member of the ........ Party. I hereby declare that I desire to be .................... (a candidate for nomination as a candidate of the Party for election to the office of .............) (a candidate for election to the office or position of ..............) for the ............ in the state, district, (Full term or unexpired term ending ...............) county, city, or village of ..................., at the primary election to be held on the ............. day of ........., ...., and I hereby request that my name be printed upon the official primary election ballot of the said .......... Party as a candidate for ......... (such nomination) or (such election) as provided by law.

I further declare that, if elected to said office or position, I will qualify therefor, and that I will support and abide by the principles enunciated by the ............ Party.

Dated this .......... day of ................., .........

WHOEVER COMMITS ELECTION FALSIFICATION IS GUILTY OF A FELONY OF THE FIFTH DEGREE.

We, the undersigned, qualified electors of the state of Ohio, whose voting residence is in the county, city, village, ward, township, or school district, and precinct set opposite our names, and members of the ....................................... Party, hereby certify that ............................ (Name of candidate) whose declaration of candidacy is filed herewith, is a member of the ............ Party, and is, in our opinion, well qualified to perform the duties of the office or position to which that candidate desires to be elected.

....................................................................

....................................................................

....................................................................

....................................... (Name of circulator of petition), declares under penalty of election falsification that the circulator of the petition is a qualified elector of the state of Ohio and resides at the address appearing below the signature of that circulator; that the circulator is a member of the ........... Party; that the circulator is the circulator of the foregoing petition paper containing ............. (Number) signatures; that the circulator witnessed the affixing of every signature; that all signers were to the best of the circulator's knowledge and belief qualified to sign; and that every signature is to the best of the circulator's knowledge and belief the signature of the person whose signature it purports to be.

WHOEVER COMMITS ELECTION FALSIFICATION IS GUILTY OF A FELONY OF THE FIFTH DEGREE."

The secretary of state shall prescribe a form of declaration of candidacy and petition, and the form shall be substantially similar to the declaration of candidacy and petition set forth in this section, that will be suitable for joint candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor.

The petition provided for in this section shall be circulated only by a member of the same political party as the candidate.

Sec. 3513.10.  (A) At the time of filing a declaration of candidacy for nomination for any office, or a declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate, each candidate, except joint candidates for governor and lieutenant governor, shall pay a fee as follows:

At the time of filing a declaration of candidacy or a declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor, the joint candidates shall jointly pay to the secretary of state a fee of one hundred dollars.

(B)(1) At the same time the fee required under division (A) of this section is paid, each candidate shall pay an additional fee as follows:

(2) Whoever seeks to propose a ballot question or issue to be submitted to the electors shall pay the following fee at the time the petition proposing the question or issue is filed:

(a) If the question or issue is to be submitted to the electors throughout the entire state, twenty-five dollars;

(b) If the question or issue is to be submitted to the electors of a county or of a district that consists of all or part of two or more counties but less than the entire state, fifteen dollars;

(c) If the question or issue is to be submitted to the electors of a city, twelve dollars and fifty cents;

(d) If the question or issue is to be submitted to the electors of a village, a township, a local, city, county, or exempted village school district, a precinct, or another district consisting of less than an entire county, ten dollars.

(C) No fee shall be required of candidates filing for the office of delegate or alternate to the national convention of political parties, member of the state central committee of a political party, or member of the county central committee of a political party.

(D) All fees required under division (A) of this section immediately shall be paid by the officer receiving them into the state treasury to the credit of the general revenue fund, in the case of fees received by the secretary of state, and into the county treasury to the credit of the county general fund, in the case of fees received by a board of elections.

(E) The officer who receives a fee required under division (B) of this section immediately shall pay the fee to the credit of the Ohio elections commission fund, which is hereby created in the state treasury. All moneys credited to the fund shall be used solely for the purpose of paying expenses related to the operation of the Ohio elections commission by division (I) of section 3517.152 of the Revised Code.

(F)(1) In no case shall a fee paid under this section be returned to a candidate.

(2) Whenever a section of law refers to a filing fee to be paid by a candidate or by a committee proposing a ballot question or issue to be submitted to the electors, that fee includes the fees required under divisions (A) and (B) of this section.

(G) As used in divisions (A) and (B) of this section, "statewide office" means the office of secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorney general, justice and chief justice of the supreme court, and member of the United States senate.

Sec. 3513.261.  A nominating petition may consist of one or more separate petition papers, each of which shall be substantially in the form prescribed in this section. If the petition consists of more than one separate petition paper, the statement of candidacy of the candidate or joint candidates named need be signed by the candidate or joint candidates on only one of such separate petition papers, but the statement of candidacy so signed shall be copied on each other separate petition paper before the signatures of electors are placed on it. Each nominating petition containing signatures of electors of more than one county shall consist of separate petition papers each of which shall contain signatures of electors of only one county; provided that petitions containing signatures of electors of more than one county shall not thereby be declared invalid. In case petitions containing signatures of electors of more than one county are filed, the board of elections shall determine the county from which the majority of the signatures came, and only signatures from this county shall be counted. Signatures from any other county shall be invalid.

All signatures on nominating petitions shall be written in ink or indelible pencil.

At the time of filing a nominating petition, the candidate designated in the nominating petition, and joint candidates for governor and lieutenant governor, shall pay to the election officials with whom it is filed the fees specified for the office under divisions (A) and (B) of section 3513.10 of the Revised Code. The fees shall be disposed of by those election officials in the manner that is provided in section 3513.10 of the Revised Code for the disposition of other fees, and in no case shall a fee required under that section be returned to a candidate.

Candidates or joint candidates whose names are written on the ballot, and who are elected, shall pay the same fees under section 3513.10 of the Revised Code that candidates who file nominating petitions pay. Payment of these fees shall be a condition precedent to the granting of their certificates of election.

Each nominating petition shall contain a statement of candidacy that shall be signed by the candidate or joint candidates named in it. Such statement of candidacy shall contain a declaration made under penalty of election falsification that the candidate desires to be a candidate for the office named in it, and that the candidate is an elector qualified to vote for the office the candidate seeks.

The form of the nominating petition and statement of candidacy shall be substantially as follows:

I, ................................... (Name of candidate), the undersigned, hereby declare under penalty of election falsification that my voting residence is in ................ .......... Precinct of the ......................... (Township) or (Ward and City, or Village) in the county of ............... Ohio; that my post-office address is ............................ (Street and Number, if any, or Rural Route and Number) of the ............................... (City, Village, or post office) of ...................., Ohio; and that I am a qualified elector in the precinct in which my voting residence is located. I hereby declare that I desire to be a candidate for election to the office of .............. in the ........................ (State, District, County, City, Village, Township, or School District) for the ...................................... (Full term or unexpired term ending ................) at the General Election to be held on the ........... day of ..............., ....

I further declare that I am an elector qualified to vote for the office I seek. Dated this ....... day of .............., ....

WHOEVER COMMITS ELECTION FALSIFICATION IS GUILTY OF A FELONY OF THE FIFTH DEGREE.

I, ................................., hereby constitute the persons named below a committee to represent me:

We, the undersigned, qualified electors of the state of Ohio, whose voting residence is in the County, City, Village, Ward, Township or Precinct set opposite our names, hereby nominate .................... as a candidate for election to the office of ........................... in the ............................ (State, District, County, City, Village, Township, or School District) for the ................. (Full term or unexpired term ending ...................) to be voted for at the general election next hereafter to be held, and certify that this person is, in our opinion, well qualified to perform the duties of the office or position to which the person desires to be elected.

..........................., declares under penalty of election falsification that such person is a qualified elector of the state of Ohio and resides at the address appearing below such person's signature hereto; that such person is the circulator of the foregoing petition paper containing ................ signatures; that such person witnessed the affixing of every signature; that all signers were to the best of such person's knowledge and belief qualified to sign; and that every signature is to the best of such person's knowledge and belief the signature of the person whose signature it purports to be.

WHOEVER COMMITS ELECTION FALSIFICATION IS GUILTY OF A FELONY OF THE FIFTH DEGREE."

The secretary of state shall prescribe a form of nominating petition for a group of candidates for the office of member of a board of education, township office, and offices of municipal corporations of under two thousand population.

The secretary of state shall prescribe a form of statement of candidacy and nominating petition, which shall be substantially similar to the form of statement of candidacy and nominating petition set forth in this section, that will be suitable for joint candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor.

If such petition nominates a candidate whose election is to be determined by the electors of a county or a district or subdivision within the county, it shall be filed with the board of such county. If the petition nominates a candidate whose election is to be determined by the voters of a subdivision located in more than one county, it shall be filed with the board of the county in which the major portion of the population of such subdivision is located.

If the petition nominates a candidate whose election is to be determined by the electors of a district comprised of more than one county but less than all of the counties of the state, it shall be filed with the board of elections of the most populous county in such district. If the petition nominates a candidate whose election is to be determined by the electors of the state at large, it shall be filed with the secretary of state.

The secretary of state or a board of elections shall not accept for filing a nominating petition of a person seeking to become a candidate if that person, for the same election, has already filed a declaration of candidacy, a declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate, or a nominating petition, or has become a candidate through party nomination at a primary election or by the filling of a vacancy under section 3513.30 or 3513.31 of the Revised Code for any state or county office, if the nominating petition is for a state or county office, or for any municipal or township office, for member of a city, local, or exempted village board of education, or for member of a governing board of an educational service center, if the nominating petition is for a municipal or township office, or for member of a city, local, or exempted village board of education, or for member of a governing board of an educational service center.

Sec. 3517.01.  (A)(1) A political party within the meaning of Title XXXV of the Revised Code is any group of voters that, at the most recent regular state election, polled for its candidate for governor in the state or nominees for presidential electors at least five per cent of the entire vote cast for that office or that filed with the secretary of state, subsequent to any election in which it received less than five per cent of that vote, a petition signed by qualified electors equal in number to at least one per cent of the total vote for governor or nominees for presidential electors at the most recent election, declaring their intention of organizing a political party, the name of which shall be stated in the declaration, and of participating in the succeeding primary election, held in even-numbered years, that occurs more than one hundred twenty days after the date of filing. No such group of electors shall assume a name or designation that is similar, in the opinion of the secretary of state, to that of an existing political party as to confuse or mislead the voters at an election. If any political party fails to cast five per cent of the total vote cast at an election for the office of governor or president, it shall cease to be a political party.

(2) A campaign committee shall be legally liable for any debts, contracts, or expenditures incurred or executed in its name.

(B) Notwithstanding the definitions found in section 3501.01 of the Revised Code, as used in this section, and sections 3517.08 to 3517.14, and section 3517.99, and 3517.992 of the Revised Code:

(1) "Campaign committee" means an entity that is formed by a candidate or a combination of two or more persons authorized by a candidate under section 3517.081 of the Revised Code to receive contributions and make expenditures and that is legally liable for any debts, contracts, or expenditures incurred or executed in its name.

(2) "Campaign treasurer" means an individual appointed by a candidate under section 3517.081 of the Revised Code.

(3) "Candidate" has the same meaning as in division (H) of section 3501.01 of the Revised Code and also includes any person who, at any time before or after an election, receives contributions or makes expenditures or other use of contributions, has given consent for another to receive contributions or make expenditures or other use of contributions, or appoints a campaign treasurer, for the purpose of bringing about the person's nomination or election to public office. When two persons jointly seek the offices of governor and lieutenant governor, "candidate" means the pair of candidates jointly. "Candidate" does not include candidates for election to the offices of member of a county or state central committee, presidential elector, and delegate to a national convention or conference of a political party.

(4) "Continuing association" means an association, other than a campaign committee, political party, legislative campaign fund, political contributing entity, or labor organization, that is intended to be a permanent organization that has a primary purpose other than supporting or opposing specific candidates, political parties, or ballot issues, and that functions on a regular basis throughout the year. "Continuing association" includes organizations that are determined to be not organized for profit under subsection 501 and that are described in subsection 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), or 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code.

(5) "Contribution" means a loan, gift, deposit, forgiveness of indebtedness, donation, advance, payment, or transfer of funds or transfer of anything of value, including a transfer of funds from an inter vivos or testamentary trust or decedent's estate, and the payment by any person other than the person to whom the services are rendered for the personal services of another person, which contribution is made, received, or used for the purpose of influencing the results of an election. "Contribution" Any loan, gift, deposit, forgiveness of indebtedness, donation, advance, payment, or transfer of funds or of anything of value, including a transfer of funds from an inter vivos or testamentary trust or decedent's estate, and the payment by any campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or person other than the person to whom the services are rendered for the personal services of another person, that is made, received, or used by a state or county political party, other than moneys a state or county political party receives from the Ohio political party fund pursuant to section 3517.17 of the Revised Code and the moneys a state or county political party may receive under sections 3517.101 and 3517.1012 of the Revised Code, shall be considered to be a "contribution" for the purpose of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code and shall be included on a statement of contributions filed under that section.

"Contribution" does not include any of the following:

(a) Services provided without compensation by individuals volunteering a portion or all of their time on behalf of a person;

(b) Ordinary home hospitality;

(c) The personal expenses of a volunteer paid for by that volunteer campaign worker;

(d) Any gift given to a state or county political party pursuant to section 3517.101 of the Revised Code. As used in division (B)(5)(d) of this section, "political party" means only a major political party;

(e) Any contribution as defined in section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code that is made, received, or used to pay the direct costs of producing or airing an electioneering communication as defined in that section;

(f) Any gift given to a state or county political party for the party's restricted fund under division (A)(2) of section 3517.1012 of the Revised Code.

(6) "Expenditure" means the disbursement or use of a contribution for the purpose of influencing the results of an election or of making a charitable donation under division (G) of section 3517.08 of the Revised Code. Any disbursement or use of a contribution by a state or county political party is an expenditure and shall be considered either to be made for the purpose of influencing the results of an election or to be made as a charitable donation under division (G) of section 3517.08 of the Revised Code and shall be reported on a statement of expenditures filed under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code. During the thirty days preceding a primary or general election, any disbursement to pay the direct costs of producing or airing a broadcast, cable, or satellite communication that refers to a clearly identified candidate shall be considered to be made for the purpose of influencing the results of that election.

As used in this division, "broadcast, cable, or satellite communication" and "refers to a clearly identified candidate" have the same meanings as in section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code.

(7) "Personal expenses" includes, but is not limited to, ordinary expenses for accommodations, clothing, food, personal motor vehicle or airplane, and home telephone.

(8) "Political action committee" means a combination of two or more persons, the primary or incidental major purpose of which is to support or oppose any candidate, political party, or issue, or to influence the result of any election through express advocacy, and that is not a political party, a campaign committee, a political contributing entity, or a legislative campaign fund. "Political action committee" does not include a continuing association that makes disbursements for the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications as defined in section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code and that does not engage in express advocacy.

(9) "Public office" means any state, county, municipal, township, and or district office, except an office of a political party, that is filled by an election and the offices of United States senator and congressman representative.

(10) "Anything of value" has the same meaning as in section 1.03 of the Revised Code.

(11) "Beneficiary of a campaign fund" means a candidate, a public official or employee for whose benefit a campaign fund exists, and any other person who has ever been a candidate or public official or employee and for whose benefit a campaign fund exists.

(12) "Campaign fund" means money or other property, including contributions.

(13) "Public official or employee" has the same meaning as in section 102.01 of the Revised Code.

(14) "Caucus" means all of the members of the house of representatives or all of the members of the senate of the general assembly who are members of the same political party.

(15) "Legislative campaign fund" means a fund that is established as an auxiliary of a state political party and associated with one of the houses of the general assembly.

(16) "In-kind contribution" means anything of value other than money that is used to influence the results of an election or is transferred to or used in support of or in opposition to a candidate, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or political action committee, or political contributing entity and that is made with the consent of, in coordination, cooperation, or consultation with, or at the request or suggestion of the benefited candidate, committee, fund, or party, or entity. The financing of the dissemination, distribution, or republication, in whole or part, of any broadcast or of any written, graphic, or other form of campaign materials prepared by the candidate, the candidate's campaign committee, or their authorized agents is an in-kind contribution to the candidate and an expenditure by the candidate.

(17) "Independent expenditure" means an expenditure by a person advocating the election or defeat of an identified candidate or candidates, that is not made with the consent of, in coordination, cooperation, or consultation with, or at the request or suggestion of any candidate or candidates or of the campaign committee or agent of the candidate or candidates. As used in division (B)(17) of this section:

(a) "Person" means an individual, partnership, unincorporated business organization or association, political action committee, political contributing entity, separate segregated fund, association, or any other organization or group of persons, but not a labor organization or a corporation unless the labor organization or corporation is a political contributing entity.

(b) "Advocating" means any communication containing a message advocating election or defeat.

(c) "Identified candidate" means that the name of the candidate appears, a photograph or drawing of the candidate appears, or the identity of the candidate is otherwise apparent by unambiguous reference.

(d) "Made in coordination, cooperation, or consultation with, or at the request or suggestion of, any candidate or the campaign committee or agent of the candidate" means made pursuant to any arrangement, coordination, or direction by the candidate, the candidate's campaign committee, or the candidate's agent prior to the publication, distribution, display, or broadcast of the communication. An expenditure is presumed to be so made when it is any of the following:

(i) Based on information about the candidate's plans, projects, or needs provided to the person making the expenditure by the candidate, or by the candidate's campaign committee or agent, with a view toward having an expenditure made;

(ii) Made by or through any person who is, or has been, authorized to raise or expend funds, who is, or has been, an officer of the candidate's campaign committee, or who is, or has been, receiving any form of compensation or reimbursement from the candidate or the candidate's campaign committee or agent;

(iii) Made Except as otherwise provided in division (D) of section 3517.105 of the Revised Code, made by a political party in support of a candidate, unless the expenditure is made by a political party to conduct voter registration or voter education efforts.

(e) "Agent" means any person who has actual oral or written authority, either express or implied, to make or to authorize the making of expenditures on behalf of a candidate, or means any person who has been placed in a position with the candidate's campaign committee or organization such that it would reasonably appear that in the ordinary course of campaign-related activities the person may authorize expenditures.

(18) "Labor organization" means a labor union; an employee organization; a federation of labor unions, groups, locals, or other employee organizations; an auxiliary of a labor union, employee organization, or federation of labor unions, groups, locals, or other employee organizations; or any other bona fide organization in which employees participate and that exists for the purpose, in whole or in part, of dealing with employers concerning grievances, labor disputes, wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment.

(19) "Separate segregated fund" means a separate segregated fund established pursuant to the Federal Election Campaign Act.

(20) "Federal Election Campaign Act" means the "Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971," 86 Stat. 11, 2 U.S.C.A. 431, et seq., as amended.

(21) "Political contributing entity" means any entity, including a corporation or labor organization, that may lawfully make contributions and expenditures and that is not an individual or a political action committee, continuing association, campaign committee, political party, legislative campaign fund, designated state campaign committee, or state candidate fund. For purposes of division (B)(21) of this section, "lawfully" means not prohibited by any section of the Revised Code, or authorized by a final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction. "Restricted fund" means the fund a state or county political party must establish under division (A)(1) of section 3517.1012 of the Revised Code.

(22) "Electioneering communication committee" means a committee established under division (C) of section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code.

(23) "Express advocacy" means a communication that contains express words advocating the nomination, election, or defeat of a candidate or that contains express words advocating the adoption or defeat of a question or issue, as determined by a final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction.

Sec. 3517.08.  (A) The personal expenses of a candidate paid for by the candidate, from the candidate's personal funds, shall not be considered as a contribution by or an expenditure by the candidate and shall not be reported under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

(B)(1) An expenditure by a political action committee or a political contributing entity shall not be considered a contribution by the political action committee or the political contributing entity or an expenditure by or on behalf of the candidate if the purpose of the expenditure is to inform only its members by means of mailed publications of its activities or endorsements.

(2) An expenditure by a political party shall not be considered a contribution by the political party or an expenditure by or on behalf of the candidate if the purpose of the expenditure is to inform predominantly the party's members by means of mailed publications or other direct communication of its activities or endorsements, or for voter contact such as sample ballots, absent voter's ballots application mailings, voter registration, or get-out-the-vote activities.

(C) An expenditure by a continuing association, political contributing entity, or political party shall not be considered a contribution to any campaign committee or an expenditure by or on behalf of any campaign committee if the purpose of the expenditure is for the staff and maintenance of the continuing association's, political contributing entity's, or political party's headquarters, or for a political poll, survey, index, or other type of measurement not on behalf of a specific candidate.

(D) The expenses of maintaining a constituent office paid for, from the candidate's personal funds, by a candidate who is a member of the general assembly at the time of the election shall not be considered a contribution by or an expenditure by or on behalf of the candidate, and shall not be reported, if the constituent office is not used for any candidate's campaign activities.

(E) The net contribution of each social or fund-raising activity shall be calculated by totaling all contributions to the activity minus the expenditures made for the activity.

(F) An expenditure that purchases goods or services shall be attributed to an election when the disbursement of funds is made, rather than at the time the goods or services are used. The secretary of state, under the procedures of Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, shall establish rules for the attribution of expenditures to a candidate when the candidate is a candidate for more than one office during a reporting period and for expenditures made in a year in which no election is held. The secretary of state shall further define by rule those expenditures that are or are not by or on behalf of a candidate.

(G) An expenditure for the purpose of a charitable donation may be made if it is made to an organization that is exempt from federal income taxation under subsection 501(a) and described in subsection 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), 501(c)(8), 501(c)(10), or 501(c)(19) of the Internal Revenue Code or is approved by advisory opinion of the Ohio elections commission as a legitimate charitable organization. Each expenditure under this division shall be separately itemized on statements made pursuant to section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3517.082.  (A) Any corporation, any nonprofit corporation, or any labor organization may establish, administer, and solicit contributions from the persons listed in division (B) of this section, to either or both of the following:

(1) A political action committee of the corporation or labor organization with respect to state and local elections;

(2) A separate segregated fund pursuant to the Federal Election Campaign Act.

(B)(1) A corporation and a nonprofit corporation may solicit contributions from its stockholders, officers, directors, trustees that are not corporations or labor organizations, and employees.

(2) A nonprofit corporation also may solicit contributions from:

(a) Its members that are not corporations or labor organizations;

(b) Officers, directors, trustees that are not corporations or labor organizations, and employees of any members of the nonprofit corporation.

(3) A labor organization may solicit contributions from its members, officers, and employees.

(C) A corporation, nonprofit corporation, or labor organization shall report to a political action committee, or to a separate segregated fund with respect to state and local elections, the following costs expended by the corporation, nonprofit corporation, or labor organization that are associated with establishing, administering, and soliciting contributions to the political action committee or separate segregated fund pursuant to division (A) of this section:

(1) Mailing and printing expenses for direct solicitation of contributions pursuant to division (D) of this section;

(2) The portion of an employee's salary or wages attributable to time he the employee spends in activities related to establishing, administering, and soliciting contributions to a political action committee or separate segregated fund, if that time exceeds during a reporting period fifty per cent of the time for which the employee is compensated by the corporation, nonprofit corporation, or labor organization;

(3) The cost associated with the purchase, lease, operation, and use of equipment for activities related to establishing, administering, and soliciting contributions to a political action committee or separate segregated fund if during a reporting period more than fifty per cent of the use of the equipment is for those activities;

(4) Professional fees paid by the corporation, nonprofit corporation, or labor organization for establishing, administering, and soliciting contributions to a political action committee or separate segregated fund.

The political action committee shall itemize the amounts and purposes of those costs expended by the corporation, nonprofit corporation, or labor organization and file them as part of the statement required of political action committees under division (A) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code on a form prescribed by the secretary of state. The separate segregated fund with respect to state and local elections shall file with the secretary of state a copy of the portion of each report and statement required under the Federal Election Campaign Act that applies to state and local elections at the same time that the entire original report is filed in accordance with that act.

(D) Solicitations of contributions pursuant to division (B) of this section from employees of a corporation or members and employees of a labor organization other than executive and administrative employees of a corporation or officers and executive and administrative employees of a labor organization shall be in writing and shall not be made more than four times during each calendar year. Any person who solicits any employee of a corporation or member or employee of a labor organization for a contribution to a political action committee established or administered by the corporation or labor organization under division (A)(1) of this section shall inform the employee or member at the time of the solicitation that he may refuse to make a contribution without suffering any reprisal.

(E) In addition to the laws listed in division (A) of section 4117.10 of the Revised Code that prevail over conflicting agreements between employee organizations and public employers, this section prevails over any conflicting provisions of agreements between labor organizations and public employers pursuant to Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code (1) Contributions shall not be obtained for a political action committee or a separate segregated fund under this section by use of coercion or physical force, by making a contribution a condition of employment or membership, or by using or threatening to use job discrimination or financial reprisals. Except as specified in this division, a corporation, nonprofit corporation, or labor organization shall not solicit or obtain contributions from an individual described in division (B) of this section on an automatic or passive basis, including, but not limited to, a payroll deduction or reverse checkoff method. A corporation, nonprofit corporation, or labor organization may solicit and obtain contributions for a political action committee or a separate segregated fund under this section from an individual described in division (B) of this section on an automatic basis, including, but not limited to, a payroll deduction plan, only if the individual who is contributing to the political action committee or separate segregated fund affirmatively consents to the contribution at least once in every calendar year.

(2)(a) Any individual who knowingly violates division (D)(1) of this section is guilty of a felony punishable by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars, imprisonment for not more than three years, or both.

(b) Anyone other than an individual who knowingly violates division (D)(1) of this section is guilty of a felony punishable by a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars.

(3) If a corporation, nonprofit corporation, or labor organization that obtains contributions from individuals described in division (B) of this section pays to one or more of those individuals a bonus or other remuneration for the purpose of reimbursing those contributions, that corporation, nonprofit corporation, or labor organization shall be fined twice the total contributions obtained from all individuals for the political action committee or separate segregated fund, as applicable, during that calendar year.

(E) In addition to the laws listed in division (A) of section 4117.10 of the Revised Code that prevail over conflicting agreements between employee organizations and public employers, this section prevails over any conflicting provisions of agreements between labor organizations and public employers that are entered into on or after the effective date of this amendment pursuant to Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3517.09.  (A) No person or committee shall solicit, ask, invite, or demand, directly or indirectly, orally or in writing, a contribution, subscription, or payment from a candidate for nomination or election or from the campaign committee of that candidate, and no person shall solicit, ask, invite, or demand that a candidate for nomination or election or the campaign committee of that candidate subscribe to the support of a club or organization, buy tickets to an entertainment, ball, supper, or other meeting, or pay for space in a book, program, or publication. This division does not apply to any of the following:

(1) Regular advertisements in periodicals having an established circulation;

(2) Regular payments to civic, political, fraternal, social, charitable, or religious organizations of which the candidate was a member or contributor six months before the candidate's candidacy;

(3) Regular party assessments made by a party against its own candidates.

(B) No person shall coerce, intimidate, or cause harm to another person by an act or failure to act, or shall threaten to coerce, intimidate, or cause harm to another person, because that other person makes or does not make a contribution to a candidate, campaign committee, political party, legislative campaign fund, political action committee, or political contributing entity electioneering communication committee.

(C) An employer or labor organization that, directly or through another person, solicits an employee of the employer or a member of the labor organization (1) Contributions shall not be obtained by an employer or labor organization for a contribution to a candidate, campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or political contributing entity shall inform the employee or member at the time of the solicitation that making a contribution is voluntary and that a decision of the employee or member to make a contribution or not to make a contribution will not benefit the employee or member or place the employee or member at a disadvantage with respect to employment by the employer or membership in the labor organization electioneering communication committee by use of coercion or physical force, by making a contribution a condition of employment or membership, or by using or threatening to use job discrimination or financial reprisals. Except as specified in this division, an employer or labor organization, directly or through another person, shall not solicit or obtain contributions from an employee or member on an automatic or passive basis, including, but not limited to, a payroll deduction or reverse checkoff method. An employer or labor organization, directly or through another person, may solicit and obtain contributions for a candidate, campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or electioneering communication committee from an employee or member on an automatic basis, including, but not limited to, a payroll deduction plan, only if the employee or member who is contributing to the candidate, campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or electioneering communication committee affirmatively consents to the contribution at least once in every calendar year.

(2)(a) Any individual who knowingly violates division (C)(1) of this section is guilty of a felony punishable by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars, imprisonment for not more than three years, or both.

(b) Anyone other than an individual who knowingly violates division (C)(1) of this section is guilty of a felony punishable by a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars.

(3) If an employer or labor organization that obtains contributions from employees or members pays to one or more of those employees or members a bonus or other remuneration for the purpose of reimbursing those contributions, that employer or labor organization shall be fined twice the total contributions obtained from all individuals for the candidate, campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or electioneering communication committee, as applicable, during that calendar year.

(D) In addition to the laws listed in division (A) of section 4117.10 of the Revised Code that prevail over conflicting agreements between employee organizations and public employers, this section prevails over any conflicting provisions of agreements between labor organizations and public employers that are entered into on or after the effective date of this amendment pursuant to Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3517.092.  (A) As used in this section:

(1) "Appointing authority" has the same meaning as in section 124.01 of the Revised Code.

(2) "State elected officer" means any person appointed or elected to a state elective office.

(3) "State elective office" means any of the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorney general, member of the state board of education, member of the general assembly, and justice and chief justice of the supreme court.

(4) "County elected officer" means any person appointed or elected to a county elective office.

(5) "County elective office" means any of the offices of county auditor, county treasurer, clerk of the court of common pleas, sheriff, county recorder, county engineer, county commissioner, prosecuting attorney, and coroner.

(6) "Contribution" includes a contribution to any political party, campaign committee, political action committee, political contributing entity, or legislative campaign fund.

(B) No state elected officer, no campaign committee of such an officer, and no other person or entity shall knowingly solicit or accept a contribution on behalf of that officer or that officer's campaign committee from any of the following:

(1) A state employee whose appointing authority is the state elected officer;

(2) A state employee whose appointing authority is authorized or required by law to be appointed by the state elected officer;

(3) A state employee who functions in or is employed in or by the same public agency, department, division, or office as the state elected officer.

(C) No candidate for a state elective office, no campaign committee of such a candidate, and no other person or entity shall knowingly solicit or accept a contribution on behalf of that candidate or that candidate's campaign committee from any of the following:

(1) A state employee at the time of the solicitation, whose appointing authority will be the candidate, if elected;

(2) A state employee at the time of the solicitation, whose appointing authority will be appointed by the candidate, if elected, as authorized or required by law;

(3) A state employee at the time of the solicitation, who will function in or be employed in or by the same public agency, department, division, or office as the candidate, if elected.

(D) No county elected officer, no campaign committee of such an officer, and no other person or entity shall knowingly solicit a contribution on behalf of that officer or that officer's campaign committee from any of the following:

(1) A county employee whose appointing authority is the county elected officer;

(2) A county employee whose appointing authority is authorized or required by law to be appointed by the county elected officer;

(3) A county employee who functions in or is employed in or by the same public agency, department, division, or office as the county elected officer.

(E) No candidate for a county elective office, no campaign committee of such a candidate, and no other person or entity shall knowingly solicit a contribution on behalf of that candidate or that candidate's campaign committee from any of the following:

(1) A county employee at the time of the solicitation, whose appointing authority will be the candidate, if elected;

(2) A county employee at the time of the solicitation, whose appointing authority will be appointed by the candidate, if elected, as authorized or required by law;

(3) A county employee at the time of the solicitation, who will function in or be employed in or by the same public agency, department, division, or office as the candidate, if elected.

(F)(1) No public employee shall solicit a contribution from any person while the public employee is performing the public employee's official duties or in those areas of a public building where official business is transacted or conducted.

(2) No person shall solicit a contribution from any public employee while the public employee is performing the public employee's official duties or is in those areas of a public building where official business is transacted or conducted.

(3) As used in division (F) of this section, "public employee" does not include any person holding an elective office.

(G) The prohibitions in divisions (B), (C), (D), (E), and (F) of this section are in addition to the prohibitions in sections 124.57, 3304.22, and 4503.032 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3517.10.  (A) Except as otherwise provided in this division, every campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, and political party, and political contributing entity that made or received a contribution or made an expenditure in connection with the nomination or election of any candidate or in connection with any ballot issue or question at any election held or to be held in this state shall file, on a form prescribed under this section, or by electronic means of transmission as provided in this section and section 3517.106 of the Revised Code, or, until March 1, 2004, on computer disk as provided in section 3517.106 of the Revised Code, a full, true, and itemized statement, made under penalty of election falsification, setting forth in detail the contributions and expenditures, no not later than four p.m. of the following dates:

(1) The twelfth day before the election to reflect contributions received and expenditures made from the close of business on the last day reflected in the last previously filed statement, if any, to the close of business on the twentieth day before the election;

(2) The thirty-eighth day after the election to reflect the contributions received and expenditures made from the close of business on the last day reflected in the last previously filed statement, if any, to the close of business on the seventh day before the filing of the statement;

(3) The last business day of January of every year to reflect the contributions received and expenditures made from the close of business on the last day reflected in the last previously filed statement, if any, to the close of business on the last day of December of the previous year;

(4) The last business day of July of every year to reflect the contributions received and expenditures made from the close of business on the last day reflected in the last previously filed statement, if any, to the close of business on the last day of June of that year.

A campaign committee shall only be required to file the statements prescribed under divisions (A)(1) and (2) of this section in connection with the nomination or election of the committee's candidate.

The statement required under division (A)(1) of this section shall not be required of any campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, or political party, or political contributing entity that has received contributions of less than one thousand dollars and has made expenditures of less than one thousand dollars at the close of business on the twentieth day before the election. Those contributions and expenditures shall be reported in the statement required under division (A)(2) of this section.

If an election to select candidates to appear on the general election ballot is held within sixty days before a general election, the campaign committee of a successful candidate in the earlier election may file the statement required by division (A)(1) of this section for the general election instead of the statement required by division (A)(2) of this section for the earlier election if the pregeneral election statement reflects the status of contributions and expenditures for the period twenty days before the earlier election to twenty days before the general election.

If a person becomes a candidate less than twenty days before an election, the candidate's campaign committee is not required to file the statement required by division (A)(1) of this section.

No statement under division (A)(3) or (4) of this section shall be required for any year in which a campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, or political party, or political contributing entity is required to file a postgeneral election statement under division (A)(2) of this section. However, such a statement may be filed, at the option of the campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, or political party, or political contributing entity.

No statement under division (A)(3) or (4) of this section shall be required if the campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, or political party, or political contributing entity has no contributions that it has received and no expenditures that it has made since the last date reflected in its last previously filed statement. However, the campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, or political party, or political contributing entity shall file a statement to that effect, on a form prescribed under this section and made under penalty of election falsification, on the date required in division (A)(3) or (4) of this section, as applicable.

The campaign committee of a statewide candidate shall file a monthly statement of contributions received during each of the months of July, August, and September in the year of the general election in which the candidate seeks office. The campaign committee of a statewide candidate shall file the monthly statement not later than three business days after the last day of the month covered by the statement. During the period beginning on the nineteenth day before the general election in which a statewide candidate seeks election to office and extending through the day of that general election, each time the campaign committee of the joint candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor or of a candidate for the office of secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, or attorney general receives a contribution from a contributor that causes the aggregate amount of contributions received from that contributor during that period to equal or exceed two ten thousand five hundred dollars and each time the campaign committee of a candidate for the office of chief justice or justice of the supreme court receives a contribution from a contributor that causes the aggregate amount of contributions received from that contributor during that period to exceed five hundred ten thousand dollars, the campaign committee shall file a two-business-day statement reflecting that contribution. During the period beginning on the nineteenth day before a primary election in which a candidate for statewide office seeks nomination to office and extending through the day of that primary election, each time either the campaign committee of a statewide candidate in that primary election that files a notice under division (C)(1) of section 3517.103 of the Revised Code or the campaign committee of a statewide candidate in that primary election to which, in accordance with division (D) of section 3517.103 of the Revised Code, the contribution limitations prescribed in section 3517.102 of the Revised Code no longer apply receives a contribution from a contributor that causes the aggregate amount of contributions received from that contributor during that period to exceed two ten thousand five hundred dollars, the campaign committee shall file a two-business-day statement reflecting that contribution. Contributions reported on a two-business-day statement required to be filed by a campaign committee of a statewide candidate in a primary election shall also be included in the postprimary election statement required to be filed by that campaign committee under division (A)(2) of this section. A two-business-day statement required by this paragraph shall be filed not later than two business days after receipt of the contribution. The statements required by this paragraph shall be filed in addition to any other statements required by this section.

Subject to the secretary of state having implemented, tested, and verified the successful operation of any system the secretary of state prescribes pursuant to divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of this section and division (H)(1) of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code for the filing of campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission, a campaign committee of a statewide candidate shall file a two-business-day statement under the preceding paragraph by electronic means of transmission if the campaign committee is required to file a preelection pre-election, postelection, or monthly statement of contributions and expenditures by electronic means of transmission under this section or section 3517.106 of the Revised Code.

If a campaign committee or political action committee has no balance on hand and no outstanding obligations and desires to terminate itself, it shall file a statement to that effect, on a form prescribed under this section and made under penalty of election falsification, with the official with whom it files a statement under division (A) of this section after filing a final statement of contributions and a final statement of expenditures, if contributions have been received or expenditures made since the period reflected in its last previously filed statement.

(B) Except as otherwise provided in division (C)(7) of this section, each statement required by division (A) of this section shall contain the following information:

(1) The full name and address of each campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, or political party, or political contributing entity, including any treasurer of the committee, fund, or party, or entity, filing a contribution and expenditure statement;

(2)(a) In the case of a campaign committee, the candidate's full name and address;

(b) In the case of a political action committee, the registration number assigned to the committee under division (D)(1) of this section.

(3) The date of the election and whether it was or will be a general, primary, or special election;

(4) A statement of contributions received, which shall include the following information:

(a) The month, day, and year of the contribution;

(b)(i) The full name and address of each person, political party, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, or political action committee, or political contributing entity from whom contributions are received and the registration number assigned to the political action committee under division (D)(1) of this section. The requirement of filing the full address does not apply to any statement filed by a state or local committee of a political party, to a finance committee of such committee, or to a committee recognized by a state or local committee as its fund-raising auxiliary. Notwithstanding division (F)(1) of this section, the requirement of filing the full address shall be considered as being met if the address filed is the same address the contributor provided under division (E)(1) of this section.

(ii) If a political action committee, legislative campaign fund, or political party that is required to file campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission under section 3517.106 of the Revised Code or a campaign committee of a statewide candidate or candidate for the office of member of the general assembly receives a contribution from an individual that exceeds one hundred dollars, the name of the individual's current employer, if any, or, if the individual is self-employed, the individual's occupation and the name of the individual's business, if any;

(iii) If a campaign committee of a statewide candidate or candidate for the office of member of the general assembly receives a contribution transmitted pursuant to section 3599.031 of the Revised Code from amounts deducted from the wages and salaries of two or more employees that exceeds in the aggregate one hundred dollars during any one filing period under division (A)(1), (2), or (3), or (4) of this section, the full name of the employees' employer and the full name of the labor organization of which the employees are members, if any.

(c) A description of the contribution received, if other than money;

(d) The value in dollars and cents of the contribution;

(e) A separately itemized account of all contributions and expenditures regardless of the amount, except a receipt of a contribution from a person in the sum of twenty-five dollars or less at one social or fund-raising activity and a receipt of a contribution transmitted pursuant to section 3599.031 of the Revised Code from amounts deducted from the wages and salaries of employees if the contribution from the amount deducted from the wages and salary of any one employee is twenty-five dollars or less aggregated in a calendar year. An account of the total contributions from each social or fund-raising activity shall include a description of and the value of each in-kind contribution received at that activity from any person who made one or more such contributions whose aggregate value exceeded two hundred fifty dollars and shall be listed separately, together with the expenses incurred and paid in connection with that activity. A campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, or political party, or political contributing entity shall keep records of contributions from each person in the amount of twenty-five dollars or less at one social or fund-raising activity and contributions from amounts deducted under section 3599.031 of the Revised Code from the wages and salary of each employee in the amount of twenty-five dollars or less aggregated in a calendar year. No continuing association that is recognized by a state or local committee of a political party as an auxiliary of the party and that makes a contribution from funds derived solely from regular dues paid by members of the auxiliary shall be required to list the name or address of any members who paid those dues.

Contributions that are other income shall be itemized separately from all other contributions. The information required under division (B)(4) of this section shall be provided for all other income itemized. As used in this paragraph, "other income" means a loan, investment income, or interest income.

(f) In the case of a campaign committee of a state elected officer, if a person doing business with the state elected officer in the officer's official capacity makes a contribution to the campaign committee of that officer, the information required under division (B)(4) of this section in regard to that contribution, which shall be filed together with and considered a part of the committee's statement of contributions as required under division (A) of this section but shall be filed on a separate form provided by the secretary of state. As used in this division (B)(4)(f) of this section:

(i) "State elected officer" has the same meaning as in section 3517.092 of the Revised Code.

(ii) "Person doing business" means a person or an officer of an entity who enters into one or more contracts with a state elected officer or anyone authorized to enter into contracts on behalf of that officer to receive payments for goods or services, if the payments total, in the aggregate, more than five thousand dollars during a calendar year.

(g) In the case of a contributor who is an individual, the age of the contributor.

(5) A statement of expenditures which shall include the following information:

(a) The month, day, and year of the expenditure;

(b) The full name and address of each person, political party, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, or political action committee, or political contributing entity to whom the expenditure was made and the registration number assigned to the political action committee under division (D)(1) of this section;

(c) The object or purpose for which the expenditure was made;

(d) The amount of each expenditure.

(C)(1) The statement of contributions and expenditures shall be signed by the person completing the form. If a statement of contributions and expenditures is filed by electronic means of transmission pursuant to this section or section 3517.106 of the Revised Code, the electronic signature of the person who executes the statement and transmits the statement by electronic means of transmission, as provided in division (H) of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code, shall be attached to or associated with the statement and shall be binding on all persons and for all purposes under the campaign finance reporting law as if the signature had been handwritten in ink on a printed form.

(2) The person filing the statement, under penalty of election falsification, shall include with it a list of each anonymous contribution, the circumstances under which it was received, and the reason it cannot be attributed to a specific donor.

(3) Each statement of a campaign committee of a candidate who holds public office shall contain a designation of each contributor who is an employee in any unit or department under the candidate's direct supervision and control. In a space provided in the statement, the person filing the statement shall affirm that each such contribution was voluntarily made.

(4) A campaign committee that did not receive contributions or make expenditures in connection with the nomination or election of its candidate shall file a statement to that effect, on a form prescribed under this section and made under penalty of election falsification, on the date required in division (A)(2) of this section.

(5) The campaign committee of any person who attempts to become a candidate and who, for any reason, does not become certified in accordance with Title XXXV of the Revised Code for placement on the official ballot of a primary, general, or special election to be held in this state, and who, at any time prior to or after an election, receives contributions or makes expenditures, or has given consent for another to receive contributions or make expenditures, for the purpose of bringing about the person's nomination or election to public office, shall file the statement or statements prescribed by this section and a termination statement, if applicable. This paragraph Division (C)(5) of this section does not apply to any person with respect to an election to the offices of member of a county or state central committee, presidential elector, or delegate to a national convention or conference of a political party.

(6)(a) The statements required to be filed under this section shall specify the balance in the hands of the campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, or political party, or political contributing entity and the disposition intended to be made of that balance.

(b) The secretary of state shall prescribe the form for all statements required to be filed under this section and shall furnish the forms to the boards of elections in the several counties. The boards of elections shall supply printed copies of those forms without charge. The secretary of state shall prescribe the appropriate methodology, protocol, and data file structure for statements required or permitted to be filed by electronic means of transmission under division (A) of this section and, divisions (E), (F), and (G) of section 3517.106, division (D) of section 3517.1011, and division (B) of section 3517.1012 of the Revised Code and for statements permitted to be filed on computer disk under division (F) of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code. Subject to division (A) of this section and, divisions (E), (F), and (G) of section 3517.106, division (D) of section 3517.1011, and division (B) of section 3517.1012 of the Revised Code, the statements required to be stored on computer by the secretary of state under division (B) of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code shall be filed in whatever format the secretary of state considers necessary to enable the secretary of state to store the information contained in the statements on computer. Any such format shall be of a type and nature that is readily available to whoever is required to file the statements in that format.

(c) The secretary of state shall assess the need for training regarding the filing of campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission and regarding associated technologies for candidates, campaign committees, political action committees, legislative campaign funds, or political parties, political contributing entities, or for individuals, partnerships, or other entities, or for electioneering communication committees, required or permitted to file statements by electronic means of transmission under this section or section 3517.105 or, 3517.106, 3517.1011, or 3517.1012 of the Revised Code. If, in the opinion of the secretary of state, training in these areas is necessary, the secretary of state shall arrange for the provision of voluntary training programs for candidates, campaign committees, political action committees, legislative campaign funds, or political parties, political contributing entities, and for individuals, partnerships, and other entities, or for electioneering communication committees, as appropriate.

(7) Each monthly statement and each two-business-day statement required by division (A) of this section shall contain the information required by divisions (B)(1) to (4), (C)(2), and, if appropriate, (C)(3) of this section. Each statement shall be signed as required by division (C)(1) of this section.

(D)(1) Prior to receiving a contribution or making an expenditure, every campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, or political party, or political contributing entity shall appoint a treasurer and shall file, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, a designation of that appointment, including the full name and address of the treasurer and of the campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, or political party, or political contributing entity. That designation shall be filed with the official with whom the campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, or political party, or political contributing entity is required to file statements under section 3517.11 of the Revised Code. The name of a campaign committee shall include at least the last name of the campaign committee's candidate. The secretary of state shall assign a registration number to each political action committee that files a designation of the appointment of a treasurer under this division (D)(1) of this section if the political action committee is required by division (A)(1) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code to file the statements prescribed by this section with the secretary of state.

(2) The treasurer appointed under division (D)(1) of this section shall keep a strict account of all contributions, from whom received and the purpose for which they were disbursed.

(3)(a) Except as otherwise provided in section 3517.108 of the Revised Code, a campaign committee shall deposit all monetary contributions received by the committee into an account separate from a personal or business account of the candidate or campaign committee.

(b) A political action committee shall deposit all monetary contributions received by the committee into an account separate from all other funds.

(c) A state or county political party may establish a state candidate fund that is separate from an account that contains the public moneys received from the Ohio political party fund under section 3517.17 of the Revised Code and from all other funds. A state or county political party may deposit into its state candidate fund any amounts of monetary contributions that are made to or accepted by the political party subject to the applicable limitations, if any, prescribed in section 3517.102 of the Revised Code. A state or county political party shall deposit all other monetary contributions received by the party into one or more accounts that are separate from its state candidate fund and from its account that contains the public moneys received from the Ohio political party fund under section 3517.17 of the Revised Code.

(d) Each state political party shall have only one legislative campaign fund for each house of the general assembly. Each such fund shall be separate from any other funds or accounts of that state party. A legislative campaign fund is authorized to receive contributions and make expenditures for the primary purpose of furthering the election of candidates who are members of that political party to the house of the general assembly with which that legislative campaign fund is associated. Each legislative campaign fund shall be administered and controlled in a manner designated by the caucus. As used in this division (D)(3)(d) of this section, "caucus" has the same meaning as in section 3517.01 of the Revised Code and includes, as an ex officio member, the chairperson of the state political party with which the caucus is associated or that chairperson's designee.

(4) Every expenditure in excess of twenty-five dollars shall be vouched for by a receipted bill, stating the purpose of the expenditures expenditure, that shall be filed with the statement of expenditures. A canceled check with a notation of the purpose of the expenditure is a receipted bill for purposes of division (D)(4) of this section.

(5) The secretary of state or the board of elections, as the case may be, shall issue a receipt for each statement filed under this section and shall preserve a copy of the receipt for a period of at least six years. All statements filed under this section shall be open to public inspection in the office where they are filed and shall be carefully preserved for a period of at least six years after the year in which they are filed.

(6) The secretary of state, by rule adopted pursuant to section 3517.23 of the Revised Code, shall prescribe the both of the following:

(a) The manner of immediately acknowledging, with date and time received, and preserving the receipt of statements that are transmitted by electronic means of transmission to the secretary of state pursuant to this section or section 3517.106, 3517.1011, or 3517.1012 of the Revised Code and the;

(b) The manner of preserving the contribution and expenditure, contribution and disbursement, or deposit and disbursement information in those the statements described in division (D)(6)(a) of this section. The secretary of state shall preserve the contribution and expenditure, contribution and disbursement, or deposit and disbursement information in those statements for at least ten years after the year in which they are filed by electronic means of transmission.

(7) The secretary of state, pursuant to division (I) of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code, shall make available online to the public through the internet the contribution and expenditure, contribution and disbursement, or deposit and disbursement information in all statements, all addenda, amendments, or other corrections to statements, and all amended statements filed with the secretary of state by electronic or other means of transmission under this section, division (B)(2)(b) or (C)(2)(b) of section 3517.105, or section 3517.106, 3517.1011, 3517.1012, or 3517.11 of the Revised Code. The secretary of state may remove the information from the internet after a reasonable period of time.

(E)(1) Any person, political party, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, or political action committee, or political contributing entity that makes a contribution in connection with the nomination or election of any candidate or in connection with any ballot issue or question at any election held or to be held in this state shall provide its full name and address to the recipient of the contribution at the time the contribution is made. The political action committee also shall provide the registration number assigned to the committee under division (D)(1) of this section to the recipient of the contribution at the time the contribution is made.

(2) Any individual who makes a contribution that exceeds one hundred dollars to a political action committee, legislative campaign fund, or political party or to a campaign committee of a statewide candidate or candidate for the office of member of the general assembly shall provide the name of the individual's current employer, if any, or, if the individual is self-employed, the individual's occupation and the name of the individual's business, if any, to the recipient of the contribution at the time the contribution is made. Sections 3599.39 and 3599.40 of the Revised Code do not apply to division (E)(2) of this section.

(3) If a campaign committee shows that it has exercised its best efforts to obtain, maintain, and submit the information required under divisions (B)(4)(b)(ii) and (iii) of this section, that committee is considered to have met the requirements of those divisions. A campaign committee shall not be considered to have exercised its best efforts unless, in connection with written solicitations, it regularly includes a written request for the information required under division (B)(4)(b)(ii) of this section from the contributor or the information required under division (B)(4)(b)(iii) of this section from whoever transmits the contribution.

(4) Any check that a political action committee uses to make a contribution or an expenditure shall contain the full name and address of the committee and the registration number assigned to the committee under division (D)(1) of this section.

(F) As used in this section:

(1) "Address" means all of the following if they exist: apartment number, street, road, or highway name and number, rural delivery route number, city or village, state, and zip code as used in a person's post-office address, but not post-office box. If an address is required in this section, a post-office box and office, room, or suite number may be included in addition to but not in lieu of an apartment, street, road, or highway name and number. If an address is required in this section, a campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, or political party, or political contributing entity may use the business or residence address of its treasurer or deputy treasurer. The post-office box number of the campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, or political party, or political contributing entity may be used in addition to that address.

(2) "Statewide candidate" means the joint candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor or a candidate for the office of secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorney general, member of the state board of education, chief justice of the supreme court, or justice of the supreme court.

(G) An independent expenditure shall be reported whenever and in the same manner that an expenditure is required to be reported under this section and shall be reported pursuant to division (B)(2)(a) or (C)(2)(a) of section 3517.105 of the Revised Code.

(H)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (H)(2) of this section, if, during the combined preelection pre-election and postelection reporting periods for an election, a campaign committee has received contributions of five hundred dollars or less and has made expenditures in the total amount of five hundred dollars or less, it may file a statement to that effect, under penalty of election falsification, in lieu of the statement required by division (A)(2) of this section. The statement shall indicate the total amount of contributions received and the total amount of expenditures made during those combined reporting periods.

(2) In the case of a successful candidate at a primary election, if either the total contributions received by or the total expenditures made by the candidate's campaign committee during the preprimary, postprimary, pregeneral, and postgeneral election periods combined equal more than five hundred dollars, the campaign committee may file the statement under division (H)(1) of this section only for the primary election. The first statement that the campaign committee files in regard to the general election shall reflect all contributions received and all expenditures made during the preprimary and postprimary election periods.

(3) Divisions (H)(1) and (2) of this section do not apply if a campaign committee receives contributions or makes expenditures prior to the first day of January of the year of the election at which the candidate seeks nomination or election to office or if the campaign committee does not file a termination statement with its postprimary election statement in the case of an unsuccessful primary election candidate or with its postgeneral election statement in the case of other candidates.

(I) In the case of a contribution made by a partner of a partnership or an owner or a member of another unincorporated business from any funds of the partnership or other unincorporated business, all of the following apply:

(1) The recipient of the contribution shall report the contribution by listing both the partnership or other unincorporated business and the name of the partner or, owner, or member making the contribution.

(2) For purposes of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code, the contribution shall be considered to have been made by the partner or, owner, or member reported under division (I)(1) of this section.

(3) No contribution from a partner of a partnership or an owner or a member of another unincorporated business shall be accepted from any funds of the partnership or other unincorporated business unless the recipient reports the contribution under division (I)(1) of this section.

(4) No partnership or other unincorporated business shall make a contribution or contributions solely in the name of the partnership or other unincorporated business.

(5) As used in division (I) of this section, "partnership or other unincorporated business" includes, but is not limited to, a cooperative, a sole proprietorship, a general partnership, a limited partnership, a limited partnership association, a limited liability partnership, and a limited liability company.

(J) A candidate shall have only one campaign committee at any given time for all of the offices for which the person is a candidate or holds office.

(K)(1) In addition to filing a designation of appointment of a treasurer under division (D)(1) of this section, the campaign committee of any candidate for an elected municipal office that pays an annual amount of compensation of five thousand dollars or less, the campaign committee of any candidate for member of a board of education except member of the state board of education, or the campaign committee of any candidate for township trustee or township clerk may sign, under penalty of election falsification, a certificate attesting that the committee will not accept contributions during an election period that exceed in the aggregate two thousand dollars from all contributors and one hundred dollars from any one individual, and that the campaign committee will not make expenditures during an election period that exceed in the aggregate two thousand dollars.

The certificate shall be on a form prescribed by the secretary of state and shall be filed not later than ten days after the candidate files a declaration of candidacy and petition, a nominating petition, or a declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate.

(2) Except as otherwise provided in division (K)(3) of this section, a campaign committee that files a certificate under division (K)(1) of this section is not required to file the statements required by division (A) of this section.

(3) If, after filing a certificate under division (K)(1) of this section, a campaign committee exceeds any of the limitations described in that division during an election period, the certificate is void and thereafter the campaign committee shall file the statements required by division (A) of this section. If the campaign committee has not previously filed a statement, then on the first statement the campaign committee is required to file under division (A) of this section after the committee's certificate is void, the committee shall report all contributions received and expenditures made from the time the candidate filed the candidate's declaration of candidacy and petition, nominating petition, or declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate.

(4) As used in division (K) of this section, "election period" means the period of time beginning on the day a person files a declaration of candidacy and petition, nominating petition, or declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate through the day of the election at which the person seeks nomination to office if the person is not elected to office, or, if the candidate was nominated in a primary election, the day of the election at which the candidate seeks office.

(L) Notwithstanding division (B)(4) of this section, a political contributing entity that receives contributions from the dues, membership fees, or other assessments of its members or from its officers, shareholders, and employees may report the aggregate amount of contributions received from those contributors and the number of individuals making those contributions, for each filing period identified under divisions (A)(1), (2), and (3) of this section. Division (B)(4) of this section applies to a political contributing entity with regard to contributions it receives from all other contributors.

Sec. 3517.102.  (A) Except as otherwise provided in section 3517.103 of the Revised Code, as used in this section and sections 3517.103 and 3517.104 of the Revised Code:

(1) "Candidate" has the same meaning as in section 3517.01 of the Revised Code but includes only candidates for the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorney general, member of the state board of education, member of the general assembly, chief justice of the supreme court, and justice of the supreme court.

(2) "Statewide candidate" or "any one statewide candidate" means the joint candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor or a candidate for the office of secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorney general, member of the state board of education, chief justice of the supreme court, or justice of the supreme court.

(3) "Senate candidate" means a candidate for the office of state senator.

(4) "House candidate" means a candidate for the office of state representative.

(5)(a) "Primary election period" for a candidate begins on the beginning date of the candidate's pre-filing period specified in division (A)(9) of section 3517.109 of the Revised Code and ends on the day of the primary election.

(b) In regard to any candidate, the "general election period" begins on the day after the primary election immediately preceding the general election at which the candidate seeks an office specified in division (A)(1) of this section and ends on the thirty-first day of December following that general election.

(6) "State candidate fund" means the state candidate fund established by a state or county political party under division (D)(3)(c) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

(7) "Postgeneral election statement" means the statement filed under division (A)(2) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code by the campaign committee of a candidate after the general election in which the candidate ran for office or filed by legislative campaign fund after the general election in an even-numbered year.

(8) "Contribution" means any contribution that is required to be reported in the statement of contributions under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

(9)(a) Except as otherwise provided in division (A)(9)(b) of this section and in division (F) of section 3517.103 and division (B)(3)(b) of section 3517.1010 of the Revised Code, "designated state campaign committee" means:

(a)(i) In the case of contributions to or from a state political party, a campaign committee of a statewide candidate, statewide officeholder, senate candidate, house candidate, or member of the general assembly.

(b)(ii) In the case of contributions to or from a county political party, a campaign committee of a statewide candidate, statewide officeholder, senate candidate or house candidate whose candidacy is to be submitted to some or all of the electors in that county, or member of the general assembly whose district contains all or part of that county.

(c)(iii) In the case of contributions to or from a legislative campaign fund, a campaign committee of any of the following:

(i)(I) A senate or house candidate who, if elected, will be a member of the same party that established the legislative campaign fund and the same house with which the legislative campaign fund is associated;

(ii)(II) A state senator or state representative who is a member of the same party that established the legislative campaign fund and the same house with which the legislative campaign fund is associated.

(b) A campaign committee is no longer a "designated state campaign committee" after the campaign committee's candidate changes the designation of treasurer required to be filed under division (D)(1) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code to indicate that the person intends to be a candidate for, or becomes a candidate for nomination or election to, any office that, if elected, would not qualify that candidate's campaign committee as a "designated state campaign committee" under division (A)(9)(a) of this section.

(B)(1)(a) No individual who is seven years of age or older shall make a contribution or contributions aggregating more than:

(a) Two (i) Ten thousand five hundred dollars to the campaign committee of any one statewide candidate in a primary election period or in a general election period;

(b) Two (ii) Ten thousand five hundred dollars to the campaign committee of any one senate candidate in a primary election period or in a general election period;

(c) Two (iii) Ten thousand five hundred dollars to the campaign committee of any one house candidate in a primary election period or in a general election period;

(d) Five (iv) Ten thousand dollars to any one a county political party of the county in which the individual resides for the 1party's party's state candidate fund or in a calendar year;

(v) Fifteen thousand dollars to any one legislative campaign fund in a calendar year;

(e) Fifteen (vi) Thirty thousand dollars to any one state political party for the party's state candidate fund in a calendar year;

(f) Five (vii) Ten thousand dollars to any one political action committee in a calendar year;

(g) Five thousand dollars to any one political contributing entity in a calendar year.

(b) No individual shall make a contribution or contributions to the state candidate fund of a county political party of any county other than the county in which the individual resides.

(c) No individual who is under seven years of age shall make any contribution.

(2)(a) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no political action committee shall make a contribution or contributions aggregating more than:

(a) Two (i) Ten thousand five hundred dollars to the campaign committee of any one statewide candidate in a primary election period or in a general election period;

(b) Two (ii) Ten thousand five hundred dollars to the campaign committee of any one senate candidate in a primary election period or in a general election period;

(c) Two (iii) Ten thousand five hundred dollars to the campaign committee of any one house candidate in a primary election period or in a general election period;

(d) Five (iv) Fifteen thousand dollars to any one county political party for the party's state candidate fund or to any one legislative campaign fund in a calendar year;

(e) Fifteen (v) Thirty thousand dollars to any one state political party for the party's state candidate fund in a calendar year;

(f) Two (vi) Ten thousand five hundred dollars to another political action committee or to a political contributing entity in a calendar year. This division does not apply to a political action committee that makes a contribution to a political action committee or to a political contributing entity affiliated with it. For purposes of this division, a political action committee is affiliated with another political action committee or with a political contributing entity if they are both established, financed, maintained, or controlled by, or if they are, the same corporation, organization, labor organization, continuing association, or other person, including any parent, subsidiary, division, or department of that corporation, organization, labor organization, continuing association, or other person.

(b) No political action committee shall make a contribution or contributions to a county political party for the party's state candidate fund.

(3) No campaign committee shall make a contribution or contributions aggregating more than:

(a) Two Ten thousand five hundred dollars to the campaign committee of any one statewide candidate in a primary election period or in a general election period;

(b) Two Ten thousand five hundred dollars to the campaign committee of any one senate candidate in a primary election period or in a general election period;

(c) Two Ten thousand five hundred dollars to the campaign committee of any one house candidate in a primary election period or in a general election period;

(d) Two Ten thousand five hundred dollars to any one political action committee in a calendar year;

(e) Two thousand five hundred dollars to any one political contributing entity in a calendar year.

(4)(a) Subject to division (D)(3) of this section, no political party shall make a contribution or contributions aggregating more than two ten thousand five hundred dollars to any one political action committee or to any one political contributing entity in a calendar year.

(b) No county political party shall make a contribution or contributions to another county political party.

(5) No (a) Subject to division (B)(5)(b) of this section, no campaign committee, other than a designated state campaign committee, shall make a contribution or contributions aggregating in a calendar year more than:

(a) Fifteen (i) Thirty thousand dollars to any one state political party for the party's state candidate fund;

(b) Five (ii) Fifteen thousand dollars to any one legislative campaign fund;

(c) Five (iii) Ten thousand dollars to any one county political party for the party's state candidate fund.

(b) No campaign committee shall make a contribution or contributions to a county political party for the party's state candidate fund unless one of the following applies:

(i) The campaign committee's candidate will appear on a ballot in that county.

(ii) The campaign committee's candidate is the holder of an elected public office that represents all or part of the population of that county at the time the contribution is made.

(6)(a) No state candidate fund of a county political party shall make a contribution or contributions, except a contribution or contributions to a designated state campaign committee, in a primary election period or a general election period, aggregating more than:

(i) Two Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one statewide candidate;

(ii) Ten thousand five hundred dollars to the campaign committee of any one senate candidate;

(ii) Two (iii) Ten thousand five hundred dollars to the campaign committee of any one house candidate.

(b)(i) No state candidate fund of a state or county political party shall make a transfer or a contribution or transfers or contributions of cash or cash equivalents to a designated state campaign committee in a primary election period or in a general election period aggregating more than:

(I) Five hundred thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one statewide candidate;

(II) One hundred thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one senate candidate;

(III) Fifty thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one house candidate.

(ii) No legislative campaign fund shall make a transfer or a contribution or transfers or contributions of cash or cash equivalents to a designated state campaign committee aggregating more than:

(I) Fifty thousand dollars in a primary election period or one hundred thousand dollars in a general election period to the campaign committee or of any one senate candidate;

(II) Twenty-five thousand dollars in a primary election period or fifty thousand dollars in a general election period to the campaign committee of any one house candidate.

(iii) As used in divisions (B)(6)(b) and (C)(6)(a) and (b) of this section, "transfer or contribution of cash or cash equivalents" does not include any in-kind contributions.

(c) A county political party that has no state candidate fund and that is located in a county having a population of less than one hundred fifty thousand may make one or more contributions from other accounts to any one statewide candidate or to any one designated state campaign committee that do not exceed, in the aggregate, two thousand five hundred dollars in any primary election period or general election period. As used in this division, "other accounts" does not include either an account that contains the public moneys received from the Ohio political party fund under section 3517.17 of the Revised Code or the county political party's operating account.

(d) No legislative campaign fund shall make a contribution, other than to a designated state campaign committee or to the state candidate fund of a political party.

(7) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no political contributing entity shall make a contribution or contributions aggregating more than:

(a) Two thousand five hundred dollars to the campaign committee of any one statewide candidate in a primary election period or in a general election period;

(b) Two thousand five hundred dollars to the campaign committee of any one senate candidate in a primary election period or in a general election period;

(c) Two thousand five hundred dollars to the campaign committee of any one house candidate in a primary election period or in a general election period;

(d) Five thousand dollars to any one county political party for the party's state candidate fund or to any one legislative campaign fund in a calendar year;

(e) Fifteen thousand dollars to any one state political party for the party's state candidate fund in a calendar year;

(f) Two thousand five hundred dollars to another political contributing entity or to a political action committee in a calendar year. This division does not apply to a political contributing entity that makes a contribution to a political contributing entity or to a political action committee affiliated with it. For purposes of this division, a political contributing entity is affiliated with another political contributing entity or with a political action committee if they are both established, financed, maintained, or controlled by, or if they are, the same corporation, organization, labor organization, continuing association, or other person, including any parent, subsidiary, division, or department of that corporation, organization, labor organization, continuing association, or other person.

(C)(1)(a) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no campaign committee of a statewide candidate shall accept a either of the following:

(i) A contribution or contributions from any individual who is under seven years of age;

(ii) A contribution or contributions aggregating more than two ten thousand five hundred dollars from any one individual who is seven years of age or older, from any one political action committee, from any one state candidate fund of a county political contributing entity party, or from any one other campaign committee in a primary election period or in a general election period.

(b) No campaign committee of a statewide candidate shall accept a contribution or contributions aggregating more than two thousand five hundred dollars in a primary election period or in a general election period from a county political party that has no state candidate fund and that is located in a county having a population of less than one hundred fifty thousand.

(c) No campaign committee of a statewide candidate shall accept contributions aggregating more than five hundred thousand dollars in a primary election period or in a general election period from any combination of county political party state candidate funds.

(2)(a) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section and except for a designated state campaign committee, no campaign committee of a senate candidate shall accept a either of the following:

(i) A contribution or contributions from any individual who is under seven years of age;

(ii) A contribution or contributions aggregating more than two ten thousand five hundred dollars from any one individual who is seven years of age or older, from any one political action committee, from any one political contributing entity, from any one state candidate fund of a county political party, or from any one other campaign committee in a primary election period or in a general election period.

(b) No campaign committee of a senate candidate shall accept a contribution or contributions aggregating more than two thousand five hundred dollars in a primary election period or in a general election period from a county political party that has no state candidate fund and that is located in a county having a population of less than one hundred fifty thousand.

(3)(a) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section and except for a designated state campaign committee, no campaign committee of a house candidate shall accept a either of the following:

(i) A contribution or contributions from any individual who is under seven years of age;

(ii) A contribution or contributions aggregating more than two ten thousand five hundred dollars from any one individual who is seven years of age or older, from any one political action committee, from any one political contributing entity, from any one state candidate fund of a county political party, or from any one other campaign committee in a primary election period or in a general election period.

(b) No campaign committee of a house candidate shall accept a contribution or contributions aggregating more than two thousand five hundred dollars in a primary election period or in a general election period from a county political party that has no state candidate fund and that is located in a county having a population of less than one hundred fifty thousand.

(4)(a)(i) Subject to division (D)(1)(C)(4)(a)(ii) of this section and except for a designated state campaign committee, no county political party shall accept a contribution or contributions from any individual who is under seven years of age, or a contribution or contributions for the party's state candidate fund aggregating more than five ten thousand dollars from any one individual, who resides within that county and who is seven years of age or older or from any one political action committee, from any one political contributing entity, or from any one campaign committee, other than a designated state campaign committee, in a calendar year.

(ii) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no county political party shall accept a contribution or contributions for the party's state candidate fund from any individual who resides outside of that county and who is seven years of age or older, from any campaign committee unless the campaign committee's candidate will appear on a ballot in that county or unless the campaign committee's candidate is the holder of an elected public office that represents all or part of the population of that county at the time the contribution is accepted, or from any political action committee.

(iii) No county political party shall accept a contribution or contributions from any other county political party.

(b) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no state political party shall accept a either of the following:

(i) A contribution or contributions from any individual who is under seven years of age;

(ii) A contribution or contributions for the party's state candidate fund aggregating more than fifteen thirty thousand dollars from any one individual who is seven years of age or older, from any one political action committee, from any one political contributing entity, or from any one campaign committee, other than a designated state campaign committee, in a calendar year.

(5) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no legislative campaign fund shall accept a either of the following:

(a) A contribution or contributions from any individual who is under seven years of age;

(b) A contribution or contributions aggregating more than five fifteen thousand dollars from any one individual who is seven years of age or older, from any one political action committee, from any one political contributing entity, or from any one campaign committee, other than a designated state campaign committee, in a calendar year.

(6)(a) No designated state campaign committee shall accept a transfer or contribution of cash or cash equivalents from a state candidate fund of a state or county political party aggregating in a primary election period or a general election period more than:

(i) Five hundred thousand dollars, in the case of a campaign committee of a statewide candidate;

(ii) One hundred thousand dollars, in the case of a campaign committee of a senate candidate;

(iii) Fifty thousand dollars, in the case of a campaign committee of a house candidate.

(b) No designated state campaign committee shall accept a transfer or contribution of cash or cash equivalents from a legislative candidate campaign fund aggregating more than:

(i) Fifty thousand dollars in a primary election period or one hundred thousand dollars in a general election period, in the case of a campaign committee of a senate candidate;

(ii) Twenty-five thousand dollars in a primary election period or fifty thousand dollars in a general election period, in the case of a campaign committee of a house candidate.

(c) No campaign committee of a candidate for the office of member of the general assembly, including a designated state campaign committee, shall accept a transfer or contribution of cash or cash equivalents from any one or combination of state candidate funds of county political parties aggregating in a primary election period or a general election period more than:

(i) One hundred thousand dollars, in the case of a campaign committee of a senate candidate;

(ii) Fifty thousand dollars, in the case of a campaign committee of a house candidate.

(7)(a) Subject to division (D)(3) of this section, no political action committee and no political contributing entity shall accept a either of the following:

(i) A contribution or contributions from any individual who is under seven years of age;

(ii) A contribution or contributions aggregating more than five ten thousand dollars from any one individual who is seven years of age or older, or more than two thousand five hundred dollars from any one campaign committee, or from any one political party in a calendar year.

(b) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no political action committee shall accept a contribution or contributions aggregating more than two ten thousand five hundred dollars from another political action committee or from a political contributing entity in a calendar year. Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no political contributing entity shall accept a contribution or contributions aggregating more than two thousand five hundred dollars from another political contributing entity or from a political action committee in a calendar year. This division does not apply to a political action committee or political contributing entity that accepts a contribution from a political action committee or political contributing entity affiliated with it. For purposes of this division, a political action committee is affiliated with another political action committee or political contributing entity if they are established, financed, maintained, or controlled by the same corporation, organization, labor organization, continuing association, or other person, including any parent, subsidiary, division, or department of that corporation, organization, labor organization, continuing association, or other person.

(D)(1)(a) For purposes of the limitations prescribed in division (B)(2) of this section and the limitations prescribed in divisions (C)(1), (2), (3), (4), (5), and (7)(b) of this section, whichever is applicable, all contributions made by and all contributions accepted from political action committees that are established, financed, maintained, or controlled by the same corporation, organization, labor organization, continuing association, or other person, including any parent, subsidiary, division, or department of that corporation, organization, labor organization, continuing association, or other person, are considered to have been made by or accepted from a single political action committee.

(b) For purposes of the limitations prescribed in division (B)(7) of this section and the limitations prescribed in divisions (C)(1), (2), (3), (4), (5), and (7)(b) of this section, whichever is applicable, all contributions made by and all contributions accepted from political contributing entities that are established, financed, maintained, or controlled by, or that are, the same corporation, organization, labor organization, continuing association, or other person, including any parent, subsidiary, division, or department of that corporation, organization, labor organization, continuing association, or other person, are considered to have been made by or accepted from a single political contributing entity.

(2) As used in divisions (B)(1)(f)(a)(vii), (B)(3)(d), (B)(4), and (C)(7) of this section, "political action committee" does not include a political action committee that is organized to support or oppose a ballot issue or question and that makes no contributions to or expenditures on behalf of a political party, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, or political action committee, or political contributing entity. As used in divisions (B)(1)(g), (B)(3)(e), (B)(4), and (C)(7) of this section, "political contributing entity" does not include a political contributing entity that is organized to support or oppose a ballot issue or question and that makes no contributions to or expenditures on behalf of a political party, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political action committee, or political contributing entity.

(3) For purposes of the limitations prescribed in divisions (B)(4) and (C)(7)(a) of this section, all contributions made by and all contributions accepted from a national political party, a state political party, and a county political party are considered to have been made by or accepted from a single political party and shall be combined with each other to determine whether the limitations have been exceeded.

(E)(1) If a legislative campaign fund has kept a total amount of contributions exceeding one hundred fifty thousand dollars at the close of business on the seventh day before the postgeneral election statement is required to be filed under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code, the legislative campaign fund shall comply with division (E)(2) of this section.

(2)(a) Any legislative campaign fund that has kept a total amount of contributions in excess of the amount specified in division (E)(1) of this section at the close of business on the seventh day before the postgeneral election statement is required to be filed under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code shall dispose of the excess amount in the manner prescribed in division (E)(2)(c)(b)(i), (ii), or (iii) of this section not later than ninety days after the day the postgeneral election statement is required to be filed under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code. Any legislative campaign fund that is required to dispose of an excess amount of contributions under this division shall file a statement on the ninetieth day after the postgeneral election statement is required to be filed under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code indicating the total amount of contributions the fund has at the close of business on the seventh day before the postgeneral election statement is required to be filed under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code and that the excess contributions were disposed of pursuant to this division and divisions division (E)(2)(b) and (c) of this section. The statement shall be on a form prescribed by the secretary of state and shall contain any additional information the secretary of state considers necessary.

(b) There is hereby created in the state treasury the Ohio elections commission fund. All moneys credited to the fund shall be used solely for the purpose of paying expenses related to the operation of the Ohio elections commission.

(c) Any legislative campaign fund that is required to dispose of an excess amount of contributions under division (E)(2) of this section shall dispose of that excess amount by doing any of the following:

(i) Giving the amount to the treasurer of state for deposit into the state treasury to the credit of the Ohio elections commission fund created by division (I) of section 3517.152 of the Revised Code;

(ii) Giving the amount to individuals who made contributions to that legislative campaign fund as a refund of all or part of their contributions;

(iii) Giving the amount to a corporation that is exempt from federal income taxation under subsection 501(a) and described in subsection 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code.

(F)(1) No legislative campaign fund shall fail to file a statement required by division (E) of this section.

(2) No legislative campaign fund shall fail to dispose of excess contributions as required by division (E) of this section.

(G) Nothing in this section shall affect, be used in determining, or supersede a limitation on campaign contributions as provided for in the Federal Election Campaign Act.

Sec. 3517.103.  (A)(1) For purposes of this section:

(1)(a) "Statewide candidate" means the joint candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor or a candidate for the office of secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorney general, or member of the state board of education.

(2)(b)(i) "Personal funds" means contributions to the campaign committee of a candidate by the candidate or by the candidate's spouse, parents, children, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, brothers, sisters, grandparents, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, or grandparents by marriage.

(3)(ii) A loan obtained by, guaranteed by, or for the benefit of a statewide candidate, senate candidate, or house candidate shall be considered "personal funds" subject to the provisions of this section and section 3517.1010 of the Revised Code to the extent that the loan is obtained or guaranteed by the candidate or is for the benefit of the candidate and is obtained or guaranteed by the candidate's spouse, parents, children, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, brothers, sisters, grandparents, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, or grandparents by marriage. A loan that is obtained or guaranteed and that is for the benefit of a statewide candidate, senate candidate, or house candidate shall not be considered "personal funds" for the purposes of this section and section 3517.1010 of the Revised Code but shall be considered to be a "contribution" for the purposes of this chapter if the loan is obtained or guaranteed by anyone other than the candidate or the candidate's spouse, parents, children, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, brothers, sisters, grandparents, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, or grandparents by marriage.

(iii) When a debt or other obligation incurred by a committee or by a candidate on behalf of the candidate's committee described in division (C)(1) or (2) of this section is to be paid from "personal funds," those funds are considered to be expended when the debt or other obligation is incurred, regardless of when it is paid.

(4)(2) For purposes of Chapter 3517. of the Revised Code this chapter, a candidate is an "opponent" when the candidate has indicated on the candidate's most recently filed designation of treasurer that the candidate seeks the same office at the same primary or general election as another candidate whose campaign committee has filed a personal funds notice required by division (C)(1) or (2) of this section.

(B)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (B)(2) of this section, no statewide candidate or candidate for the office of member of the general assembly shall make an expenditure of personal funds to influence the results of an election for that candidate's nomination or election to office unless the personal funds are first deposited into the campaign fund of that candidate's campaign committee.

(2) A statewide candidate or candidate for the office of member of the general assembly may make an expenditure of personal funds without first depositing those funds into the campaign committee's funds as long as the aggregate total of those expenditures does not exceed five hundred dollars at any time during an election period. After the candidate's campaign committee reimburses the candidate for any direct expenditure of personal funds, the amount that was reimbursed is no longer included in the aggregate total of expenditures of personal funds subject to the five-hundred-dollar limit.

(C)(1) If the campaign committee of any statewide candidate has received or expended or expects to expend more than one hundred thousand dollars of personal funds during a primary election period or one hundred fifty thousand dollars of personal funds during a general election period, the campaign committee shall file a personal funds notice in the manner provided in division (C)(3) of this section indicating that the committee has received or expended or expects to expend more than that amount. For the purpose of this division, a joint team of candidates for governor and lieutenant governor shall be considered a single candidate and their personal funds shall be combined.

(2) If the campaign committee of any senate candidate or house candidate has received or expended or expects to expend more than twenty-five thousand dollars of personal funds during a primary election period or twenty-five thousand dollars of personal funds during a general election period, the campaign committee shall file a personal funds notice in the manner provided in division (C)(3) of this section indicating that the committee has received or expended or expects to expend more than that amount.

(3) The personal funds notice required in divisions (C)(1) and (2) of this section and the declaration of no limits required under division (D)(2) of this section shall be on a form prescribed by the secretary of state. The personal funds notice required in divisions (C)(1) and (2) of this section shall be filed not later than the earlier of the following times:

(a) One hundred twenty days before a primary election, in the case of personal funds received, expended, or expected to be expended during a primary election period, or not later than one hundred twenty days before a general election, in the case of personal funds received, expended, or expected to be expended during a general election period;

(b) Two business days after the candidate's campaign committee receives or makes an expenditure of personal funds or the candidate makes an expenditure of personal funds on behalf of the candidate's campaign committee during that election period that exceed, in the aggregate, the amount specified in division (C)(1) or (2) of this section.

The personal funds notice required under divisions (C)(1) and (2) of this section and the declaration of no limits required under division (D)(2) of this section shall be filed wherever the campaign committee files statements of contributions and expenditures under section 3517.11 of the Revised Code. The board of elections shall send to the secretary of state a copy of any personal funds notice or declaration of no limits filed by the campaign committee of a senate candidate or house candidate under division (C)(3) or (D)(2) of this section.

(D)(1) Whenever a campaign committee files a notice under division (C)(1) or (2) of this section, and the campaign committee of an opponent files a declaration of no limits pursuant to division (D)(2) of this section within thirty days of the filing of the personal funds notice under division (C)(1) or (2) of this section, the contribution limitations prescribed in section 3517.102 of the Revised Code no longer apply to the campaign committee of the candidate's opponent.

(2) No campaign committee of a candidate described in division (D)(1) of this section shall accept any contribution or contributions from a contributor that exceed the limitations prescribed in section 3517.102 of the Revised Code until the committee files a declaration that the committee will accept contributions that exceed those limitations. This declaration shall be filed not later than thirty days after a candidate's opponent has filed a personal funds notice pursuant to division (C)(1) or (2) of section 3517.103 of the Revised Code, shall be referred to as the "declaration of no limits," and shall list all of the following:

(a) The amount of cash on hand in the candidate's campaign fund at the end of the day immediately preceding the day on which the candidate's campaign committee files the declaration of no limits;

(b) The value and description of all campaign assets worth five hundred dollars or more available to the candidate at the end of the day immediately preceding the day on which the candidate's campaign committee files the declaration of no limits.

(3) A candidate who was not an opponent of a candidate who filed the personal funds notice required under division (C)(3) of this section on the date the personal funds notice was filed may file the declaration of no limits pursuant to division (D)(2) of this section within thirty days after becoming an opponent of the candidate who filed the personal funds notice.

(4) If the candidate whose campaign committee filed a personal funds notice under division (C)(1) or (2) of this section fails to file a declaration of candidacy for the office listed on the designation of treasurer filed under division (D) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code or files a declaration of candidacy or nominating petition for that office and dies or withdraws, both of the following apply to the campaign committee of that candidate's opponent if the opponent has filed a declaration of no limits pursuant to division (D) of this section:

(a) No contribution from a contributor may thereafter be accepted that, when added to the aggregate total of all contributions received by that committee from that contributor during the primary election period or general election period, whichever is applicable, would cause that committee to exceed the contribution limitations prescribed in section 3517.102 of the Revised Code for the applicable election period.

(b) The statement of primary-day finances or the year-end statement required to be filed under division (E) of section 3517.1010 of the Revised Code shall be filed not later than fourteen days after the date the candidate's opponent fails to file a declaration of candidacy or nominating petition by the appropriate filing deadline, or dies or withdraws. For purposes of calculating permitted funds under division (A)(7)(4) of section 3517.1010 of the Revised Code, the primary or general election period, whichever is applicable, shall be considered to have ended on the filing deadline, in the case of an opponent who fails to file a declaration of candidacy or nominating petition, or on the date of the opponent's death or withdrawal. In such an event, the filing of a statement of primary-day finances or year-end finances and the disposing of any excess funds as required under division (B) of section 3517.1010 of the Revised Code satisfies the candidate's obligation to file such a statement for that election period.

(E)(1) No campaign committee shall fail to file a personal funds notice as required under division (C)(1) or (2) of this section.

(2) No campaign committee shall accept any contribution in excess of the contribution limitations prescribed in section 3517.102 of the Revised Code:

(a) Unless a declaration of no limits has been filed under division (D)(2) of this section;

(b) In violation of division (D)(4) of this section once the candidate who filed a personal funds notice under division (C)(3) of this section fails to file a declaration of candidacy or nominating petition or that candidate dies or withdraws.

(3) No campaign committee that violates division (E)(1) of this section shall expend any personal funds in excess of the amount specified in division (C)(1) or (2) of this section, whichever is appropriate to the committee.

(4) The candidate of any campaign committee that violates division (E) of this section shall forfeit the candidate's nomination, if the candidate was nominated, or the office to which the candidate was elected, if the candidate was elected to office.

(F)(1) Whenever a campaign committee files a notice under division (C)(1) or (2) of this section or whenever the contribution limitations prescribed in section 3517.102 of the Revised Code do not apply to a campaign committee under division (D)(1) of this section, that committee is not a designated state campaign committee for the purpose of the limitations prescribed in section 3517.102 of the Revised Code with regard to contributions made by that campaign committee to a legislative campaign fund or to a state candidate fund of a state or county political party.

(2) Division (F)(1) of this section no longer applies to a campaign committee after both of the following occur:

(a) The primary or general election period during which the contribution limitations prescribed in section 3517.102 of the Revised Code did not apply after being removed pursuant to division (D) of this section has expired;

(b) When the campaign committee has disposed of all excess funds and excess aggregate contributions as required under section 3517.1010 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3517.104.  (A) In January of each odd-numbered year, the secretary of state, in accordance with this division and division (B) of this section, shall adjust each amount specified in section 3517.102 and in division (B)(4)(e) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code. The adjustment shall be based on the yearly average of the previous two years of the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers or its successive equivalent, as determined by the United States department of labor, bureau of labor statistics, or its successor in responsibility, for all items, Series A. Using the 1996 yearly average as the base year, the secretary of state shall compare the most current average consumer price index with that determined in the preceding odd-numbered year, and shall determine the percentage increase or decrease. The percentage increase or decrease shall be multiplied by the actual dollar figure for each office or entity specified in section 3517.102 of the Revised Code and by each actual dollar figure specified in division (B)(4)(e) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code as determined in the previous odd-numbered year, and the product shall be added to or subtracted from its corresponding actual dollar figure, as necessary, for that previous odd-numbered year. The

The resulting amount shall be rounded to the nearest five hundred dollars if the calculations are made regarding the amounts specified in section 3517.102 of the Revised Code or to the nearest twenty-five dollars if the calculations are made regarding the amounts specified in division (B)(4)(e) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

If the calculations are made regarding the amounts specified in section 3517.102 of the Revised Code, the resulting amount shall not be rounded. If that resulting amount is less than one hundred dollars, the secretary of state shall retain a record of the resulting amount and the manner in which it was calculated, but shall not make an adjustment unless the resulting amount, when added to the resulting amount calculated in each prior odd-numbered year since the last adjustment was made, equals or exceeds one hundred dollars.

(B)(1) The secretary of state shall calculate the adjustment under division (A) of this section and shall report the calculations and necessary materials to the auditor of state, on or before the thirty-first day of January of each odd-numbered year. The secretary of state shall base the adjustment on the most current consumer price index that is described in division (A) of this section and that is in effect as of the first day of January of each odd-numbered year.

(2) The calculations made by the secretary of state under divisions (A) and (B)(1) of this section shall be certified by the auditor of state on or before the fifteenth day of February of each odd-numbered year.

(3) On or before the twenty-fifth day of February of each odd-numbered year, the secretary of state shall prepare a report setting forth the maximum contribution limitations under section 3517.102 of the Revised Code, the maximum amounts, if any, of contributions permitted to be kept under that section, and the amounts required under division (B)(4)(e) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code for reporting contributions and in-kind contributions at social or fund-raising activities and contributions from amounts deducted from an employee's wages and salary, as calculated and certified pursuant to divisions (A) and (B)(1) and (2) of this section. The report and all documents relating to the calculations contained in the report are public records. The report shall contain an indication of the period in which the limitations, the maximum contribution amounts, and the reporting amounts apply, a summary of how the limitations, the maximum contribution amounts, and the reporting amounts were calculated, and a statement that the report and all related documents are available for inspection and copying at the office of the secretary of state.

(4) On or before the twenty-fifth day of February of each odd-numbered year, the secretary of state shall transmit the report to the general assembly, and shall send the report by mail to the board of elections of each county.

(5) The secretary of state shall send the report by mail to each person who files a declaration of candidacy or nominating petition with the secretary of state for the office of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorney general, member of the state board of education, chief justice of the supreme court, or justice of the supreme court. The report shall be mailed on or before the tenth day after the filing.

(6) A board of elections shall send the report by mail to each person who files a declaration of candidacy or nominating petition with the board for the office of state representative or state senator. The report shall be mailed on or before the tenth day after the filing.

Sec. 3517.105.  (A)(1) As used in this section, "public political advertising" means advertising to the general public through a broadcasting station, newspaper, magazine, poster, yard sign, or outdoor advertising facility, by direct mail, or by any other means of advertising to the general public.

(2) For purposes of this section and section 3517.20 of the Revised Code, a person is a member of a political action committee if the person makes one or more contributions to that political action committee, and a person is a member of a political contributing entity if the person makes one or more contributions to, or pays dues, membership fees, or other assessments to, that political contributing entity.

(B)(1) Whenever a candidate, a campaign committee, a political action committee or political contributing entity with ten or more members, or a legislative campaign fund makes an independent expenditure, or whenever a political action committee or political contributing entity with fewer than ten members makes an independent expenditure in excess of one hundred dollars for a local candidate, in excess of two hundred fifty dollars for a candidate for the office of member of the general assembly, or in excess of five hundred dollars for a statewide candidate, for the purpose of financing communications advocating the election or defeat of an identified candidate or solicits without the candidate's express consent a contribution for or against an identified candidate through public political advertising, a statement shall appear or be presented in a clear and conspicuous manner in the advertising that does both of the following:

(a) Clearly indicates that the communication or public political advertising is not authorized by the candidate or the candidate's campaign committee;

(b) Clearly identifies the candidate, campaign committee, political action committee, political contributing entity, or legislative campaign fund that has paid for the communication or public political advertising in accordance with section 3517.20 of the Revised Code.

(2)(a) Whenever any campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political action committee, political contributing entity, or political party makes an independent expenditure in support of or opposition to any candidate, the committee, entity, fund, or party shall report the independent expenditure and identify the candidate on a statement prescribed by the secretary of state and filed by the committee, entity, fund, or political party as part of its statement of contributions and expenditures pursuant to division (A) of section 3517.10 and division (A) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code.

(b) Whenever any individual, partnership, or other entity, except a corporation, labor organization, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political action committee, political contributing entity, or political party, makes one or more independent expenditures in support of or opposition to any candidate, the individual, partnership, or other entity shall file with the secretary of state in the case of a statewide candidate, or with the board of elections in the county in which the candidate files the candidate's petitions for nomination or election for district or local office, not later than the dates specified in divisions (A)(1), (2), and (3), and (4) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code, and, except as otherwise provided in that section, a statement itemizing all independent expenditures made during the period since the close of business on the last day reflected in the last previously filed such statement, if any. The statement shall be made on a form prescribed by the secretary of state or shall be filed by electronic means of transmission pursuant to division (G) of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code as authorized or required by that division. The statement shall indicate the date and the amount of each independent expenditure and the candidate on whose behalf it was made and shall be made under penalty of election falsification.

(C)(1) Whenever a corporation, labor organization, campaign committee, political action committee with ten or more members, or legislative campaign fund makes an independent expenditure, or whenever a political action committee with fewer than ten members makes an independent expenditure in excess of one hundred dollars for a local ballot issue or question, or in excess of five hundred dollars for a statewide ballot issue or question, for the purpose of financing communications advocating support of or opposition to an identified ballot issue or question or solicits without the express consent of the ballot issue committee a contribution for or against an identified ballot issue or question through public political advertising, a statement shall appear or be presented in a clear and conspicuous manner in the advertising that does both of the following:

(a) Clearly indicates that the communication or public political advertising is not authorized by the identified ballot issue committee;

(b) Clearly identifies the corporation, labor organization, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, or political action committee that has paid for the communication or public political advertising in accordance with section 3517.20 of the Revised Code.

(2)(a) Whenever any corporation, labor organization, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or political action committee makes an independent expenditure in support of or opposition to any ballot issue or question, the corporation or labor organization shall report the independent expenditure in accordance with division (C) of section 3599.03 of the Revised Code, and the campaign committee, fund, party, or political action committee shall report the independent expenditure and identify the ballot issue or question on a statement prescribed by the secretary of state and filed by the campaign committee, fund, political party, or political action committee as part of its statement of contributions and expenditures pursuant to division (A) of section 3517.10 and division (A) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code.

(b) Whenever any individual, partnership, or other entity, except a corporation, labor organization, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political action committee, or political party, makes one or more independent expenditures in excess of one hundred dollars in support of or opposition to any ballot issue or question, the individual, partnership, or other entity shall file with the secretary of state in the case of a statewide ballot issue or question, or with the board of elections in the county that certifies the issue or question for placement on the ballot in the case of a district or local issue or question, not later than the dates specified in division divisions (A)(1), (2), and (3), and (4) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code, and, except as otherwise provided in that section, a statement itemizing all independent expenditures made during the period since the close of business on the last day reflected in the last previously filed such statement, if any. The statement shall be made on a form prescribed by the secretary of state or shall be filed by electronic means of transmission pursuant to division (G) of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code as authorized or required by that division. The statement shall indicate the date and the amount of each independent expenditure and the ballot issue or question in support of or opposition to which it was made and shall be made under penalty of election falsification.

(3) No person, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political action committee, corporation, labor organization, or other organization or association shall use or cause to be used a false or fictitious name in making an independent expenditure in support of or opposition to any candidate or any ballot issue or question. A name is false or fictitious if the person, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political action committee, corporation, labor organization, or other organization or association does not actually exist or operate, if the corporation, labor organization, or other organization or association has failed to file a fictitious name or other registration with the secretary of state, if it is required to do so, or if the person, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, or political action committee has failed to file a designation of the appointment of a treasurer, if it is required to do so by division (D)(1) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

(D) Any expenditure by a political party for the purpose of financing communications advocating the election or defeat of a candidate for judicial office shall be deemed to be an independent expenditure subject to the provisions of this section.

Sec. 3517.106.  (A) As used in this section:

(1) "Statewide office" means any of the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorney general, chief justice of the supreme court, and justice of the supreme court.

(2) "Addendum to a statement" includes an amendment or other correction to that statement.

(B)(1) The secretary of state shall store on computer the information contained in statements of contributions and expenditures and monthly statements required to be filed under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code and in statements of independent expenditures required to be filed under section 3517.105 of the Revised Code by any of the following:

(1)(a) The campaign committees of candidates for statewide office;

(2)(b) The political action committees and political contributing entities described in division (A)(1) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code;

(3)(c) Legislative campaign funds;

(4)(d) State political parties;

(5)(e) Individuals, partnerships, corporations, labor organizations, or other entities that make independent expenditures in support of or opposition to a statewide candidate or a statewide ballot issue or question;

(6)(f) The campaign committees of candidates for the office of member of the general assembly;

(g) County political parties, with respect to their state candidate funds.

(2) The secretary of state shall store on computer the information contained in disclosure of electioneering communications statements required to be filed under section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code.

(3) The secretary of state shall store on computer the information contained in deposit and disbursement statements required to be filed with the office of the secretary of state under section 3517.1012 of the Revised Code.

(C)(1) The secretary of state shall make available to the campaign committees, political action committees, political contributing entities, legislative campaign funds, political parties, individuals, partnerships, corporations, labor organizations, and other entities described in division (B) of this section, and to members of the news media and other interested persons, for a reasonable fee, computer programs that are compatible with the secretary of state's method of storing the information contained in the statements.

(2) The secretary of state shall make the information required to be stored under division (B) of this section available on computer at the secretary of state's office so that, to the maximum extent feasible, individuals may obtain at the secretary of state's office any part or all of that information for any given year, subject to the limitation expressed in division (D) of this section.

(D) The secretary of state shall keep the information stored on computer under division (B) of this section for at least six years.

(E)(1) Subject to division (L) of this section and subject to the secretary of state having implemented, tested, and verified the successful operation of any system the secretary of state prescribes pursuant to division (H)(1) of this section and divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code for the filing of campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission, the campaign committee of each candidate for statewide office may file the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code by electronic means of transmission or, if the total amount of the contributions received or the total amount of the expenditures made by the campaign committee for the applicable reporting period as specified in division (A) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code exceeds ten thousand dollars, shall file those statements by electronic means of transmission.

Except as otherwise provided in this division, within five business days after a statement filed by a campaign committee of a candidate for statewide office is received by the secretary of state by electronic or other means of transmission, the secretary of state shall make available online to the public through the internet, as provided in division (I) of this section, the contribution and expenditure information in that statement. The secretary of state shall not make available online to the public through the internet any contribution or expenditure information contained in a statement for any candidate until the secretary of state is able to make available online to the public through the internet the contribution and expenditure information for all candidates for a particular office, or until the applicable filing deadline for that statement has passed, whichever is sooner. As soon as the secretary of state has available all of that the contribution and expenditure information for all candidates for a particular office, or as soon as the applicable filing deadline for a statement has passed, whichever is sooner, the secretary of state shall simultaneously make available online to the public through the internet the information for all candidates for a particular that office.

If a statement filed by electronic means of transmission is found to be incomplete or inaccurate after the examination of the statement for completeness and accuracy pursuant to division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the campaign committee shall file by electronic means of transmission any addendum to the statement that provides the information necessary to complete or correct the statement or, if required by the secretary of state under that division, an amended statement.

Within five business days after the secretary of state receives from a campaign committee of a candidate for statewide office an addendum to the statement or an amended statement by electronic or other means of transmission under this division or division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the secretary of state shall make the contribution and expenditure information in the addendum or amended statement available online to the public through the internet as provided in division (I) of this section.

(2) Subject to division (E)(3) of this section and subject to the secretary of state having implemented, tested, and verified the successful operation of any system the secretary of state prescribes pursuant to division (H)(1) of this section and divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code for the filing of campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission, a political action committee and a political contributing entity described in division (B)(2)(1)(b) of this section, a legislative campaign fund, and a state political party may file the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code by electronic means of transmission or, if the total amount of the contributions received or the total amount of the expenditures made by the political action committee, legislative campaign fund, or state political party for the applicable reporting period as specified in division (A) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code exceeds ten thousand dollars, shall file those statements by electronic means of transmission.

Within five business days after a statement filed by a political action committee or a political contributing entity described in division (B)(2)(1)(b) of this section, a legislative campaign fund, or a state political party is received by the secretary of state by electronic or other means of transmission, the secretary of state shall make available online to the public through the internet, as provided in division (I) of this section, the contribution and expenditure information in that statement.

If a statement filed by electronic means of transmission is found to be incomplete or inaccurate after the examination of the statement for completeness and accuracy pursuant to division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or state political party shall file by electronic means of transmission any addendum to the statement that provides the information necessary to complete or correct the statement or, if required by the secretary of state under that division, an amended statement.

Within five business days after the secretary of state receives from a political action committee or a political contributing entity described in division (B)(2)(1)(b) of this section, a legislative campaign fund, or a state political party an addendum to the statement or an amended statement by electronic or other means of transmission under this division or division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the secretary of state shall make the contribution and expenditure information in the addendum or amended statement available online to the public through the internet as provided in division (I) of this section.

(3) Subject to the secretary of state having implemented, tested, and verified the successful operation of any system the secretary of state prescribes pursuant to division (H)(1) of this section and divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code for the filing of campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission, a political action committee and a political contributing entity described in division (B)(2) of this section, a legislative campaign fund, and a state county political party shall file the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code with respect to its state candidate fund by electronic means of transmission if the total amount of the contributions received or the total amount of the expenditures made by the political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or political party for the applicable reporting period as specified in division (A) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code exceeds ten thousand dollars to the office of the secretary of state.

Within five business days after a statement filed by a political action committee or a political contributing entity described in division (B)(2) of this section, a legislative campaign fund, or a state county political party with respect to its state candidate fund is received by the secretary of state by electronic or other means of transmission, the secretary of state shall make available online to the public through the internet, as provided in division (I) of this section, the contribution and expenditure information in that statement.

If a statement filed by electronic means of transmission is found to be incomplete or inaccurate after the examination of the statement for completeness and accuracy pursuant to division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or state a county political party shall file by electronic means of transmission any addendum to the statement that provides the information necessary to complete or correct the statement or, if required by the secretary of state under that division, an amended statement.

Within five business days after the secretary of state receives from a political action committee or a political contributing entity described in division (B)(2) of this section, a legislative campaign fund, or a state county political party an addendum to the statement or an amended statement by electronic or other means of transmission under this division or division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the secretary of state shall make the contribution and expenditure information in the addendum or amended statement available online to the public through the internet as provided in division (I) of this section.

(F)(1) Subject to division (F)(4)(L) of this section and subject to the secretary of state having implemented, tested, and verified the successful operation of any system the secretary of state prescribes pursuant to division (H)(1) of this section and divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code for the filing of campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission or on computer disk, a campaign committee of a candidate for the office of member of the general assembly or a campaign committee of a candidate for the office of judge of a court of appeals may file the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code in accordance with division (A)(2) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code or by electronic means of transmission to the office of the secretary of state or, until March 1, 2004, on computer disk with the appropriate board of elections specified in division (A)(2) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code if the total amount of the contributions received by the campaign committee for the applicable reporting period as specified in division (A) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code exceeds ten thousand dollars, shall file those statements by electronic means of transmission to the office of the secretary of state.

Except as otherwise provided in this division, within five business days after a statement filed by a campaign committee of a candidate for the office of member of the general assembly or a campaign committee of a candidate for the office of judge of a court of appeals is received by the secretary of state by electronic or other means of transmission, the secretary of state shall make available online to the public through the internet, as provided in division (I) of this section, the contribution and expenditure information in that statement. The secretary of state shall not make available online to the public through the internet any contribution or expenditure information contained in a statement for any candidate until the secretary of state is able to make available online to the public through the internet the contribution and expenditure information for all candidates for a particular office, or until the applicable filing deadline for that statement has passed, whichever is sooner. As soon as the secretary of state has available all of that the contribution and expenditure information for all candidates for a particular office, or as soon as the applicable filing deadline for a statement has passed, whichever is sooner, the secretary of state shall simultaneously make available online to the public through the internet the information for all candidates for a particular that office.

If a statement filed by electronic means of transmission or on computer disk is found to be incomplete or inaccurate after the examination of the statement for completeness and accuracy pursuant to division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the campaign committee shall file by electronic means of transmission to the office of the secretary of state, or, until March 1, 2004, on computer disk with the appropriate board of elections if the original statement was filed on computer disk, any addendum to the statement that provides the information necessary to complete or correct the statement or, if required by the secretary of state under that division, an amended statement.

Within five business days after the secretary of state receives from a campaign committee of a candidate for the office of member of the general assembly or a campaign committee of a candidate for the office of judge of a court of appeals an addendum to the statement or an amended statement by electronic or other means of transmission under this division or division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the secretary of state shall make the contribution and expenditure information in the addendum or amended statement available online to the public through the internet as provided in division (I) of this section.

(2) Until March 1, 2004, if a campaign committee of a candidate for the office of member of the general assembly files a statement of contributions and expenditures, an addendum to the statement, or an amended statement by electronic means of transmission or on computer disk pursuant to division (F)(1) of this section, the campaign committee shall file as prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code with the appropriate board of elections specified in division (A)(2) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code a printed version of the statement, addendum, or amended statement filed by electronic means of transmission or on computer disk, in the format that the secretary of state shall prescribe.

If a statement, addendum, or amended statement is not filed by electronic means of transmission or on computer disk to the office of the secretary of state but is filed by printed version only under division (A)(2) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code with the appropriate board of elections, the campaign committee of a candidate for the office of member of the general assembly or a campaign committee of a candidate for the office of judge of a court of appeals shall file two copies of the printed version of the statement, addendum, or amended statement with the appropriate board of elections. The board of elections shall send one of those copies by overnight delivery service to the secretary of state before the close of business on the day the board of elections receives the statement, addendum, or amended statement.

(3)(a) Subject to division (F)(4) of this section and subject to the secretary of state having implemented, tested, and verified the successful operation of any system the secretary of state prescribes pursuant to division (H)(1) of this section and divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code for the filing of campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission or on computer disk, the secretary of state shall assess, and a campaign committee of a candidate for the office of member of the general assembly shall pay, a fee as provided in this division if the campaign committee has not filed the campaign finance statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code by electronic means of transmission or on computer disk pursuant to division (F)(1) of this section. The fee shall be calculated on the total contributions received for the applicable reporting period specified in division (A) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code as follows:

(i) No fee for total contributions up to and including ten thousand dollars;

(ii) A fee of fifty dollars for total contributions of over ten thousand dollars up to and including twenty-five thousand dollars;

(iii) A fee of one hundred fifty dollars for total contributions over twenty-five thousand dollars up to and including fifty thousand dollars;

(iv) A fee of two hundred dollars for total contributions over fifty thousand dollars.

(b) No campaign committee of a candidate for the office of member of the general assembly shall be required to pay the fee prescribed by division (F)(3)(a) of this section in connection with the filing of an addendum to a statement of contributions and expenditures or in connection with the filing of an amended statement.

(c) The fee prescribed by division (F)(3)(a) of this section shall be made payable to the secretary of state and shall be collected by the appropriate board of elections at the time the campaign committee of a candidate for the office of member of the general assembly files the statement of contributions and expenditures. The fee shall be sent along with the statement, before the close of business on the day it is received, to the secretary of state by overnight delivery service.

(4) Subject to the secretary of state having implemented, tested, and verified the successful operation of any system the secretary of state prescribes pursuant to division (H)(1) of this section and divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code for the filing of campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission, on and after March 1, 2004, a campaign committee of a candidate for the office of member of the general assembly shall file the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code by electronic means of transmission to the secretary of state if the total amount of the contributions received by the campaign committee for the applicable reporting period as specified in division (A) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code exceeds ten thousand dollars.

Except as otherwise provided in this division, within five business days after a statement filed by a campaign committee of a candidate for the office of member of the general assembly is received by the secretary of state by electronic or other means of transmission, the secretary of state shall make available online to the public through the internet, as provided in division (I) of this section, the contribution and expenditure information in that statement. The secretary of state shall not make available online to the public through the internet any contribution or expenditure information contained in a statement for any candidate until the secretary of state is able to make available online to the public through the internet the contribution and expenditure information for all candidates for a particular office. As soon as the secretary of state has available all of that information, the secretary of state shall simultaneously make available online to the public through the internet the information for all candidates for a particular office.

If a statement filed by electronic means of transmission is found to be incomplete or inaccurate after the examination of the statement for completeness and accuracy pursuant to division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the campaign committee of a candidate for the office of member of the general assembly shall file by electronic means of transmission any addendum to the statement that provides the information necessary to complete or correct the statement or, if required by the secretary of state under that division, an amended statement.

Within five business days after the secretary of state receives from a campaign committee of a candidate for the office of member of the general assembly an addendum to the statement or an amended statement by electronic or other means of transmission under this division or division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the secretary of state shall make the contribution and expenditure information in the addendum or amended statement available online to the public through the internet as provided in division (I) of this section.

(G)(1) Subject to division (G)(2) of this section and subject to the secretary of state having implemented, tested, and verified the successful operation of any system the secretary of state prescribes pursuant to division (H)(1) of this section and divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code for the filing of campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission, any individual, partnership, or other entity that makes independent expenditures in support of or opposition to a statewide candidate or a statewide ballot issue or question as provided in division (B)(2)(b) or (C)(2)(b) of section 3517.105 of the Revised Code may file the statement specified in that division by electronic means of transmission or, if the total amount of independent expenditures made during the reporting period under that division exceeds ten thousand dollars, shall file the statement specified in that division by electronic means of transmission.

Within five business days after a statement filed by an individual, partnership, or other entity is received by the secretary of state by electronic or other means of transmission, the secretary of state shall make available online to the public through the internet, as provided in division (I) of this section, the expenditure information in that statement.

If a statement filed by electronic means of transmission is found to be incomplete or inaccurate after the examination of the statement for completeness and accuracy pursuant to division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the individual, partnership, or other entity shall file by electronic means of transmission any addendum to the statement that provides the information necessary to complete or correct the statement or, if required by the secretary of state under that division, an amended statement.

Within five business days after the secretary of state receives from an individual, partnership, or other entity described in division (B)(2)(b) or (C)(2)(b) of section 3517.105 of the Revised Code an addendum to the statement or an amended statement by electronic or other means of transmission under this division or division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the secretary of state shall make the expenditure information in the addendum or amended statement available online to the public through the internet as provided in division (I) of this section.

(2) Subject to the secretary of state having implemented, tested, and verified the successful operation of any system the secretary of state prescribes pursuant to division (H)(1) of this section and divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code for the filing of campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission, any individual, partnership, or other entity that makes independent expenditures in support of or opposition to a statewide candidate or a statewide ballot issue or question as provided in division (B)(2)(b) or (C)(2)(b) of section 3517.105 of the Revised Code shall file the statement specified in that division by electronic means of transmission if the total amount of the independent expenditures made during the reporting period under that division exceeds ten thousand dollars.

Within five business days after a statement filed by an individual, partnership, or other entity is received by the secretary of state by electronic or other means of transmission, the secretary of state shall make available online to the public through the internet, as provided in division (I) of this section, the expenditure information in that statement.

If a statement filed by electronic means of transmission is found to be incomplete or inaccurate after the examination of the statement for completeness and accuracy pursuant to division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the individual, partnership, or other entity shall file by electronic means of transmission any addendum to the statement that provides the information necessary to complete or correct the statement or, if required by the secretary of state under that division, an amended statement.

Within five business days after the secretary of state receives from an individual, partnership, or other entity described in division (B)(2)(b) or (C)(2)(b) of section 3517.105 of the Revised Code an addendum to the statement or an amended statement by electronic or other means of transmission under this division or division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the secretary of state shall make the expenditure information in the addendum or amended statement available online to the public through the internet as provided in division (I) of this section.

(H)(1) The secretary of state, by rule adopted pursuant to section 3517.23 of the Revised Code, shall prescribe one or more techniques by which a person who executes and transmits by electronic means a statement of contributions and expenditures, a statement of independent expenditures, a disclosure of electioneering communications statement, or a deposit and disbursement statement, an addendum to either statement any of those statements, an amended statement of contributions and expenditures, or an amended statement of independent expenditures, an amended disclosure of electioneering communications statement, or an amended deposit and disbursement statement, under this section or section 3517.10 or, 3517.105, 3517.1011, or 3517.1012 of the Revised Code shall electronically sign the statement, addendum, or amended statement. Any technique prescribed by the secretary of state pursuant to this division shall create an electronic signature that satisfies all of the following:

(a) It is unique to the signer.

(b) It objectively identifies the signer.

(c) It involves the use of a signature device or other means or method that is under the sole control of the signer and that cannot be readily duplicated or compromised.

(d) It is created and linked to the electronic record to which it relates in a manner that, if the record or signature is intentionally or unintentionally changed after signing, the electronic signature is invalidated.

(2) An electronic signature prescribed by the secretary of state under division (H)(1) of this section shall be attached to or associated with the statement of contributions and expenditures, the statement of independent expenditures, the disclosure of electioneering communications statement, or the deposit and disbursement statement, the addendum to either statement any of those statements, the amended statement of contributions and expenditures, or the amended statement of independent expenditures, the amended disclosure of electioneering communications statement, or the amended deposit and disbursement statement that is executed and transmitted by electronic means by the person to whom the electronic signature is attributed. The electronic signature that is attached to or associated with the statement, addendum, or amended statement under this division shall be binding on all persons and for all purposes under the campaign finance reporting law as if the signature had been handwritten in ink on a printed form of the statement, addendum, or amended statement.

(I) The secretary of state shall make the contribution and expenditure, the contribution and disbursement, or the deposit and disbursement information in all statements, all addenda to the statements, and all amended statements that are filed with the secretary of state by electronic or other means of transmission under this section or section 3517.10, 3517.105, 3517.1011, 3517.1012, or 3517.11 of the Revised Code available online to the public by any means that are searchable, viewable, and accessible through the internet.

(J)(1) As used in this division, "library" means a library that is open to the public and that is one of the following:

(a) A library that is maintained and regulated under section 715.13 of the Revised Code;

(b) A library that is created, maintained, and regulated under Chapter 3375. of the Revised Code.

(2) The secretary of state shall notify all libraries of the location on the internet at which the contribution and expenditure, contribution and disbursement, or deposit and disbursement information in campaign finance statements required to be made available online to the public through the internet pursuant to division (I) of this section may be accessed.

If that location is part of the graphical subnetwork called the world wide web and if the secretary of state has notified a library of that world wide web location as required by this division, the library shall include a link to that world wide web location on each internet-connected computer it maintains that is accessible to the public.

(3) If the system the secretary of state prescribes for the filing of campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission pursuant to division (H)(1) of this section and divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code includes filing those statements through the internet via an interactive location on the graphical subnetwork called the world wide web, the secretary of state shall notify all libraries of the world wide web location at which those statements may be filed.

If those statements may be filed through the internet via an interactive location on the graphical subnetwork called the world wide web and if the secretary of state has notified a library of that world wide web location as required by this division, the library shall include a link to that world wide web location on each internet-connected computer it maintains that is accessible to the public.

(K) It is an affirmative defense to a complaint or charge brought against any campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, or political party, political contributing entity, or any individual, partnership, or other entity, or any electioneering communication committee, for the failure to file by electronic means of transmission a campaign finance statement as required by this section or section 3517.10 or, 3517.105, 3517.1011, or 3517.1012 of the Revised Code that all of the following apply to the campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, or political party, political contributing entity, or the individual, partnership, or other entity, or the electioneering communication committee, that failed to so file the required statement:

(1) The campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, or political party, political contributing entity, or the individual, partnership, or other entity, or the electioneering communication committee attempted to file by electronic means of transmission the required statement prior to the deadline set forth in the applicable section.

(2) The campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, or political party, political contributing entity, or the individual, partnership, or other entity, or the electioneering communication committee was unable to file by electronic means of transmission due to an expected or unexpected shutdown of the whole or part of the electronic campaign finance statement-filing system, such as for maintenance or because of hardware, software, or network connection failure.

(3) The campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, or political party, political contributing entity, or the individual, partnership, or other entity, or the electioneering communication committee filed by electronic means of transmission the required statement within a reasonable period of time after being unable to so file it under the circumstance described in division (K)(2) of this section.

(L)(1) The secretary of state shall adopt rules pursuant to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code to permit a campaign committee of a candidate for statewide office that makes expenditures of less than twenty-five thousand dollars during the filing period or a campaign committee for the office of member of the general assembly or the office of judge of a court of appeals that would otherwise be required to file campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission under division (E) or (F) of this section to file those statements by paper with the office of the secretary of state. Those rules shall provide for all of the following:

(a) An eligible campaign committee that wishes to file a campaign finance statement by paper instead of by electronic means of transmission shall file the statement on paper with the office of the secretary of state not sooner than twenty-four hours after the end of the filing period set forth in section 3517.10 of the Revised Code that is covered by the applicable statement.

(b) The statement shall be accompanied by a fee, the amount of which the secretary of state shall determine by rule. The amount of the fee established under this division shall not exceed the data entry and data verification costs the secretary of state will incur to convert the information on the statement to an electronic format as required under division (I) of this section.

(c) The secretary of state shall arrange for the information in campaign finance statements filed pursuant to division (L) of this section to be made available online to the public through the internet in the same manner, and at the same times, as information is made available under divisions (E), (F), and (I) of this section for candidates whose campaign committees file those statements by electronic means of transmission.

(d) The candidate of an eligible campaign committee that intends to file a campaign finance statement pursuant to division (L) of this section shall file an affidavit indicating that the candidate's campaign committee intends to so file and stating that filing the statement by electronic means of transmission would constitute a hardship for the candidate or for the eligible campaign committee.

(e) An eligible campaign committee that files a campaign finance statement on paper pursuant to division (L) of this section shall review the contribution and information made available online by the secretary of state with respect to that paper filing and shall notify the secretary of state of any errors with respect to that filing that appear in the data made available on that web site.

(f) If an eligible campaign committee whose candidate has filed an affidavit in accordance with rules adopted under division (L)(1)(d) of this section subsequently fails to file that statement on paper by the applicable deadline established in rules adopted under division (L)(1)(a) of this section, penalties for the late filing of the campaign finance statement shall apply to that campaign committee for each day after that paper filing deadline, as if the campaign committee had filed the statement after the applicable deadline set forth in division (A) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

(2) The process for permitting campaign committees that would otherwise be required to file campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission to file those statements on paper with the office of the secretary of state that is required to be developed under division (L)(1) of this section shall be in effect and available for use by eligible campaign committees for all campaign finance statements that are required to be filed on or after June 30, 2005. Notwithstanding any provision of the Revised Code to the contrary, if the process the secretary of state is required to develop under division (L)(1) of this section is not in effect and available for use on and after June 30, 2005, all penalties for the failure of campaign committees to file campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission shall be suspended until such time as that process is in effect and available for use.

(3) Notwithstanding any provision of the Revised Code to the contrary, any eligible campaign committee that files campaign finance statements on paper with the office of the secretary of state pursuant to division (L)(1) of this section shall be deemed to have filed those campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission to the office of the secretary of state.

Sec. 3517.108.  (A) As used in divisions (A) and (B) of this section:

(1) "Candidate" has the same meaning as in section 3517.01 of the Revised Code but includes only candidates for the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorney general, member of the state board of education, member of the general assembly, chief justice of the supreme court, and justice of the supreme court.

(2) A "general election period" begins on the day after the primary election immediately preceding the general election at which a candidate seeks an office specified in division (A)(1) of this section and ends on the thirty-first day of December following that general election.

(3) A "primary election period" begins on the first day of January of the year following the year in which the general election was held for the office that the candidate seeks, including any mid-term election, and ends on the day of the primary election.

(B) Whenever the campaign committee of a candidate has unpaid debt at the end of a primary election period or at the end of a general election period, the committee may accept additional contributions during the immediately following election period up to the applicable limitation prescribed under section 3517.102 of the Revised Code from any individual, political action committee, political contributing entity, or other campaign committee who, during the primary or general election period for which debt remains unpaid, has contributed less than the contribution limitations prescribed under section 3517.102 of the Revised Code applicable to that individual, political action committee, political contributing entity, or other campaign committee. Any additional contribution that a campaign committee accepts under this division shall count toward the applicable limitations prescribed under section 3517.102 of the Revised Code for that primary or general election period at the end of which the debt remains unpaid, and shall not count toward the applicable limitations for any other primary or general election period if all of the following conditions apply:

(1) The campaign committee reports, on the statement required to be filed under division (A)(2) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code, all debt remaining unpaid at the end of the election period. The committee shall also file a separate statement, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, at the same time that the committee is required to file a statement of contributions and expenditures under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code. The separate statement shall include the name and address of each contributor who makes an additional contribution under division (B) of this section, how the contribution was applied to pay the unpaid debt as required by division (B)(3) of this section, and the balance of the unpaid debt after each contribution was applied to it.

(2) The additional contributions are accepted only during the primary or general election period, whichever is applicable, immediately following the election period covered in the statement filed under division (B)(1) of this section.

(3) All additional contributions made under division (B) of this section are used by the campaign committee that receives them only to pay the debt of the committee reported under division (B)(1) of this section.

(4) The campaign committee maintains a separate account for all additional contributions made under division (B) of this section, and uses moneys in that account only to pay the unpaid debt reported under division (B)(1) of this section and to administer the account.

(5) The campaign committee stops accepting additional contributions after funds sufficient to repay the unpaid debt reported under division (B)(1) of this section have been raised and promptly disposes of any contributions received that exceed the amount of the unpaid debt by returning the excess contributions to the contributors or by giving the excess contributions to an organization that is exempt from federal income taxation under subsection 501(a) and described in subsection 501(c)(3), (4), (8), (10), or (19) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Sec. 3517.109.  (A) As used in this section:

(1) "Candidate" has the same meaning as in section 3517.01 of the Revised Code but includes only candidates for the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorney general, member of the state board of education, and member of the general assembly.

(2) "Statewide candidate" means the joint candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor or a candidate for the office of secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorney general, and member of the state board of education.

(3) "Senate candidate" means a candidate for the office of state senator.

(4) "House candidate" means a candidate for the office of state representative.

(5) "State office" means the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorney general, member of the state board of education, and member of the general assembly.

(6) "Aggregate contribution" means the total of all contributions from a contributor during the pre-filing period.

(7) "Allowable aggregate contribution" means all of the following:

(a) In the case of a contribution from a contributor whose contributions are subject to the contribution limits described in division (B)(1), (2), (3), or (6)(a), or (7) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code, that portion of the amount of the contributor's aggregate contribution that does not exceed the preprimary contribution limit applicable to that contributor.

(b) In the case of a contribution or contributions from a contributor whose contributions are not subject to the contribution limits described in divisions (B)(1), (2), (3), or (6)(a), or (7) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code, the total of the following:

(i) That portion of the aggregate contribution that was received as in-kind services;

(ii) That portion of the aggregate contribution that was received as cash and does not exceed the applicable preprimary cash transfer or contribution limits described in division (B)(6)(b) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code.

(8) "Excess aggregate contribution" means, for each contributor, the amount by which that contributor's aggregate contribution exceeds that contributor's allowable aggregate contribution.

(9) "Pre-filing period" means the period of time ending on the day that the candidacy petitions are due for the state office for which the candidate has filed and beginning on the latest date of the following:

(a) The first day of January of the year following the general election in which that state office was last on the ballot;

(b) The first day of January of the year following the general election in which the candidate was last a candidate for any office;

(c) The first day of the month following the primary election in which the candidate was last a candidate for any office.

(10) "Filing date" means the last date on which a candidacy petition may be filed for an office.

(11) "Applicable carry-in limit" means thirty-five thousand dollars if the candidate is a house candidate or a candidate for the state board of education, one hundred thousand dollars if the candidate is a senate candidate, and two hundred thousand dollars if the candidate is a statewide candidate other than a candidate for the state board of education.

(12) "Campaign asset" means prepaid, purchased, or donated assets available to the candidate on the date of the filing deadline for the office the candidate is seeking that will be consumed or depleted in the course of the candidate's election campaign, including, but not limited to, postage, prepaid rent for campaign headquarters, prepaid radio, television, and newspaper advertising, and other prepaid consulting and personal services.

(13) "Permitted funds" means the sum of the following:

(a) The total of the allowable aggregate contribution of each contributor;

(b) The applicable carry-in limit.

(14) "Excess funds" means the amount by which the sum of the total cash on hand and total reported campaign assets exceeds permitted funds.

(15) "Covered candidate" means both of the following:

(a) A candidate who, during the pre-filing period, accepts or has a campaign committee that accepts contributions on the candidate's behalf for the purpose of nominating or electing the candidate to any office not subject to the contribution limits prescribed in section 3517.102 of the Revised Code;

(b) A person who, during the pre-filing period, accepts or has a campaign committee that accepts contributions on the person's behalf prior to the person deciding upon or announcing the office for which the person will become a candidate for nomination or election.

(B) Each candidate who files for state office, not later than the filing date for that office, shall dispose of any excess funds. Each covered candidate who files for state office, not later than the filing date for that office, shall dispose of any excess aggregate contributions.

(C) Any campaign committee that is required to dispose of excess funds or excess aggregate contributions under division (B) of this section shall dispose of that excess amount or amounts by doing any of the following:

(1) Giving the amount to the treasurer of state for deposit into the state treasury to the credit of the Ohio elections commission fund created by division (I) of section 3517.152 of the Revised Code;

(2) Giving the amount to individuals who made contributions to that campaign committee as a refund of all or part of their contributions;

(3) Giving the amount to a corporation that is exempt from federal income taxation under subsection 501(a) and described in subsection 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code.

(D)(1) Subject to division (D)(2) of this section, no candidate or covered candidate shall appear on the ballot, even if certified to appear on the ballot, unless the candidate's or covered candidate's campaign committee has disposed of excess funds, excess aggregate contributions, or both as required by divisions (B) and (C) of this section.

(2) If the excess aggregate contributions accepted by a covered candidate or a covered candidate's campaign committee aggregate a total of less than five thousand dollars from all contributors, that candidate shall not be prohibited from appearing on the ballot under division (D)(1) of this section.

(E)(1) The campaign committee of each candidate required to dispose of excess funds under this section shall file a report, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, with the official or board with which the candidate is required to file statements under section 3517.11 of the Revised Code. The report shall be filed by the seventh day following the filing deadline for the office the candidate is seeking, shall indicate the amount of excess funds disposed of, and shall describe the manner in which the campaign committee disposed of the excess amount.

(2) In addition to the information required to be included in a report filed under division (E)(1) of this section, the campaign committee of each covered candidate required to dispose of excess aggregate contributions under this section shall include in that report the source and amount of each excess aggregate contribution disposed of and shall describe the manner in which the campaign committee disposed of the excess amount.

(F)(1) Each campaign committee of a candidate who has filed a declaration of candidacy or a nominating petition for a state office, not later than seven days after the date of the filing deadline date for the office the candidate is seeking, shall file a declaration of filing-day finances, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, with the official or board with which the candidate is required to file statements under section 3517.11 of the Revised Code.

(2) A declaration of filing-day finances shall list all of the following:

(a) The amount of cash on hand in the candidate's campaign fund on the date of the filing deadline date for the office the candidate is seeking.

(b) The value and description of all campaign assets worth five hundred dollars or more available to the candidate on the date of the filing date. Assets purchased by the campaign shall be valued at actual cost, and in-kind contributions shall be valued at market value.

(c) The total of all aggregate contributions;

(d) The total of all allowable aggregate contributions;

(e) The applicable carry-in limit, if any.

(3) In addition to the information required to be included in a report of filing-day finances filed under division (F)(1) of this section, the campaign committee of each covered candidate shall include both of the following in that report:

(a) The total of all excess aggregate contributions;

(b) For each contributor, if any, for whom there is an excess aggregate contribution, the name, address, aggregate contribution, and excess aggregate contribution.

(G) A campaign committee of a candidate is not required to file a declaration of filing-day finances under division (F) of this section if all of the following apply:

(1) The campaign committee has not accepted, during the pre-filing period, any aggregate contribution greater than the applicable amount.

(2) The campaign committee had less than the carry-in amount in cash on hand at the beginning of the pre-filing period.

(3) The candidate files a declaration, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, with the official or board with which the candidate is required to file statements under section 3517.11 of the Revised Code not later than seven days after the date of the filing deadline date for the office that candidate is seeking, stating that the candidate's campaign committee has not accepted aggregate contributions as described in division (G)(1) of this section and has less than the carry-in amount in cash on hand as described in division (G)(2) of this section.

Sec. 3517.1011.  (A) As used in this section:

(1) "Address" has the same meaning as in section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

(2) "Broadcast, cable, or satellite communication" means a communication that is publicly distributed by a television station, radio station, cable television system, or satellite system.

(3) "Contribution" means any loan, gift, deposit, forgiveness of indebtedness, donation, advance, payment, or transfer of funds or of anything of value, including a transfer of funds from an inter vivos or testamentary trust or decedent's estate, and the payment by any person other than the person to whom the services are rendered for the personal services of another person, that is made, received, or used to pay the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications.

(4)(a) "Coordinated electioneering communication" means any electioneering communication that is made pursuant to any arrangement, coordination, or direction by a candidate or a candidate's campaign committee, by an officer, agent, employee, or consultant of a candidate or a candidate's campaign committee, or by a former officer, former agent, former employee, or former consultant of a candidate or a candidate's campaign committee prior to the airing, broadcasting, or cablecasting of the communication. An electioneering communication is presumed to be a "coordinated electioneering communication" when it is either of the following:

(i) Based on information about a candidate's plans, projects, or needs provided to the electioneering communication committee making the disbursement by the candidate or the candidate's campaign committee, by an officer, agent, employee, or consultant of the candidate or the candidate's campaign committee, or by a former officer, former agent, former employee, or former consultant of the candidate or the candidate's campaign committee, with a view toward having the communication made;

(ii) Made by or through any person who is, or has been, authorized to raise or expend funds on behalf of a candidate or the candidate's campaign committee, who is, or has been, an officer, agent, employee, or consultant of the candidate or of the candidate's campaign committee, or who is, or has been, receiving any form of compensation or reimbursement from the candidate or the candidate's campaign committee or from an officer, agent, employee, or consultant of the candidate or of the candidate's campaign committee.

(b) An electioneering communication may only be considered to be a "coordinated electioneering communication" if the communication is made during one of the following periods of time:

(i) Between the filing date for the office the candidate is seeking and the thirtieth day prior to the primary election at which candidates will be nominated for that office;

(ii) Between the day of the primary election at which the candidate was nominated for office and the thirtieth day prior to the general election at which a candidate will be elected to that office.

(c) An electioneering communication shall not be presumed to be a "coordinated electioneering communication" under division (A)(4)(a)(ii) of this section if the communication is made through any person who provides a service that does not affect the content of the communication, such as communications placed through the efforts of a media buyer, unless that person also affects the content of the communication.

(5) "Disclosure date" means both of the following:

(a) The first date during any calendar year by which an electioneering communication committee makes disbursements for the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications aggregating in excess of one dollar;

(b) The same day of the week of each remaining week in the same calendar year as the day of the week of the initial disclosure date established under division (A)(5)(a) of this section, if, during that remaining week, the electioneering communication committee makes disbursements for the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications aggregating in excess of one dollar.

(6)(a) "Electioneering communication" means any broadcast, cable, or satellite communication that refers to a clearly identified candidate and that is made at any time other than during the thirty days preceding a primary election or during the thirty days preceding a general election.

(b) "Electioneering communication" does not include any of the following:

(i) A communication that is publicly disseminated through a means of communication other than a broadcast, cable, or satellite television or radio station. For example, "electioneering communication" does not include communications appearing in print media, including a newspaper or magazine, handbill, brochure, bumper sticker, yard sign, poster, billboard, and other written materials, including mailings; communications over the internet, including electronic mail; or telephone communications.

(ii) A communication that appears in a news story, commentary, public service announcement, bona fide news programming, or editorial distributed through the facilities of any broadcast, cable, or satellite television or radio station, unless those facilities are owned or controlled by any political party, political committee, or candidate;

(iii) A communication that constitutes an expenditure or an independent expenditure under section 3517.01 of the Revised Code;

(iv) A communication that constitutes a candidate debate or forum or that solely promotes a candidate debate or forum and is made by or on behalf of the person sponsoring the debate or forum.

(7) "Filing date" has the same meaning as in section 3517.109 of the Revised Code.

(8) "Immigration and Nationality Act" means the Immigration and Nationality Act, 110 Stat. 309 (1996), 8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq., as amended.

(9) "Person" has the same meaning as in section 1.59 of the Revised Code and includes any political organization considered exempt from income taxation under section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code.

(10) "Political committee" means any of the following:

(a) Any committee, club, association, or other group of persons that receives contributions aggregating in excess of one thousand dollars during a calendar year or that makes expenditures aggregating in excess of one thousand dollars during a calendar year;

(b) Any separate segregated fund;

(c) Any state, county, or local committee of a political party that does any of the following:

(i) Receives contributions aggregating in excess of five thousand dollars during a calendar year;

(ii) Makes payments that do not constitute contributions or expenditures aggregating in excess of five thousand dollars during a calendar year;

(iii) Makes contributions or expenditures aggregating in excess of one thousand dollars during a calendar year.

(11) "Publicly distributed" means aired, broadcast, cablecast, or otherwise disseminated for a fee.

(12) "Refers to a clearly identified candidate" means that the candidate's name, nickname, photograph, or drawing appears, or the identity of the candidate is otherwise apparent through an unambiguous reference to the person such as "the chief justice," "the governor," "member of the Ohio senate," "member of the Ohio house of representatives," "county auditor," "mayor," or "township trustee" or through an unambiguous reference to the person's status as a candidate.

(B) For the purposes of this section, a person shall be considered to have made a disbursement if the person has entered into a contract to make the disbursement.

(C) Any person or political committee intending to make a disbursement or disbursements for the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications shall establish an electioneering communication committee in accordance with this division. Such a person or political committee, prior to making the first disbursement for the direct costs of producing or airing an electioneering communication, shall file a notice with the office of the secretary of state that the person or political committee is establishing an electioneering communication committee for the purpose of making such disbursements.

(D)(1) Every electioneering communication committee that makes a disbursement or disbursements for the direct costs of producing and airing electioneering communications aggregating in excess of one dollar during any calendar year shall file, within twenty-four hours of each disclosure date, a disclosure of electioneering communications statement containing the following information:

(a) The full name and address of the electioneering communication committee making the disbursement, of any person sharing or exercising direction or control over the activities of the electioneering communication committee, and of the custodian of the books and accounts of the electioneering communication committee;

(b) The principal place of business of the electioneering communication committee making the disbursement, if not an individual;

(c) The amount of each disbursement of more than one dollar during the period covered by the statement and the identity of the person to whom the disbursement was made;

(d) The nominations or elections to which the electioneering communications pertain and the names, if known, of the candidates identified or to be identified;

(e) If the disbursements were paid out of a segregated bank account that consists of funds contributed solely by individuals who are United States citizens or nationals or lawfully admitted for permanent residence as defined in section 101(a)(20) of the Immigration and Nationality Act directly to the account for electioneering communications, the information specified in division (D)(2) of this section for all contributors who contributed an aggregate amount of two hundred dollars or more to the segregated bank account during the period beginning on the first day of the preceding calendar year and ending on the disclosure date. Nothing in this division prohibits or shall be construed to prohibit the use of funds in such a segregated bank account for a purpose other than electioneering communications.

(f) If the disbursements were paid out of funds not described in division (D)(1)(e) of this section, the information specified in division (D)(2) of this section for all contributors who contributed an aggregate amount of two hundred dollars or more to the electioneering communication committee making the disbursement during the period beginning on the first day of the preceding calendar year and ending on the disclosure date.

(2) For each contributor for which information is required to be reported under division (D)(1)(e) or (f) of this section, all of the following shall be reported:

(a) The month, day, and year that the contributor made the contribution or contributions aggregating two hundred dollars or more;

(b)(i) The full name and address of the contributor, and, if the contributor is a political action committee, the registration number assigned to the political action committee under division (D)(1) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code;

(ii) If the contributor is an individual, the name of the individual's current employer, if any, or, if the individual is self-employed, the individual's occupation and the name of the individual's business, if any;

(iii) If the contribution is transmitted pursuant to section 3599.031 of the Revised Code from amounts deducted from the wages and salaries of two or more employees that exceed in the aggregate one hundred dollars during the period specified in division (D)(1)(e) or (f) of this section, as applicable, the full name of the employees' employer and the full name of the labor organization of which the employees are members, if any.

(c) A description of the contribution, if other than money;

(d) The value in dollars and cents of the contribution.

(3) Subject to the secretary of state having implemented, tested, and verified the successful operation of any system the secretary of state prescribes pursuant to divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of section 3517.10 and division (H)(1) of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code for the filing of campaign finance statements by electronic means of transmission, an electioneering communication committee shall file the disclosure of electioneering communications statement prescribed under divisions (D)(1) and (2) of this section by electronic means of transmission to the office of the secretary of state.

Within five business days after the secretary of state receives a disclosure of electioneering communications statement under this division, the secretary of state shall make available online to the public through the internet, as provided in division (I) of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code, the contribution and disbursement information in that statement.

If a filed disclosure of electioneering communications statement is found to be incomplete or inaccurate after its examination for completeness and accuracy pursuant to division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the electioneering communication committee shall file by electronic means of transmission to the office of the secretary of state any addendum, amendment, or other correction to the statement that provides the information necessary to complete or correct the statement or, if required by the secretary of state under that division, an amended statement.

Within five business days after the secretary of state receives an addendum, amendment, or other correction to a disclosure of electioneering communications statement or an amended statement by electronic means of transmission under this division or division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the secretary of state shall make the contribution and disbursement information in the addendum, amendment, or other correction to the statement or amended statement available online to the public through the internet as provided in division (I) of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code.

(E)(1) Any person who makes a contribution for the purpose of funding the direct costs of producing or airing an electioneering communication under this section shall provide the person's full name and address to the recipient of the contribution at the time the contribution is made.

(2) Any individual who makes a contribution or contributions aggregating two hundred dollars or more during the period specified in division (D)(1)(e) or (f) of this section, as applicable, for the purpose of funding the direct costs of producing or airing an electioneering communication under this section shall provide the name of the individual's current employer, if any, or, if the individual is self-employed, the individual's occupation and the name of the individual's business, if any, to the recipient of the contribution at the time the contribution is made.

(F) In each electioneering communication, a statement shall appear or be presented in a clear and conspicuous manner that does both of the following:

(1) Clearly indicates that the electioneering communication is not authorized by the candidate or the candidate's campaign committee;

(2) Clearly identifies the electioneering communication committee making the disbursement for the electioneering communication in accordance with section 3517.20 of the Revised Code.

(G) Any coordinated electioneering communication is an in-kind contribution, subject to the applicable contribution limits prescribed in section 3517.102 of the Revised Code, to the candidate by the electioneering communication committee making disbursements to pay the direct costs of producing or airing the communication.

(H) No electioneering communication committee shall make, during the thirty days preceding a primary election or during the thirty days preceding a general election, any broadcast, cable, or satellite communication that refers to a clearly identified candidate.

Sec. 3517.1012.  (A)(1) Each state and county political party shall establish a restricted fund that is separate from all other accounts of the political party.

(2) A state or county political party shall deposit into its restricted fund all public moneys received from the Ohio political party fund under section 3517.17 of the Revised Code and all gifts that are made to or accepted by the political party from a corporation or labor organization subject to the applicable limitations prescribed in division (X) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code. A state or county political party may deposit into its restricted fund any gifts that are made to or accepted by the political party from a source other than a corporation or labor organization.

(3) Moneys in a state or county political party's restricted fund may be disbursed to pay costs incurred for any of the purposes specified in division (A) of section 3517.18 of the Revised Code.

(B) Except as otherwise provided in this division, a state or county political party shall file deposit and disbursement statements, in the same manner as the party is required to file statements of contributions and expenditures under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code, regarding all deposits made into, and all disbursements made from, the party's restricted fund. Deposit and disbursement statements filed in accordance with this division by a county political party shall be filed by electronic means of transmission to the office of the secretary of state at the times specified in division (A) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code for the filing of statements of contributions and expenditures if the county political party accepts gifts from a corporation or labor organization under division (A)(2) of this section.

Sec. 3517.11.  (A)(1) Campaign committees of candidates for statewide offices office or the state board of education, political action committees or political contributing entities that make contributions to campaign committees of candidates that are required to file the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code with the secretary of state, political action committees or political contributing entities that make contributions to campaign committees of candidates for member of the general assembly, political action committees or political contributing entities that make contributions to state and national political parties and to legislative campaign funds, political action committees or political contributing entities that receive contributions or make expenditures in connection with a statewide ballot issue, political action committees or political contributing entities that make contributions to other political action committees or political contributing entities, political parties, and campaign committees, except as set forth in division (A)(3) of this section, legislative campaign funds, and state and national political parties shall file the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code with the secretary of state.

(2)(a) Except as otherwise provided in division (F) of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code, campaign committees of candidates for all other offices shall file the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code with the board of elections where their candidates are required to file their petitions or other papers for nomination or election.

(b) A campaign committee of a candidate for office of member of the general assembly or a campaign committee of a candidate for the office of judge of a court of appeals shall file two copies of the printed version of any statement, addendum, or amended statement if the committee does not file by electronic means of transmission or on computer disk pursuant to division (F)(1) or (L) of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code but files by printed version only with the appropriate board of elections. The board of elections shall send one of those copies by overnight delivery service to the secretary of state before the close of business on the day the board of elections receives the statement, addendum, or amended statement.

(3) Political action committees or political contributing entities that only contribute to a county political party, contribute to campaign committees of candidates whose nomination or election is to be submitted only to electors within a county, subdivision, or district, excluding candidates for member of the general assembly, and receive contributions or make expenditures in connection with ballot questions or issues to be submitted only to electors within a county, subdivision, or district shall file the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code with the board of elections in that county or in the county contained in whole or part within the subdivision or district having a population greater than that of any other county contained in whole or part within that subdivision or district, as the case may be.

(4) County Except as otherwise provided in division (E)(3) of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code with respect to state candidate funds, county political parties shall file the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code with the board of elections of their respective counties.

(B)(1) The official with whom petitions and other papers for nomination or election to public office are filed shall furnish each candidate at the time of that filing a copy of sections 3517.01, 3517.08 to 3517.11, 3517.13 to 3517.993, 3599.03, and 3599.031 of the Revised Code and any other materials that the secretary of state may require. Each candidate receiving the materials shall acknowledge their receipt in writing.

(2) On or before the tenth day before the dates on which statements are required to be filed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code, every candidate subject to the provisions of this section and sections 3517.10 and 3517.106 of the Revised Code shall be notified of the requirements and applicable penalties of those sections. The secretary of state, by certified mail, return receipt requested, shall notify all candidates required to file those statements with the secretary of state's office. The board of elections of every county shall notify by first class mail any candidate who has personally appeared at the office of the board on or before the tenth day before the statements are required to be filed and signed a form, to be provided by the secretary of state, attesting that the candidate has been notified of the candidate's obligations under the campaign finance law. The board shall forward the completed form to the secretary of state. The board shall use certified mail, return receipt requested, to notify all other candidates required to file those statements with it.

(3)(a) Any statement required to be filed under sections 3517.081 to 3517.17 of the Revised Code that is found to be incomplete or inaccurate by the officer to whom it is submitted shall be accepted on a conditional basis, and the person who filed it shall be notified by certified mail as to the incomplete or inaccurate nature of the statement. The secretary of state may examine statements filed for candidates for the office of member of the general assembly and candidates for the office of judge of a court of appeals for completeness and accuracy. The secretary of state shall examine for completeness and accuracy statements that campaign committees of candidates for the office of member of the general assembly and campaign committees of candidates for the office of judge of a court of appeals file by electronic means of transmission pursuant to division (F) or (L) of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code. If an officer at the board of elections where a statement filed for a candidate for the office of member of the general assembly or for a candidate for the office of judge of a court of appeals was submitted finds the statement to be incomplete or inaccurate, the officer shall immediately notify the secretary of state of its incomplete or inaccurate nature. If either an officer at the board of elections or the secretary of state finds a statement filed for a candidate for the office of member of the general assembly or for a candidate for the office of judge of a court of appeals to be incomplete or inaccurate, only the secretary of state shall send the notification as to the incomplete or inaccurate nature of the statement.

Within twenty-one days after receipt of the notice, in the case of a pre-election statement, a postelection statement, a monthly statement, or an annual statement, or a semiannual statement prescribed by section 3517.10, an annual statement prescribed by section 3517.101, or a statement prescribed by division (B)(2)(b) or (C)(2)(b) of section 3517.105 or section 3517.107 of the Revised Code, the recipient shall file an addendum, amendment, or other correction to the statement providing the information necessary to complete or correct the statement. The secretary of state may require that, in lieu of filing an addendum, amendment, or other correction to a statement that is filed by electronic means of transmission to the office of the secretary of state or on computer disk with the appropriate board of elections pursuant to section 3517.106 of the Revised Code, the recipient of the notice described in this division file by electronic means of transmission, or, until March 1, 2004, on computer disk with the appropriate board of elections if the original statement was filed on computer disk, an amended statement that incorporates the information necessary to complete or correct the statement. The

The secretary of state shall determine by rule when an addendum, amendment, or other correction to a any of the following or when an amended statement of any of the following shall be filed:

(i) A two-business-day statement prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code or an amended two-business-day statement shall be filed;

(ii) A disclosure of electioneering communications statement prescribed by division (D) of section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code;

(iii) A deposit and disbursement statement prescribed under division (B) of section 3517.1012 of the Revised Code. An

An addendum, amendment, or other correction to a statement that is filed by electronic means of transmission or on computer disk pursuant to section 3517.106 of the Revised Code shall be filed in the same manner as the statement. The

The provisions of sections 3517.10 and, 3517.106, 3517.1011, and 3517.1012 of the Revised Code pertaining to the filing of statements of contributions and expenditures and, statements of independent expenditures, disclosure of electioneering communications statements, and deposit and disbursement statements by electronic means of transmission or on computer disk apply to the filing of addenda, amendments, or other corrections to those statements by electronic means of transmission or, until March 1, 2004, on computer disk and the filing of amended statements by electronic means of transmission or, until March 1, 2004, on computer disk.

(b) Within five business days after the secretary of state receives, by electronic or other means of transmission, an addendum, amendment, or other correction to a statement or an amended statement under division (B)(3)(a) of this section, the secretary of state, pursuant to divisions (E), (F), (G), and (I) of section 3517.106 or division (D) of section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code, shall make the contribution and expenditure, contribution and disbursement, or deposit and disbursement information in that addendum, amendment, correction, or amended statement available online to the public through the internet.

(4)(a) The secretary of state or the board of elections shall examine all statements for compliance with sections 3517.08 to 3517.17 of the Revised Code.

(b) The secretary of state may contract with an individual or entity not associated with the secretary of state and experienced in interpreting the campaign finance law of this state to conduct examinations of statements filed by any statewide candidate, as defined in section 3517.103 of the Revised Code.

(c) The examination shall be conducted by a person or entity qualified to conduct it. The results of the examination shall be available to the public, and, when the examination is conducted by an individual or entity not associated with the secretary of state, the results of the examination shall be reported to the secretary of state.

(C)(1) In the event of a failure to file or a late filing of a statement required to be filed under sections 3517.081 to 3517.17 of the Revised Code, or if a filed statement or any addendum, amendment, or other correction to the a statement or any amended statement, if an addendum, amendment, or other correction or an amended statement is required to be filed, is incomplete or inaccurate or appears to disclose a failure to comply with or a violation of law, the official whose duty it is to examine the statement shall promptly file a complaint with the Ohio elections commission under section 3517.153 of the Revised Code if the law is one over which the commission has jurisdiction to hear complaints, or the official shall promptly report the failure or violation to the board of elections and the board shall promptly report it to the prosecuting attorney in accordance with division (J) of section 3501.11 of the Revised Code. If the official files a complaint with the commission, the commission shall proceed in accordance with sections 3517.154 to 3517.157 of the Revised Code.

(2) For purposes of division (C)(1) of this section, a statement or an addendum, amendment, or other correction to a statement or an amended statement required to be filed under sections 3517.081 to 3517.17 of the Revised Code is incomplete or inaccurate under this section if the statement or, addendum, amendment, other correction, or amended statement fails to disclose substantially all contributions that are received from a source and that or deposits that are made that are required to be reported under sections 3517.10, 3517.107, and 3517.108, 3517.1011, and 3517.1012 of the Revised Code or if the statement or, addendum, amendment, other correction, or amended statement fails to disclose at least ninety per cent of the total contributions received or deposits made or of the total expenditures or disbursements made during the reporting period.

(D) No certificate of nomination or election shall be issued to a person, and no person elected to an office shall enter upon the performance of the duties of that office, until that person or that person's campaign committee, as appropriate, has fully complied with this section and sections 3517.08, 3517.081, 3517.10, and 3517.13 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3517.13.  (A)(1) No campaign committee for of a statewide candidate whose candidacy for nomination or election was submitted to electors throughout the entire state shall fail to file a complete and accurate statement required under division (A)(1) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

(2) No campaign committee of a statewide candidate shall fail to file a complete and accurate monthly statement, and no campaign committee of a statewide candidate or a candidate for the office of chief justice or justice of the supreme court shall fail to file a complete and accurate two-business-day statement, as required under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

As used in this division, "statewide candidate" has the same meaning as in division (F)(2) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

(B) No campaign committee for a candidate whose candidacy for nomination or election was submitted to electors within a county or district shall fail to file a complete and accurate statement required under division (A)(1) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

(C) No campaign committee shall fail to file a complete and accurate statement required under division (A)(2) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

(D) No campaign committee shall fail to file a complete and accurate statement required under division (A)(3) or (4) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

(E) No person other than a campaign committee shall knowingly fail to file a statement required under section 3517.10 or 3517.107 of the Revised Code.

(F) No person shall make cash contributions to any person totaling more than one hundred dollars in each primary, special, or general election.

(G)(1) No person shall knowingly conceal or misrepresent contributions given or received, expenditures made, or any other information required to be reported by a provision in sections 3517.08 to 3517.13 and 3517.17 of the Revised Code.

(2)(a) No person shall make a contribution to a campaign committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or political contributing entity electioneering communication committee in the name of another person.

(b) A person does not make a contribution in the name of another when either of the following applies:

(i) An individual makes a contribution from a partnership or other unincorporated business account, if the contribution is reported by listing both the name of the partnership or other unincorporated business and the name of the partner or owner making the contribution as required under division (I) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

(ii) A person makes a contribution in that person's spouse's name or in both of their names.

(H) No person within this state, publishing a newspaper or other periodical, shall charge a campaign committee for political advertising a rate in excess of the rate such person would charge if the campaign committee were a general rate advertiser whose advertising was directed to promoting its business within the same area as that encompassed by the particular office that the candidate of the campaign committee is seeking. The rate shall take into account the amount of space used, as well as the type of advertising copy submitted by or on behalf of the campaign committee. All discount privileges otherwise offered by a newspaper or periodical to general rate advertisers shall be available upon equal terms to all campaign committees.

No person within this state, operating a radio or television station or network of stations in this state, shall charge a campaign committee for political broadcasts a rate that exceeds:

(1) During the forty-five days preceding the date of a primary election and during the sixty days preceding the date of a general or special election in which the candidate of the campaign committee is seeking office, the lowest unit charge of the station for the same class and amount of time for the same period;

(2) At any other time, the charges made for comparable use of such that station by its other users.

(I) Subject to divisions (K), (L), (M), and (N) of this section, no agency or department of this state or any political subdivision shall award any contract, other than one let by competitive bidding or a contract incidental to such contract or which is by force account, for the purchase of goods costing more than five hundred dollars or services costing more than five hundred dollars to any individual, partnership, association, including, without limitation, a professional association organized under Chapter 1785. of the Revised Code, estate, or trust if the individual has made or the individual's spouse has made, or any partner, shareholder, administrator, executor, or trustee, or the spouses spouse of any of them has made, as an individual, within the two previous calendar years, one or more contributions totaling in excess of one thousand dollars to the holder of the public office having ultimate responsibility for the award of the contract or to the public officer's campaign committee.

(J) Subject to divisions (K), (L), (M), and (N) of this section, no agency or department of this state or any political subdivision shall award any contract, other than one let by competitive bidding or a contract incidental to such contract or which is by force account, for the purchase of goods costing more than five hundred dollars or services costing more than five hundred dollars to a corporation or business trust, except a professional association organized under Chapter 1785. of the Revised Code, if an owner of more than twenty per cent of the corporation or business trust or the spouse of such that person, has made, as an individual, within the two previous calendar years, taking into consideration only owners for all of such that period, one or more contributions totaling in excess of one thousand dollars to the holder of a public office having ultimate responsibility for the award of the contract or to the public officer's campaign committee.

(K) For purposes of divisions (I) and (J) of this section, if a public officer who is responsible for the award of a contract is appointed by the governor, whether or not the appointment is subject to the advice and consent of the senate, excluding members of boards, commissions, committees, authorities, councils, boards of trustees, task forces, and other such entities appointed by the governor, the office of the governor is considered to have ultimate responsibility for the award of the contract.

(L) For purposes of divisions (I) and (J) of this section, if a public officer who is responsible for the award of a contract is appointed by the elected chief executive officer of a municipal corporation, or appointed by the elected chief executive officer of a county operating under an alternative form of county government or county charter, excluding members of boards, commissions, committees, authorities, councils, boards of trustees, task forces, and other such entities appointed by the chief executive officer, the office of the chief executive officer is considered to have ultimate responsibility for the award of the contract.

(M)(1) Divisions (I) and (J) of this section do not apply to contracts awarded by the board of commissioners of the sinking fund, municipal legislative authorities, boards of education, boards of county commissioners, boards of township trustees, or other boards, commissions, committees, authorities, councils, boards of trustees, task forces, and other such entities created by law, by the supreme court or courts of appeals, by county courts consisting of more than one judge, courts of common pleas consisting of more than one judge, or municipal courts consisting of more than one judge, or by a division of any court if the division consists of more than one judge. Division (M)(1) of this section This division shall apply to the specified entity only if the members of the entity act collectively in the award of a contract for goods or services.

(2) Divisions (I) and (J) of this section do not apply to actions of the controlling board.

(N)(1) Divisions (I) and (J) of this section apply to contributions made to the holder of a public office having ultimate responsibility for the award of a contract, or to the public officer's campaign committee, during the time the person holds the office and during any time such person was a candidate for the office. These Those divisions do not apply to contributions made to, or to the campaign committee of, a candidate for or holder of the office other than the holder of the office at the time of the award of the contract.

(2) Divisions (I) and (J) of this section do not apply to contributions of a partner, shareholder, administrator, executor, trustee, or owner of more than twenty per cent of a corporation or business trust made before the person held any of those positions or after the person ceased to hold any of those positions in the partnership, association, estate, trust, corporation, or business trust whose eligibility to be awarded a contract is being determined, nor to contributions of the person's spouse made before the person held any of those positions, after the person ceased to hold any of those positions, before the two were married, or after the granting of a decree of divorce, dissolution of marriage, or nullity annulment, or after the granting of an order in an action brought solely for legal separation. These Those divisions do not apply to contributions of the spouse of an individual whose eligibility to be awarded a contract is being determined made before the two were married, or after the granting of a decree of divorce, dissolution of marriage, or nullity annulment, or after the granting of an order in an action brought solely for legal separation.

(O) No beneficiary of a campaign fund or other person shall convert for personal use, and no person shall knowingly give to a beneficiary of a campaign fund or any other person, for the beneficiary's or any other person's personal use, anything of value from the beneficiary's campaign fund, including, without limitation, payments to a beneficiary for services the beneficiary personally performs, except as reimbursement for any of the following:

(1) Legitimate and verifiable prior campaign expenses incurred by the beneficiary;

(2) Legitimate and verifiable, ordinary, and necessary prior expenses incurred by the beneficiary in connection with duties as the holder of a public office, including, without limitation, expenses incurred through participation in nonpartisan or bipartisan events if the participation of the holder of a public office would normally be expected;

(3) Legitimate and verifiable ordinary and necessary prior expenses incurred by the beneficiary while doing any of the following:

(a) Engaged Engaging in activities in support of or opposition to a candidate other than the beneficiary, political party, or ballot issue;

(b) Raising funds for a political party, political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, campaign committee, or other candidate;

(c) Participating in the activities of a political party, political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or campaign committee; or

(d) Attending a political party convention or other political meeting.

For purposes of this division, an expense is incurred whenever a beneficiary has either made payment or is obligated to make payment, as by the use of a credit card or other credit procedure or by the use of goods or services received on account.

(P) No beneficiary of a campaign fund shall knowingly accept, and no person shall knowingly give to the beneficiary of a campaign fund, reimbursement for an expense under division (O) of this section to the extent that the expense previously was reimbursed or paid from another source of funds. If an expense is reimbursed under division (O) of this section and is later paid or reimbursed, wholly or in part, from another source of funds, the beneficiary shall repay the reimbursement received under division (O) of this section to the extent of the payment made or reimbursement received from the other source.

(Q) No candidate or public official or employee shall accept for personal or business use anything of value from a political party, political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or campaign committee other than the candidate's or public official's or employee's own campaign committee, and no person shall knowingly give to a candidate or public official or employee anything of value from a political party, political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or such a campaign committee, except for the following:

(1) Reimbursement for legitimate and verifiable, ordinary, and necessary prior expenses not otherwise prohibited by law incurred by the candidate or public official or employee while engaged in any legitimate activity of the political party, political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or such campaign committee. Without limitation, reimbursable expenses under this division include those incurred while doing any of the following:

(a) Engaged Engaging in activities in support of or opposition to another candidate, political party, or ballot issue;

(b) Raising funds for a political party, legislative campaign fund, campaign committee, or another candidate; or

(c) Attending a political party convention or other political meeting.

(2) Compensation not otherwise prohibited by law for actual and valuable personal services rendered under a written contract to the political party, political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or such campaign committee for any legitimate activity of the political party, political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or such campaign committee.

Reimbursable expenses under this division do not include, and it is a violation of this division for a candidate or public official or employee to accept, or for any person to knowingly give to a candidate or public official or employee from a political party, political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or campaign committee other than the candidate's or public official's or employee's own campaign committee, anything of value for activities primarily related to the candidate's or public official's or employee's own campaign for election, except for contributions to the candidate's or public official's or employee's campaign committee.

For purposes of this division, an expense is incurred whenever a candidate or public official or employee has either made payment or is obligated to make payment, as by the use of a credit card or other credit procedure, or by the use of goods or services on account.

(R)(1) Division (O) or (P) of this section does not prohibit a campaign committee from making direct advance or post payment from contributions to vendors for goods and services for which reimbursement is permitted under division (O) of this section, except that no campaign committee shall pay its candidate or other beneficiary for services personally performed by the candidate or other beneficiary.

(2) If any expense that may be reimbursed under division (O), (P), or (Q) of this section is part of other expenses that may not be paid or reimbursed, the separation of the two types of expenses for the purpose of allocating for payment or reimbursement those expenses that may be paid or reimbursed may be by any reasonable accounting method, considering all of the surrounding circumstances.

(3) For purposes of divisions (O), (P), and (Q) of this section, mileage allowance at a rate not greater than that allowed by the internal revenue service at the time the travel occurs may be paid instead of reimbursement for actual travel expenses allowable.

(S)(1) As used in division (S) of this section:

(a) "State elective office" has the same meaning as in section 3517.092 of the Revised Code.

(b) "Federal office" means a federal office as defined in the Federal Election Campaign Act.

(c) "Federal campaign committee" means a principal campaign committee or authorized committee as defined in the Federal Election Campaign Act.

(2) No person who is a candidate for state elective office and who previously sought nomination or election to a federal office shall transfer any funds or assets from that person's federal campaign committee for nomination or election to the federal office to that person's campaign committee as a candidate for state elective office.

(3) No campaign committee of a person who is a candidate for state elective office and who previously sought nomination or election to a federal office shall accept any funds or assets from that person's federal campaign committee for that person's nomination or election to the federal office.

(T)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (B)(6)(c) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code, a state or county political party shall not disburse moneys from any account other than a state candidate fund to make contributions to any of the following:

(a) A state candidate fund;

(b) A legislative campaign fund;

(c) A campaign committee of a candidate for the office of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorney general, member of the state board of education, or member of the general assembly.

(2) No state candidate fund, legislative campaign fund, or campaign committee of a candidate for any office described in division (T)(1)(c) of this section shall knowingly accept a contribution in violation of division (T)(1) of this section.

(U) No person shall fail to file the statement required under section 3517.12 of the Revised Code.

(V) No campaign committee shall fail to file a statement required under division (K)(3) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

(W)(1) No foreign national shall, directly or indirectly through any other person or entity, make a contribution, expenditure, or independent expenditure or promise, either expressly or implicitly, to make a contribution, expenditure, or independent expenditure in support of or opposition to a candidate for any elective office in this state, including an office of a political party.

(2) No candidate, campaign committee, political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, state candidate fund, political party, or separate segregated fund shall solicit or accept a contribution, expenditure, or independent expenditure from a foreign national. The secretary of state may direct any candidate, committee, fund, entity, or party that accepts a contribution, expenditure, or independent expenditure in violation of this division to return the contribution, expenditure, or independent expenditure or, if it is not possible to return the contribution, expenditure, or independent expenditure, then to return instead the value of it, to the contributor.

(3) As used in division (W) of this section, "foreign national" has the same meaning as in section 441e(b) of the Federal Election Campaign Act.

(X)(1) No state or county political party shall transfer any moneys from its restricted fund to any account of the political party into which contributions may be made or from which contributions or expenditures may be made.

(2)(a) No state or county political party shall deposit a contribution or contributions that it receives into its restricted fund.

(b) No state or county political party shall make a contribution or an expenditure from its restricted fund.

(3)(a) No corporation or labor organization shall make a gift or gifts from the corporation's or labor organization's money or property aggregating more than ten thousand dollars to any one state or county political party for the party's restricted fund in a calendar year.

(b) No state or county political party shall accept a gift or gifts for the party's restricted fund aggregating more than ten thousand dollars from any one corporation or labor organization in a calendar year.

(4) No state or county political party shall transfer any moneys in the party's restricted fund to any other state or county political party.

(5) No state or county political party shall knowingly fail to file a statement required under section 3517.1012 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3517.151.  (A) On and after January 1, 1996, complaints with respect to acts or failures to act under the sections listed in division (A) of section 3517.153 of the Revised Code shall be filed with the Ohio elections commission created under section 3517.152 of the Revised Code.

(B)(1) If a complaint filed with the Ohio elections commission created under section 3517.152 of the Revised Code alleges an act or failure to act that occurred before August 24, 1995, and the commission imposes a fine, sections 3517.99 and 3517.991 of the Revised Code, and not sections 3517.992 and 3517.993 of the Revised Code, shall apply.

(2) If a complaint filed with the Ohio elections commission created under section 3517.152 of the Revised Code alleges an act or failure to act that is a violation of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code, former divisions (A) to (R) of that section apply to the act or failure to act if it occurred before August 24, 1995, former divisions (A) to (U) of that section apply to the act or failure to act if it occurs on or after August 24, 1995, but before July 13, 1998, former divisions (A) to (V) of that section apply to the act or failure to act if it occurs on or after July 13, 1998, but before the effective date of this amendment December 22, 1999, and former divisions (A) to (W) of that section apply to the act or failure to act if it occurs on or after the effective date of this amendment December 22, 1999, but before the effective date of this amendment, and divisions (A) to (X) of that section apply to the act or failure to act if it occurs on or after the effective date of this amendment.

(C) The Ohio elections commission created under section 3517.14 of the Revised Code is abolished at the close of business on December 31, 1995.

Sec. 3517.152.  (A)(1) There is hereby created the Ohio elections commission consisting of seven members.

Not later than forty-five days after August 24, 1995, the speaker of the house of representatives and the leader in the senate of the political party of which the speaker is a member shall jointly submit to the governor a list of five persons who are affiliated with that political party. Not later than forty-five days after August 24, 1995, the two legislative leaders in the two houses of the general assembly of the major political party of which the speaker is not a member shall jointly submit to the governor a list of five persons who are affiliated with the major political party of which the speaker is not a member. Not later than fifteen days after receiving each list, the governor shall appoint three persons from each list to the commission. The governor shall appoint one person from each list to a term that ends on December 31, 1996, one person from each list to a term that ends on December 31, 1997, and one person from each list to a term that ends on December 31, 1998.

Not later than thirty days after the governor appoints these six members, they shall, by a majority vote, appoint to the commission a seventh member, who shall not be affiliated with a political party. If the six members fail to appoint the seventh member within this thirty-day period, the chief justice of the supreme court, not later than thirty days after the end of the period during which the six members were required to appoint a member, shall appoint the seventh member, who shall not be affiliated with a political party. The seventh member shall be appointed to a term that ends on December 31, 2001. Terms of the initial members appointed under this division begin on January 1, 1996.

(2) If a vacancy occurs in the position of the seventh member, who is not affiliated with a political party, the six remaining members by a majority vote shall appoint, not later than forty-five days after the date of the vacancy, the seventh member of the commission, who shall not be affiliated with a political party. If these members fail to appoint the seventh member within this forty-five-day period, the chief justice of the supreme court, within fifteen days after the end of this period, shall appoint the seventh member, who shall not be affiliated with a political party. If a vacancy occurs in any of the other six positions on the commission, the legislative leaders of the political party from whose list of persons the member being replaced was appointed shall submit to the governor, not later than thirty days after the date of the vacancy, a list of three persons who are affiliated with that political party. Not later than fifteen days after receiving the list, the governor, with the advice and consent of the senate, shall appoint one person from the list to the commission.

(3) At no time shall more than six members of the commission be affiliated with a political party, and, of these six members, not more than three shall be affiliated with the same political party.

(4) In making appointments to the commission, the governor shall take into consideration the various geographic areas of this state and shall appoint members so that those areas are represented on the commission in a balanced manner, to the extent feasible.

(5) Members of the commission shall be registered electors and shall be of good moral character.

(B) Each member of the Ohio elections commission shall hold office from the date of the member's appointment until the end of the term for which the member was appointed. A member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which the member's predecessor was appointed shall hold office for the remainder of that term. A member shall continue in office subsequent to the expiration date of the member's term until the member's successor takes office or until a period of sixty days has elapsed, whichever occurs first. After the initial terms of office provided for in division (A)(1) of this section, terms of office shall be for five years.

(C) A vacancy in the Ohio elections commission may be caused by death, resignation, or three absences from commission meetings in a calendar year if those absences are caused by reasons declared invalid by a vote of five members of the remaining members of the commission.

(D) Each member of the Ohio elections commission while in the performance of the business of the commission shall be entitled to receive compensation at the rate of twenty-five thousand dollars per year. Members shall be reimbursed for expenses actually and necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties.

(E) No member of the Ohio elections commission shall serve more than one full term unless the terms served are served nonconsecutively.

(F)(1) No member of the Ohio elections commission shall do or be any of the following:

(a) Hold, or be a candidate for, a public office;

(b) Serve on a committee supporting or opposing a candidate or ballot question or issue;

(c) Be an officer of the state central committee, a county central committee, or a district, city, township, or other committee of a political party or an officer of the executive committee of the state central committee, a county central committee, or a district, city, township, or other committee of a political party;

(d) Be a legislative agent as defined in section 101.70 of the Revised Code or an executive agency lobbyist as defined in section 121.60 of the Revised Code;

(e) Solicit or be involved in soliciting contributions on behalf of a candidate, campaign committee, political party, or political action committee, or political contributing entity;

(f) Be in the unclassified service under section 124.11 of the Revised Code;

(g) Be a person or employee described in divisions (C)(1) to (15) of section 4117.01 of the Revised Code.

(2) No member or employee of the commission shall make a contribution to, or for the benefit of, a campaign committee or committee in support of or opposition to a ballot question or issue, a political party, a legislative campaign fund, or a political action committee, or a political contributing entity.

(G)(1) The members of the Ohio elections commission shall elect a chairperson and a vice-chairperson. At no time shall the chairperson and vice-chairperson be affiliated with the same political party. The chairperson shall serve in that capacity for one year and shall not serve as chairperson more than twice during a term as a member of the commission. No two successive chairpersons shall be affiliated with the same political party.

(2) The commission shall meet at the call of the chairperson or upon the written request of a majority of the members. The meetings and hearings of the commission or a panel of the commission under sections 3517.153 to 3517.157 of the Revised Code are subject to section 121.22 of the Revised Code.

(3) The commission shall adopt rules for its procedures in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code. Five of the seven members constitute a quorum. Except as otherwise provided in this section and in sections 3517.154 to 3517.157 of the Revised Code, no action shall be taken without the concurrence of a majority of the members.

(H)(1) The Ohio elections commission shall employ the technical, professional, and clerical employees that are necessary for it to carry out its duties.

(2)(a) Notwithstanding section 109.02 of the Revised Code, the commission shall employ a full-time attorney, and, as needed, one or more investigatory attorneys to conduct investigations for the commission or a panel of the commission. The commission may employ or contract for the services of additional attorneys, as needed. The full-time attorney shall do all of the following:

(i) Serve as the commission's attorney in regard to all legal matters, including representing the commission at appeals from a final determination of the commission, except that the full-time attorney shall not perform the duties that an investigatory attorney is required or requested to perform or that another attorney the commission employs or contracts with for services is required or requested to perform, and shall not represent the commission in any legal proceeding in which the commission is a named party;

(ii) At the request of the commission or a panel of the commission, be present at a hearing held under sections 3517.154 to 3517.156 of the Revised Code to rule on the admissibility of evidence and to advise on the conduct of procedure;

(iii) Perform other duties as required by rule of the commission.

(b) An attorney employed by or under contract with the commission shall be licensed to practice law in this state.

(3)(a) Except as otherwise provided in division (H)(3)(b) of this section, at least five members of the commission shall agree on the employment of a person, a majority of the members shall agree on the discharge of an employee, and a person employed by the commission shall serve at the pleasure of the commission.

(b) At least five of the seven members shall agree on the discharge of an investigatory attorney.

(I) There is hereby created in the state treasury the Ohio elections commission fund. All moneys credited to the fund shall be used solely for the purpose of paying expenses related to the operation of the Ohio elections commission.

Sec. 3517.154.  (A)(1) The full-time attorney for the Ohio elections commission shall review each complaint filed with the commission under section 3517.153 of the Revised Code, shall determine the nature of the complaint, and, unless division (A)(2)(a) of this section requires that the complaint receive an automatic expedited hearing, shall make a recommendation to the commission for its disposition, in accordance with this section. The attorney shall make the determination and the recommendation, if required, not later than one business day after the complaint is filed.

(2)(a) If the attorney determines that the complaint sets forth a violation of division (B) of section 3517.21 or division (B) of section 3517.22 of the Revised Code and that the complaint is filed during one of the periods of time specified in division (B)(1) of section 3517.156 of the Revised Code, or that the complaint sets forth a violation of section 3517.103 of the Revised Code or a violation described in division (D) of section 3517.1010 of the Revised Code, the complaint shall receive an automatic expedited hearing under section 3517.156 of the Revised Code.

(b) If the attorney determines that the complaint sets forth a failure to comply with or a violation of division (G), (I), (J), (O), (P), or (Q) of section 3517.13, division (A) of section 3517.21, or division (A) of section 3517.22 of the Revised Code and that the complaint is filed during one of the periods of time specified in division (B)(1) of section 3517.156 of the Revised Code, the attorney shall recommend to the commission that the complaint receive an expedited hearing under section 3517.156 of the Revised Code, and the complaint shall receive such a hearing.

(c) If the attorney determines that the complaint sets forth a failure to comply with or a violation of a section of the Revised Code over which the commission has jurisdiction to hear complaints other than the sections described in divisions (A)(2)(a) and (b) of this section, and unless the attorney makes a determination as provided for in division (A)(3) of this section, the attorney shall recommend to the commission that the complaint be submitted to the commission under section 3517.155 of the Revised Code. After the attorney makes that recommendation, the attorney shall notify all parties to the complaint of the attorney's recommendation.

(3)(a) If a complaint sets forth a failure to comply with or a violation of a section of the Revised Code over which the commission has jurisdiction to hear complaints other than the sections described in divisions (A)(2)(a) and (b) of this section and if the complaint is filed during one of the periods of time specified in division (B)(1) of section 3517.156 of the Revised Code, the attorney may determine that the complaint should receive an expedited hearing under that section. The attorney shall make that determination by considering one or more of the following:

(i) The number of prior failures to comply with or violations of Title XXXV of the Revised Code that the person or entity against whom the complaint has been brought has committed and any prior penalties the commission has imposed on the person or entity;

(ii) If the complaint involves a statement required to be filed under section 3517.10, division (E) of section 3517.102, or section 3517.103, 3517.105, 3517.107, 3517.108, or 3517.109, 3517.1011, or 3517.1012 of the Revised Code or an addendum required to be filed under section 3517.11 of the Revised Code that is filed late, how late the filing is and how much time has elapsed between the deadline for filing the statement or addendum and the filing of the complaint;

(iii) If the complaint involves contributions or and expenditures, contributions and disbursements, or deposits and disbursements required to be reported under section 3517.10, division (E) of section 3517.102, or section 3517.105, 3517.107, 3517.108, or 3517.109, 3517.1011, or 3517.1012 of the Revised Code that are either not reported or reported late, the number of contributions or and expenditures, contributions and disbursements, or deposits and disbursements not reported or how late they were reported;

(iv) If the complaint involves contributions required to be reported by a campaign committee under section 3517.10, division (E) of section 3517.102, or section 3517.105, 3517.107, 3517.108, or 3517.109 of the Revised Code that are not reported, whether any of the contributors of the contributions not reported have a personal or professional relationship with the campaign committee's candidate;

(v) If the complaint involves a statement required to be filed under section 3517.10, division (E) of section 3517.102, or section 3517.103, 3517.105, 3517.107, 3517.108, or 3517.109, 3517.1011, or 3517.1012 of the Revised Code that is incomplete, the degree to which it is incomplete;

(vi) If the complaint involves the receipt of contributions in violation of section 3599.03 of the Revised Code, the dollar amount and number of contributions received in violation of that section;

(vii) If the complaint involves a failure to make the identification or a misstatement of the identification required under section 3517.105 or 3517.20 of the Revised Code, whether the failure or misstatement was purposely made;

(viii) If the complaint sets forth a failure to comply with or a violation of a section of the Revised Code described in division (A)(2)(c) of this section, whether the person or entity against whom the complaint has been made has committed more than one such failure or violation within a reasonable amount of time, or whether the cumulative nature of the failures or violations indicates a systematic disregard for the law.

(b) Prior to making a determination under division (A)(3)(a) of this section that the complaint should receive an expedited hearing under section 3517.156 of the Revised Code, the attorney shall take into consideration the number of panels of the commission that have cases pending before them and the number of cases pending before the panels and shall not make a determination that will place an undue burden on a panel of the commission.

(c) If the attorney determines that the complaint should receive an expedited hearing under section 3517.156 of the Revised Code, the attorney shall recommend to the commission that the complaint receive an expedited hearing, and, if a majority of the members of the commission agrees with the recommendation, the complaint shall receive an expedited hearing under that section.

(4) The attorney may join two or more complaints if the attorney determines that the allegations in each complaint are of the same or similar character, are based on the same act or failure to act, or are based on two or more acts or failures to act constituting parts of a common scheme or plan. If one complaint contains two or more allegations, the attorney may separate the allegations if they are not of the same or similar character, if they are not based on the same act or failure to act, or if they are not based on two or more acts or failures to act constituting parts of a common scheme or plan. If the attorney separates the allegations in a complaint, the attorney may make separate recommendations under division (A)(2) or (3) of this section for each allegation.

(B) Whenever a person or other entity files a complaint with the commission setting forth a failure to comply with or a violation of a section of the Revised Code as described in division (A)(2)(c) of this section and the complaint is filed during one of the periods of time specified in division (B)(1) of section 3517.156 of the Revised Code, the person or entity may request an expedited hearing under that section at the time the complaint is filed. The attorney for the commission shall inform the members of the commission of that request at the time the attorney makes a recommendation under division (A) of this section. The commission may grant the request for an expedited hearing under this division if it determines that an expedited hearing is practicable.

Sec. 3517.155.  (A)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (B) of this section, the Ohio elections commission shall hold its first hearing on a complaint filed with it, other than a complaint that receives an expedited hearing under section 3517.156 of the Revised Code, not later than ninety business days after the complaint is filed unless the commission has good cause to hold the hearing after that time, in which case it shall hold the hearing not later than one hundred eighty business days after the complaint is filed. At the hearing, the commission shall determine whether or not the failure to act or the violation alleged in the complaint has occurred and shall do only one of the following, except as otherwise provided in division (B) of this section or in division (B) of section 3517.151 of the Revised Code:

(a) Enter a finding that good cause has been shown not to impose a fine or not to refer the matter to the appropriate prosecutor;

(b) Impose a fine under section 3517.993 of the Revised Code;

(c) Refer the matter to the appropriate prosecutor;

(d) Direct the secretary of state or appropriate board of elections with the authority to certify a candidate to the ballot to remove a candidate's name from the ballot if the candidate is barred from the ballot under division (D) of section 3517.1010 of the Revised Code.

(2) As used in division (A) of this section, "appropriate prosecutor" means a prosecutor as defined in section 2935.01 of the Revised Code and either of the following:

(a) In the case of a failure to comply with or a violation of law involving a campaign committee or the committee's candidate, a political party, a legislative campaign fund, or a political action committee, or a political contributing entity, that is required to file a statement of contributions and expenditures with the secretary of state under division (A) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the prosecutor of Franklin county;

(b) In the case of a failure to comply with or a violation of law involving any other campaign committee or committee's candidate, or any other political party or political action committee, either of the following as determined by the commission:

(i) The prosecutor of Franklin county;

(ii) The prosecutor of the county in which the candidacy or ballot question or issue is submitted to the electors or, if it is submitted in more than one county, the most populous of those counties.

(B) If the commission decides that the evidence is insufficient for it to determine whether or not the failure to act or the violation alleged in the complaint has occurred, the commission, by the affirmative vote of five members, may request that an investigatory attorney investigate the complaint. Upon that request, an investigatory attorney shall make an investigation in order to produce sufficient evidence for the commission to decide the matter. If the commission requests an investigation under this division, for good cause shown by the investigatory attorney, the commission may extend by sixty days the deadline for holding its first hearing on the complaint as required in division (A) of this section.

(C) The commission shall take one of the actions required under division (A) of this section not later than thirty days after the close of all the evidence presented.

(D)(1) The commission shall make any finding of a failure to comply with or a violation of law in regard to a complaint that alleges a violation of division (D) of section 3517.1010, division (A) or (B) of section 3517.21, or division (A) or (B) of section 3517.22 of the Revised Code by clear and convincing evidence. The commission shall make any finding of a failure to comply with or a violation of law in regard to any other complaint by a preponderance of the evidence.

(2) If the commission finds a violation of division (B) of section 3517.21 or division (B) of section 3517.22 of the Revised Code, it shall refer the matter to the appropriate prosecutor under division (A)(1)(c) of this section and shall not impose a fine under division (A)(1)(b) of this section or section 3517.993 of the Revised Code.

(E) In an action before the commission or a panel of the commission, if the allegations of the complainant are not proved, and the commission takes the action described in division (A)(1)(a) of this section or a panel of the commission takes the action described in division (C)(1) of section 3517.156 of the Revised Code, the commission or a panel of the commission may find that the complaint is frivolous, and, if the commission or panel so finds, the commission shall order the complainant to pay reasonable attorney's fees and to pay the costs of the commission or panel as determined by a majority of the members of the commission. The costs paid to the commission or panel under this division shall be deposited into the Ohio elections commission fund.

Sec. 3517.16.  (A) There is hereby created in the state treasury the Ohio political party fund. All moneys received as a result of individuals exercising the checkoff option on their state income tax returns provided for in section 5747.081 of the Revised Code shall be deposited in this the fund. The tax commissioner shall pay money from the fund only to the auditor of state and to political parties in the manner described in division (B) of this section.

(B)(1) The auditor of state annually shall submit a report to the tax commissioner estimating the costs that the auditor of state will incur during that year in conducting audits under section 3517.17 of the Revised Code. The tax commissioner shall pay to the auditor of state, from the Ohio political party fund, moneys sufficient to pay the auditor of state's estimated costs of the audits referred to in this division.

(2) After the costs of audits are deducted under division (B)(1) of this section, the tax commissioner shall pay any moneys remaining in the fund only to political parties qualifying for it them under division (B) of section 3517.17 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3517.17.  (A) At the beginning of each calendar quarter, after the costs of audits are deducted under division (B)(1) of section 3517.16 of the Revised Code, the tax commissioner shall divide any remaining moneys that have accrued in the Ohio political party fund during the previous quarter shall be divided equally among all qualified political parties in the following manner. Of the public moneys to which a party is entitled:

(1) One-half shall be paid to the treasurer of the state executive committee of the party;

(2) One-half shall be distributed to the treasurer of each county executive committee of the various counties in accordance with the ratio that the number of checkoffs in each county bears to the total number of checkoffs, as determined by the tax commissioner.

Each party treasurer receiving public moneys from the Ohio political party fund shall deposit those moneys into the party's restricted fund created under section 3517.1012 of the Revised Code, shall expend and maintain such those moneys in an account separate from all other assets of the political party subject to the requirements of that section and section 3517.18 of the Revised Code, and shall file deposit and disbursement statements of contributions and expenditures as required by sections 3517.10 and 3517.11 division (B) of section 3517.1012 of the Revised Code. Each treasurer of a state executive committee who files such a statement shall file it with the secretary of state and each treasurer of a county executive committee who files such a statement shall file it with the appropriate board of elections. All such statements filed shall clearly indicate the amounts of public moneys received and the manner of their expenditure. The auditor of state shall annually audit the deposit and disbursement statements of the state committee of a political party that has received is eligible to receive public moneys collected during the previous year, to ascertain that such all moneys in the party's restricted fund are expended in accordance with law. The auditor of state shall audit the deposit and disbursement statements of each county committee of such a political party to ascertain that all moneys in the party's restricted fund are expended in accordance with law at the time of the public office audit of that county under Chapter 117. of the Revised Code.

(B) Only major political parties, as defined in section 3501.01 of the Revised Code, may apply for public moneys from the Ohio political party fund. At the end of each even-numbered calendar year, the secretary of state shall announce the names of all such political parties, indicating that they may apply to receive such moneys during the ensuing two years. Any political party named at this time may, not later than the last day of January of the ensuing odd-numbered year, make application with the tax commissioner to receive public moneys. No A political party that fails to make a timely application shall not receive public moneys during that two-year period. The tax commissioner shall prescribe an appropriate application form. Moneys from the fund shall be provided during the appropriate two-year period to each political party that makes a timely application in accordance with this division.

Sec. 3517.20.  (A)(1) As used in division (A) of this section:

(a) "Political publication for or against a candidate" means a notice, placard, advertisement, sample ballot, brochure, flyer, direct mailer, or any other form of general publication that is designed to promote the nomination, election, or defeat of a candidate.

(b) "Political publication for or against an issue" means a notice, placard, advertisement, sample ballot, brochure, flyer, direct mailer, or any other form of general publication that is designed to promote the adoption or defeat of a ballot issue or question or to influence the voters in an election.

(c) "Public political advertising" means newspapers, magazines, outdoor advertising facilities, direct mailings, or other similar types of general public political advertising, or flyers, handbills, or other nonperiodical printed matter.

(d) "Statewide candidate" has the same meaning as in section 3517.102 of the Revised Code.

(e) "Legislative candidate" means a candidate for the office of member of the general assembly.

(f) "Local candidate" means a candidate for an elective office of a political subdivision of this state.

(g) "Legislative campaign fund" has the same meaning as in section 3517.01 of the Revised Code.

(h) "Limited political action committee" means a political action committee of fewer than ten members.

(i) "Limited political contributing entity" means a political contributing entity of fewer than ten members.

(j) "Designated amount" means one hundred dollars in the case of a local candidate or a local ballot issue, two hundred fifty dollars in the case of a legislative candidate, or five hundred dollars in the case of a statewide candidate or a statewide ballot issue.

(k)(j) "To issue" includes to print, post, distribute, reproduce for distribution, or cause to be issued, printed, posted, distributed, or reproduced for distribution.

(k) "Telephone bank" means more than five hundred telephone calls of an identical or substantially similar nature within any thirty-day period, whether those telephone calls are made by individual callers or by recording.

(2) No candidate, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or other entity, except a political action committee or political contributing entity, shall issue a form of political publication for or against a candidate, or shall make an expenditure for the purpose of financing political communications in support of or opposition to a candidate through public political advertising, unless the name and residence or business address of the candidate or the chairperson, treasurer, or secretary of the campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or other entity that issues or otherwise is responsible for that political publication or that makes an expenditure for that political communication appears in a conspicuous place on that political publication or is contained within that political communication.

(3) No limited political action committee or limited political contributing entity shall do either of the following unless the name and residence or business address of the chairperson, treasurer, or secretary of the limited political action committee or limited political contributing entity involved appears in a conspicuous place in the political publication for or against a candidate described in division (A)(3)(a) of this section or is contained within the political communication described in division (A)(3)(b) of this section:

(a) Issue a form of political publication for or against a candidate that costs in excess of the designated amount or that is issued in cooperation, consultation, or concert with, or at the request or suggestion of, a candidate, a campaign committee, a legislative campaign fund, a political party, a political action committee with ten or more members, a political contributing entity with ten or more members, or a limited political action committee or limited political contributing entity that spends in excess of the designated amount on a related or the same or similar political publication for or against a candidate;

(b) Make an expenditure in excess of the designated amount in support of or opposition to a candidate or make an expenditure in cooperation, consultation, or concert with, or at the request or suggestion of, a candidate, a campaign committee, a legislative campaign fund, a political party, a political action committee with ten or more members, a political contributing entity with ten or more members, or a limited political action committee or limited political contributing entity that spends in excess of the designated amount in support of or opposition to the same candidate, for the purpose of financing political communications in support of or opposition to that candidate through public political advertising.

(4) No political action committee with ten or more members and no political contributing entity with ten or more members shall issue a form of political publication for or against a candidate, or shall make an expenditure for the purpose of financing political communications in support of or opposition to a candidate through public political advertising, unless the name and residence or business address of the chairperson, treasurer, or secretary of the political action committee or political contributing entity that issues or otherwise is responsible for that political publication or that makes an expenditure for that political communication through public political advertising appears in a conspicuous place in that political publication or is contained within that political communication.

(5) No corporation, labor organization, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or other entity, except a political action committee, shall issue a form of political publication for or against an issue, or shall make an expenditure for the purpose of financing political communications in support of or opposition to a ballot issue or question through public political advertising, unless the name and residence or business address of the chairperson, treasurer, or secretary of the corporation, labor organization, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or other entity that issues or otherwise is responsible for that political publication or that makes an expenditure for that political communication through public political advertising appears in a conspicuous place in that political publication or is contained within that political communication.

(6) No limited political action committee shall do either of the following unless the name and residence or business address of the chairperson, treasurer, or secretary of the limited political action committee involved appears in a conspicuous place in the political publication for or against a ballot issue described in division (A)(6)(a) of this section or is contained within the political communication described in division (A)(6)(b) of this section:

(a) Issue a form of political publication for or against a ballot issue that costs in excess of the designated amount or that is issued in cooperation, consultation, or concert with, or at the request or suggestion of, a candidate, a campaign committee, a legislative campaign fund, a political party, a political action committee with ten or more members, or a limited political action committee that spends in excess of the designated amount for a related or the same or similar political publication for or against an issue;

(b) Make an expenditure in excess of the designated amount in support of or opposition to a ballot issue or make an expenditure in cooperation, consultation, or concert with, or at the request or suggestion of, a candidate, a campaign committee, a legislative campaign fund, a political party, a political action committee with ten or more members, or a limited political action committee that spends in excess of the designated amount in support of or opposition to the same ballot issue, for the purpose of financing political communications in support of or opposition to that ballot issue through public political advertising.

(7) No political action committee with ten or more members shall issue a form of political publication for or against an issue, or shall make an expenditure for the purpose of financing political communications in support of or opposition to a ballot issue or question through public political advertising, unless the name and residence or business address of the chairperson, treasurer, or secretary of the political action committee that issues or otherwise is responsible for that political publication or that makes an expenditure for that political communication appears in a conspicuous place in that political publication or is contained within that political communication.

(8) The disclaimer "paid political advertisement" is not sufficient to meet the requirements of this section.

(9) If the political publication described in division (A) of this section is issued by the regularly constituted central or executive committee of a political party that is organized as provided in Chapter 3517. of the Revised Code this chapter, it shall be sufficiently identified if it bears the name of the committee and its chairperson or treasurer.

(10) If more than one piece of printed matter or printed political communications are mailed as a single packet, the requirements of division (A) of this section are met if one of the pieces of printed matter or printed political communications in the packet contains the name and residence or business address of the chairperson, treasurer, or secretary of the organization or entity that issues or is responsible for the printed matter or other printed political communications.

(11) This section does not apply to the transmittal of personal correspondence that is not reproduced by machine for general distribution.

(12) The secretary of state, by rule, may exempt from the requirements of this section, printed matter and certain other kinds of printed communications such as campaign buttons, balloons, pencils, or similar items, the size or nature of which makes it unreasonable to add an identification or disclaimer.

(13) The disclaimer or identification described in division (A) of this section, when paid for by a campaign committee, shall be identified by the words "paid for by" followed by the name and address of the campaign committee and the appropriate officer of the committee, identified by name and title. The identification or disclaimer may use reasonable abbreviations for common terms such as "treasurer" or "committee".

(B)(1) No candidate, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political contributing entity, political party, political action committee, limited political action committee, political contributing entity, limited political contributing entity, or other entity shall utter or cause to be uttered, over the broadcasting facilities of any radio or television station within this state, any communication that is designed to promote the nomination, election, or defeat of a candidate, or the adoption or defeat of an issue or to influence the voters in an election, unless the speaker identifies the speaker with the speaker's name and residence address or unless the communication identifies the chairperson, treasurer, or secretary of the organization responsible for the communication with the name and residence or business address of that officer, except that communications by radio need not broadcast the residence or business address of the officer. However, a radio station, for a period of at least six months, shall keep the residence or business address on file and divulge it to any person upon request.

No person operating a broadcast station or an organ of printed media shall broadcast or print a paid political communication that does not contain the identification required by this section.

(2) Division (B) of this section does not apply to any communications made on behalf of a radio or television station or network by any employee of such radio or television station or network while acting in the course of the employee's employment.

(3) No candidate or entity described in division (B)(1) of this section shall use or cause to be used a false, fictitious, or fraudulent name or address in the making or issuing of a publication or communication included within the provisions of this section.

(C) No candidate, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, political action committee, limited political action committee, or other person or entity shall conduct a telephone bank for the purpose of promoting the nomination, election, or defeat of a candidate or the adoption or defeat of an issue or to influence the voters in an election, unless the call includes a disclaimer that identifies the name of the candidate, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, political action committee, limited political action committee, or other person or entity paying for the telephone bank.

(D) Before a prosecution may commence under this section, a complaint shall be filed with the Ohio elections commission under section 3517.153 of the Revised Code. After the complaint is filed, the commission shall proceed in accordance with sections 3517.154 to 3517.157 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3517.23.  The secretary of state shall adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code that are necessary for the administration and enforcement of sections 3517.08 to 3517.13, 3517.18, 3517.20 to 3517.22, 3599.03, and 3599.031 of the Revised Code and shall provide each candidate, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, and political contributing entity electioneering communication committee with written instructions and explanations in order to ensure compliance with sections 3517.08 to 3517.13, 3517.17, 3517.18, 3517.20 to 3517.22, 3599.03, and 3599.031 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3517.992.  This section establishes penalties only with respect to acts or failures to act that occur on and after August 24, 1995.

(A)(1) A candidate whose campaign committee violates division (A), (B), (C), (D), or (V) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code, or a treasurer of a campaign committee who violates any of those divisions, shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars for each day of violation.

(2) Whoever violates division (E) or (X)(5) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars for each day of violation.

(B) A political party that violates division (F)(1) of section 3517.101 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars for each day of violation.

(C) Whoever violates division (F)(2) of section 3517.101 or division (G) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than ten thousand dollars or, if the offender is a person who was nominated or elected to public office, shall forfeit the nomination or the office to which the offender was elected, or both.

(D) Whoever violates division (F) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than three times the amount contributed.

(E) Whoever violates division (H) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars.

(F) Whoever violates division (O), (P), or (Q) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree.

(G) A state or county committee of a political party that violates division (B)(1) of section 3517.18 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than twice the amount of the improper expenditure.

(H) A state or county political party that violates division (G) of section 3517.101 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than twice the amount of the improper expenditure or use.

(I)(1) Any individual who violates division (B)(1) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code and knows that the contribution the individual makes violates that division shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount contributed in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(2) Any political action committee that violates division (B)(2) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount contributed in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(3) Any campaign committee that violates division (B)(3) or (5) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount contributed in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(4)(a) Any legislative campaign fund that violates division (B)(6) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount transferred or contributed in excess of the amount permitted by that division, as applicable.

(b) Any state political party, county political party, or state candidate fund of a state political party or county political party that violates division (B)(6) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount transferred or contributed in excess of the amount permitted by that division, as applicable.

(c) Any political contributing entity that violates division (B)(7) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount contributed in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(5) Any political party that violates division (B)(4) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount contributed in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(6) Notwithstanding divisions (I)(1), (2), (3), (4), and (5) of this section, no violation of division (B) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code occurs, and the secretary of state shall not refer parties to the Ohio elections commission, if the amount transferred or contributed in excess of the amount permitted by that division meets either of the following conditions:

(a) It is completely refunded within five business days after it is accepted.

(b) It is completely refunded on or before the tenth business day after notification to the recipient of the excess transfer or contribution by the board of elections or the secretary of state that a transfer or contribution in excess of the permitted amount has been received.

(J)(1) Any campaign committee that violates division (C)(1), (2), (3), or (6) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount accepted in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(2)(a) Any state or county political party that violates division (C)(4)(a)(ii) or (iii) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount from its state candidate fund equal to three times the amount accepted.

(b) Any county political party that violates division (C)(4)(a)(i) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount from its state candidate fund equal to three times the amount accepted in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(c) Any state political party that violates division (C)(4)(b) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount from its state candidate fund equal to three times the amount accepted in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(3) Any legislative campaign fund that violates division (C)(5) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount accepted in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(4) Any political action committee or political contributing entity that violates division (C)(7) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount accepted in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(5) Notwithstanding divisions (J)(1), (2), (3), and (4) of this section, no violation of division (C) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code occurs, and the secretary of state shall not refer parties to the Ohio elections commission, if the amount transferred or contributed in excess of the amount permitted to be accepted by that division meets either of the following conditions:

(a) It is completely refunded within five business days after its acceptance.

(b) It is completely refunded on or before the tenth business day after notification to the recipient of the excess transfer or contribution by the board of elections or the secretary of state that a transfer or contribution in excess of the permitted amount has been received.

(K)(1) Any legislative campaign fund that violates division (F)(1) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined twenty-five dollars for each day of violation.

(2) Any legislative campaign fund that violates division (F)(2) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall give to the treasurer of state for deposit into the state treasury to the credit of the Ohio elections commission fund all excess contributions not disposed of as required by division (E) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code.

(L) Whoever violates section 3517.105 of the Revised Code shall be fined one thousand dollars.

(M)(1) Whoever solicits a contribution in violation of section 3517.092 or violates division (B) of section 3517.09 of the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree.

(2) Whoever knowingly accepts a contribution in violation of division (B) or (C) of section 3517.092 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount accepted in violation of either of those divisions and shall return to the contributor any amount so accepted. Whoever unknowingly accepts a contribution in violation of division (B) or (C) of section 3517.092 of the Revised Code shall return to the contributor any amount so accepted.

(N) Whoever violates division (S) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount of funds transferred or three times the value of the assets transferred in violation of that division.

(O) Any campaign committee that accepts a contribution or contributions in violation of section 3517.108 of the Revised Code, uses a contribution in violation of that section, or fails to dispose of excess contributions in violation of that section shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount accepted, used, or kept in violation of that section.

(P) Any political party, state candidate fund, legislative candidate fund, or campaign committee that violates division (T) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount contributed or accepted in violation of that section.

(Q) A treasurer of a committee or another person who violates division (U) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than two hundred fifty dollars.

(R) Whoever violates division (I) or (J) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars. Whenever a person is found guilty of violating division (I) or (J) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code, the contract awarded in violation of either of those divisions shall be rescinded if its terms have not yet been performed.

(S) A candidate whose campaign committee violates or a treasurer of a campaign committee who violates section 3517.081 of the Revised Code, and a candidate whose campaign committee violates, or a treasurer of a campaign committee, or another person who violates, division (C) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code, shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars.

(T) A candidate whose campaign committee violates or a treasurer of a committee who violates division (B) of section 3517.09 of the Revised Code, or a candidate whose campaign committee violates, or a treasurer of a campaign committee, or another person who violates division (C), of section 3517.09 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars.

(U) Whoever violates section 3517.20 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars.

(V) Whoever violates section 3517.21 or 3517.22 of the Revised Code shall be imprisoned for not more than six months or fined not more than five thousand dollars, or both.

(W) A campaign committee that is required to file a declaration of no limits under division (D)(2) of section 3517.103 of the Revised Code that, before filing that declaration, accepts a contribution or contributions that exceed the limitations prescribed in section 3517.102 of the Revised Code, shall return that contribution or those contributions to the contributor.

(X) Any campaign committee that fails to file the declaration of filing-day finances required by division (F) of section 3517.109 or the declaration of primary-day finances or declaration of year-end finances required by division (E) of section 3517.1010 of the Revised Code shall be fined twenty-five dollars for each day of violation.

(Y) Any campaign committee that fails to dispose of excess funds or excess aggregate contributions under division (B) of section 3517.109 of the Revised Code in the manner required by division (C) of that section or under division (B) of section 3517.1010 of the Revised Code in the manner required by division (C) of that section shall give to the treasurer of state for deposit into the Ohio elections commission fund created under division (E)(2)(b)(I) of section 3517.102 3517.152 of the Revised Code all funds not disposed of pursuant to those divisions.

(Z) Any individual, campaign committee, political action committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, political party, or other entity that violates any provision of sections 3517.09 to 3517.12 of the Revised Code for which no penalty is provided for under any other division of this section shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars.

(AA)(1) Whoever knowingly violates division (W)(1) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount contributed, expended, or promised in violation of that division or ten thousand dollars, whichever amount is greater.

(2) Whoever knowingly violates division (W)(2) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount solicited or accepted in violation of that division or ten thousand dollars, whichever amount is greater.

(BB) Whoever knowingly violates division (C) or (D) of section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than ten thousand dollars plus not more than one thousand dollars for each day of violation.

(CC)(1) Subject to division (CC)(2) of this section, whoever violates division (H) of section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount up to three times the amount disbursed for the direct costs of airing the communication made in violation of that division.

(2) Whoever has been ordered by the Ohio elections commission or by a court of competent jurisdiction to cease making communications in violation of division (H) of section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code who again violates that division shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount disbursed for the direct costs of airing the communication made in violation of that division.

(DD)(1) Any corporation or labor organization that violates division (X)(3)(a) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount given in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

(2) Any state or county political party that violates division (X)(3)(b) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount accepted in excess of the amount permitted by that division.

Sec. 3599.03.  (A)(1) Except to carry on activities specified in sections 3517.082 and 3517.1011, division (A)(2) of section 3517.1012, and section 3599.031 of the Revised Code and except as provided in divisions (D), (E), and (F) of this section, no corporation, no nonprofit corporation, and no labor organization, directly or indirectly, shall pay or use, or offer, advise, consent, or agree to pay or use, the corporation's money or property, or the labor organization's money, including dues, initiation fees, or other assessments paid by members, or property, for or in aid of or opposition to a political party, a candidate for election or nomination to public office, a political action committee including a political action committee of the corporation or labor organization, a legislative campaign fund, or any organization that supports or opposes any such candidate, or for any partisan political purpose, shall violate any law requiring the filing of an affidavit or statement respecting such use of those funds, or shall pay or use the corporation's or labor organization's money for the expenses of a social fund-raising event for its political action committee if an employee's or labor organization member's right to attend such an event is predicated on the employee's or member's contribution to the corporation's or labor organization's political action committee.

(2) Whoever violates division (A)(1) of this section shall be fined not less than five hundred nor more than five thousand dollars.

(B)(1) No officer, stockholder, attorney, or agent of a corporation or nonprofit corporation, no member, including an officer, attorney, or agent, of a labor organization, and no candidate, political party official, or other individual shall knowingly aid, advise, solicit, or receive money or other property in violation of division (A)(1) of this section.

(2) Whoever violates division (B)(1) of this section shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars, or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

(C) A corporation, a nonprofit corporation, or a labor organization may use its funds or property for or in aid of or opposition to a proposed or certified ballot issue. Such use of funds or property shall be reported on a form prescribed by the secretary of state. Reports of contributions in connection with statewide ballot issues shall be filed with the secretary of state. Reports of contributions in connection with local issues shall be filed with the board of elections of the most populous county of the district in which the issue is submitted or to be submitted to the electors. Reports made pursuant to this division shall be filed by the times specified in divisions (A)(1) and (2) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

(D)(1) Any gift made pursuant to section 3517.101 of the Revised Code does not constitute a violation of this section or of any other section of the Revised Code.

(2) Any gift made pursuant to division (A)(2) of section 3517.1012 of the Revised Code does not constitute a violation of this section.

(E) Any compensation or fees paid by a financial institution to a state political party for services rendered pursuant to division (B) of section 3517.19 of the Revised Code do not constitute a violation of this section or of any other section of the Revised Code.

(F) The use by a nonprofit corporation of its money or property for communicating information for a purpose specified in division (A) of this section is not a violation of that division if the stockholders, members, donors, trustees, or officers of the nonprofit corporation are the predominant recipients of the communication.

(G) In addition to the laws listed in division (A) of section 4117.10 of the Revised Code that prevail over conflicting agreements between employee organizations and public employers, this section prevails over any conflicting provisions of agreements between labor organizations and public employers that are entered into on or after the effective date of this section pursuant to Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code.

(H) As used in this section, "labor organization" has the same meaning as in section 3517.01 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3599.031.  (A) Notwithstanding any section provision of the Revised Code to the contrary and subject to divisions (C) and (H) division (C) of section 3517.09 of the Revised Code and division (B) of this section, any employer may deduct from the wages and salaries of its employees amounts for an account described in division (C)(B) of this section, a separate segregated fund, a political action committee of the employer, a political action committee of a labor organization of the employer's employees, a political action committee of an association of which the employer is a member, a political party, electioneering communication committee, or a ballot issue that the employee by written authorization may designate and shall transmit any amounts so deducted as a separate written authorization described in division (C)(B) of this section shall direct. Any authorization authorizing a deduction from an employee's wages or salary may be on a form that is used to apply for or authorize membership in or authorize payment of dues or fees to any organization, but the authorization for a deduction shall be stated and signed separately from the application for membership or the authorization for the payment of dues or fees. The employer either may deduct from the amount to be so transmitted a uniform amount determined by the employer to be necessary to defray the actual cost of making such deduction and transmittal, or may utilize its own funds in an amount it determines is necessary to defray the actual administrative cost, including making the deduction and transmittal.

(B) Any person who solicits an employee to authorize a deduction from his wages or salary pursuant to division (A) of this section shall inform the employee at the time of the solicitation that he may refuse to authorize a deduction, and that he may at any time revoke his authorization, without suffering any reprisal.

(C) If an employer establishes a separate account in the name of an employee for the purpose of depositing into the account amounts deducted from the wages and salary of the employee pursuant to division (A) of this section or amounts directly given by the employee to the employer for the support of a candidate, a separate segregated fund, a political action committee of the employer, a political action committee of a labor organization of the employer's employees, a political action committee of an association of which the employer is a member, a political party, a legislative campaign fund, an electioneering communication committee, or a ballot issue, the employee shall sign a written authorization designating the recipient of a disbursement from that account. The written authorization required under this division is separate and distinct from a written authorization required under division (A) of this section. The authorization required under this division shall clearly identify and designate the candidate, separate segregated fund, political action committee of the employer, political action committee of a labor organization of the employer's employees, political action committee of an association of which the employer is a member, political party, a legislative campaign fund, electioneering communication committee, or ballot issue that is to receive any disbursement from the account established pursuant to this division. No person shall designate the recipient of a disbursement from the account except the employee from whose account the disbursement is made. No employer shall make a disbursement from the account of an employee established under this division unless the employer has received the written authorization required under this division.

(D)(C) An employer shall furnish the recipient of any amount transmitted pursuant to this section with the employer's full name and the full name of the labor organization of which the employee whose amount is being transmitted is a member, if any. An employer shall keep and maintain the authorization forms of all its employees from whose wages and salaries any amounts were deducted pursuant to division (A) of this section and the authorizations of disbursements from accounts established under division (C)(B) of this section for a period of at least six years after the year in which the deductions and disbursements were made.

(E)(D) An employee who has made an authorization pursuant to division (A) or (C)(B) of this section may revoke that authorization at any time. A revocation of the authorization does not affect any deduction already made from an employee's wages and salary or any amounts already transmitted or disbursed under this section.

(F)(E) For purposes of this section and for the purpose of the information required to be filed under division (B)(4)(b)(iii) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code:

(1) If an employer is a corporation, each subsidiary of a parent corporation shall be considered an entity separate and distinct from any other subsidiary and separate and distinct from the parent corporation.

(2) Each national, regional, state, and local affiliate of a labor organization shall be considered a distinct entity.

(G)(F) Whoever violates division (C)(B) of this section shall be fined not less than fifty nor more than five hundred dollars for each disbursement made in violation of that division.

(H) No public employer shall deduct from the wages and salaries of its employees any amounts for the support of any candidate, separate segregated fund, political action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or ballot issue.

(I) In addition to the laws listed in division (A) of section 4117.10 of the Revised Code that prevail over conflicting agreements between employee organizations and public employers, this section prevails over any conflicting provisions of agreements between labor organizations and public employers entered into pursuant to Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code.

(J)(G) In addition to the laws listed in division (A) of section 4117.10 of the Revised Code that prevail over conflicting agreements between employee organizations and public employers, this section prevails over any conflicting provisions of agreements between labor organizations and public employers that are entered into on or after the effective date of this amendment pursuant to Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code.

(H) As used in this section:

(1) "Labor Electioneering communication committee," "legislative campaign fund," "labor organization," "political action committee," and "separate segregated fund" have the same meanings as in section 3517.01 of the Revised Code.

(2) "Public employer" means an employer that is the state or a state agency, authority, commission, or board, a political subdivision of the state, a school district or state institution of higher learning, a public or special district, or any other public employer.

(3) "Employee" includes only an employee who is a resident of or is employed in this state.

Sec. 3599.111.  (A) As used in this section, "registering a voter" or "registering voters" includes any effort, for compensation, to provide voter registration forms or to assist persons in completing those forms or returning them to the board of elections, the office of the secretary of state, or other appropriate public office.

(B) No person shall receive compensation on a fee per signature or fee per volume basis for circulating any declaration of candidacy, nominating petition, declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate, initiative petition, referendum petition, recall petition, or any other election-related petition that is filed with or transmitted to a board of elections, the office of the secretary of state, or other appropriate public office.

(C) No person shall receive compensation on a fee per registration or fee per volume basis for registering a voter.

(D) Compensation for collecting signatures on election-related petitions and for registering voters shall be paid solely on the basis of time worked.

(E)(1) Whoever violates division (B) or (C) of this section is guilty of election falsification under section 3599.36 of the Revised Code.

(2) Whoever violates division (D) of this section is guilty of a felony of the fifth degree.

Section 2. That existing sections 102.03, 2921.01, 2921.43, 3501.38, 3503.14, 3513.07, 3513.10, 3513.261, 3517.01, 3517.08, 3517.082, 3517.09, 3517.092, 3517.10, 3517.102, 3517.103, 3517.104, 3517.105, 3517.106, 3517.108, 3517.109, 3517.11, 3517.13, 3517.151, 3517.152, 3517.154, 3517.155, 3517.16, 3517.17, 3517.20, 3517.23, 3517.992, and 3599.031 and section Sec. 3599.03.  of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.

Section 3. (A) Except as otherwise provided in division (B) of this section, no person intending to make a disbursement or disbursements for the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications under this act shall make those disbursements using any contributions that the person received before the effective date of this act.

(B) Any person intending to make a disbursement or disbursements for the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering communications under this act who wishes to make those disbursements using contributions that the person received before the effective date of this act shall, in the first disclosure of electioneering communications statement that the person is required to file, report the contributor information specified in division (D)(1)(e) or (f) of section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code for each contribution that was received before the effective date of this act and that the person uses to make a disbursement that is included in that statement.

(C) As used in this section, "contribution," "electioneering communication," and "person" have the same meanings as in section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code.

Section 4. (A) A county political party that has a state candidate fund, established under division (D)(3)(c) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code as it existed prior to the effective date of this act, in existence on that effective date shall, not later than 4 p.m. on that effective date, disburse any moneys in the fund in accordance with the versions of sections 3517.08 to 3517.13 of the Revised Code that were in effect prior to that effective date. Any state candidate fund of a county political party in existence on the effective date of this act shall be abolished not later than 4 p.m. on that effective date.

(B) No county political party that establishes a state candidate fund under division (D)(3)(c) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code as amended by this act shall transfer into that fund any moneys that were in a state candidate fund of a county political party established under that section as it existed prior to the effective date of this act.

Section 5. No moneys in any fund or account of a political party that was not subject to disclosure under the version of Chapter 3517. of the Revised Code that was in effect prior to the effective date of this act shall be disbursed, transferred into another fund or account of the political party, or otherwise used by that political party on or after the effective date of this act unless the contributors of those moneys are disclosed prior to that effective date in accordance with section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.

Section 6.  Section 3513.10 of the Revised Code is presented in this act as a composite of the section as amended by both Am. Sub. H.B. 117 and Am. Sub. S.B. 9 of the 121st General Assembly. The General Assembly, applying the principle stated in division (B) of section 1.52 of the Revised Code that amendments are to be harmonized if reasonably capable of simultaneous operation, finds that the composite is the resulting version of the section in effect prior to the effective date of the section as presented in this act.