As Passed by the House

126th General Assembly Regular Session 2005-2006

Am. Sub. S. B. No. 115

Senator Jacobson 

Representatives Carano, Cassell, Domenick, D. Evans, Faber, Flowers, McGregor, Otterman, Reidelbach, Seaver, Setzer, G. Smith, Widowfield, Williams, Wolpert 

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A BILL

To amend sections 102.03, 2921.01, 2921.43, 3517.01,

1

3517.08, 3517.09, 3517.092, 3517.10, 3517.102,

2

3517.105, 3517.106, 3517.108, 3517.109, 3517.11,

3

3517.13, 3517.152, 3517.155, 3517.20, 3517.23, and

4

3517.992 of the Revised Code to establish

5

political contributing entities for the purpose of

6

the Campaign Finance Law and to declare an

7

emergency.

8

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. That sections 102.03, 2921.01, 2921.43, 3517.01,	9
3517.08, 3517.09, 3517.092, 3517.10, 3517.102, 3517.105, 3517.106,	10
3517.108, 3517.109, 3517.11, 3517.13, 3517.152, 3517.155, 3517.20,	11
3517.23, and 3517.992 of the Revised Code be amended to read as	12
follows:	13

Sec. 102.03.  (A)(1) No present or former public official or	14
employee shall, during public employment or service or for twelve	15
months thereafter, represent a client or act in a representative	16
capacity for any person on any matter in which the public official	17
or employee personally participated as a public official or	18
employee through decision, approval, disapproval, recommendation,	19
the rendering of advice, investigation, or other substantial	20
exercise of administrative discretion.	21

(2) For twenty-four months after the conclusion of service,	22
no former commissioner or attorney examiner of the public	23
utilities commission shall represent a public utility, as defined	24
in section 4905.02 of the Revised Code, or act in a representative	25
capacity on behalf of such a utility before any state board,	26
commission, or agency.	27

(3) For twenty-four months after the conclusion of employment	28
or service, no former public official or employee who personally	29
participated as a public official or employee through decision,	30
approval, disapproval, recommendation, the rendering of advice,	31
the development or adoption of solid waste management plans,	32
investigation, inspection, or other substantial exercise of	33
administrative discretion under Chapter 343. or 3734. of the	34
Revised Code shall represent a person who is the owner or operator	35
of a facility, as defined in section 3734.01 of the Revised Code,	36
or who is an applicant for a permit or license for a facility	37
under that chapter, on any matter in which the public official or	38
employee personally participated as a public official or employee.	39

(4) For a period of one year after the conclusion of	40
employment or service as a member or employee of the general	41
assembly, no former member or employee of the general assembly	42
shall represent, or act in a representative capacity for, any	43
person on any matter before the general assembly, any committee of	44
the general assembly, or the controlling board. Division (A)(4) of	45
this section does not apply to or affect a person who separates	46
from service with the general assembly on or before December 31,	47
1995. As used in division (A)(4) of this section "person" does not	48
include any state agency or political subdivision of the state.	49

(5) As used in divisions (A)(1), (2), and (3) of this	50
section, "matter" includes any case, proceeding, application,	51
determination, issue, or question, but does not include the	52
proposal, consideration, or enactment of statutes, rules,	53
ordinances, resolutions, or charter or constitutional amendments.	54
As used in division (A)(4) of this section, "matter" includes the	55
proposal, consideration, or enactment of statutes, resolutions, or	56
constitutional amendments. As used in division (A) of this	57
section, "represent" includes any formal or informal appearance	58
before, or any written or oral communication with, any public	59
agency on behalf of any person.	60

(6) Nothing contained in division (A) of this section shall	61
prohibit, during such period, a former public official or employee	62
from being retained or employed to represent, assist, or act in a	63
representative capacity for the public agency by which the public	64
official or employee was employed or on which the public official	65
or employee served.	66

(7) Division (A) of this section shall not be construed to	67
prohibit the performance of ministerial functions, including, but	68
not limited to, the filing or amendment of tax returns,	69
applications for permits and licenses, incorporation papers, and	70
other similar documents.	71

(B) No present or former public official or employee shall	72
disclose or use, without appropriate authorization, any	73
information acquired by the public official or employee in the	74
course of the public official's or employee's official duties that	75
is confidential because of statutory provisions, or that has been	76
clearly designated to the public official or employee as	77
confidential when that confidential designation is warranted	78
because of the status of the proceedings or the circumstances	79
under which the information was received and preserving its	80
confidentiality is necessary to the proper conduct of government	81
business.	82

(C) No public official or employee shall participate within	83
the scope of duties as a public official or employee, except	84
through ministerial functions as defined in division (A) of this	85
section, in any license or rate-making proceeding that directly	86
affects the license or rates of any person, partnership, trust,	87
business trust, corporation, or association in which the public	88
official or employee or immediate family owns or controls more	89
than five per cent. No public official or employee shall	90
participate within the scope of duties as a public official or	91
employee, except through ministerial functions as defined in	92
division (A) of this section, in any license or rate-making	93
proceeding that directly affects the license or rates of any	94
person to whom the public official or employee or immediate	95
family, or a partnership, trust, business trust, corporation, or	96
association of which the public official or employee or the public	97
official's or employee's immediate family owns or controls more	98
than five per cent, has sold goods or services totaling more than	99
one thousand dollars during the preceding year, unless the public	100
official or employee has filed a written statement acknowledging	101
that sale with the clerk or secretary of the public agency and the	102
statement is entered in any public record of the agency's	103
proceedings. This division shall not be construed to require the	104
disclosure of clients of attorneys or persons licensed under	105
section 4732.12 or 4732.15 of the Revised Code, or patients of	106
persons certified under section 4731.14 of the Revised Code.	107

(D) No public official or employee shall use or authorize the	108
use of the authority or influence of office or employment to	109
secure anything of value or the promise or offer of anything of	110
value that is of such a character as to manifest a substantial and	111
improper influence upon the public official or employee with	112
respect to that person's duties.	113

(E) No public official or employee shall solicit or accept	114
anything of value that is of such a character as to manifest a	115
substantial and improper influence upon the public official or	116
employee with respect to that person's duties.	117

(F) No person shall promise or give to a public official or	118
employee anything of value that is of such a character as to	119
manifest a substantial and improper influence upon the public	120
official or employee with respect to that person's duties.	121

(G) In the absence of bribery or another offense under the	122
Revised Code or a purpose to defraud, contributions made to a	123
campaign committee, political party, legislative campaign fund, or	124
political action committee, or political contributing entity on	125
behalf of an elected public officer or other public official or	126
employee who seeks elective office shall be considered to accrue	127
ordinarily to the public official or employee for the purposes of	128
divisions (D), (E), and (F) of this section.	129

As used in this division, "contributions," "campaign	130
committee," "political party," "legislative campaign fund," and	131
"political action committee," and "political contributing entity"	132
have the same meanings as in section 3517.01 of the Revised Code.	133

(H)(1) No public official or employee, except for the	134
president or other chief administrative officer of or a member of	135
a board of trustees of a state institution of higher education as	136
defined in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code, who is required	137
to file a financial disclosure statement under section 102.02 of	138
the Revised Code shall solicit or accept, and no person shall give	139
to that public official or employee, an honorarium. Except as	140
provided in division (H)(2) of this section, this division and	141
divisions (D), (E), and (F) of this section do not prohibit a	142
public official or employee who is required to file a financial	143
disclosure statement under section 102.02 of the Revised Code from	144
accepting and do not prohibit a person from giving to that public	145
official or employee the payment of actual travel expenses,	146
including any expenses incurred in connection with the travel for	147
lodging, and meals, food, and beverages provided to the public	148
official or employee at a meeting at which the public official or	149
employee participates in a panel, seminar, or speaking engagement	150
or provided to the public official or employee at a meeting or	151
convention of a national organization to which any state agency,	152
including, but not limited to, any state legislative agency or	153
state institution of higher education as defined in section	154
3345.011 of the Revised Code, pays membership dues. Except as	155
provided in division (H)(2) of this section, this division and	156
divisions (D), (E), and (F) of this section do not prohibit a	157
public official or employee who is not required to file a	158
financial disclosure statement under section 102.02 of the Revised	159
Code from accepting and do not prohibit a person from promising or	160
giving to that public official or employee an honorarium or the	161
payment of travel, meal, and lodging expenses if the honorarium,	162
expenses, or both were paid in recognition of demonstrable	163
business, professional, or esthetic interests of the public	164
official or employee that exist apart from public office or	165
employment, including, but not limited to, such a demonstrable	166
interest in public speaking and were not paid by any person or	167
other entity, or by any representative or association of those	168
persons or entities, that is regulated by, doing business with, or	169
seeking to do business with the department, division, institution,	170
board, commission, authority, bureau, or other instrumentality of	171
the governmental entity with which the public official or employee	172
serves.	173

(2) No person who is a member of the board of a state	174
retirement system, a state retirement system investment officer,	175
or an employee of a state retirement system whose position	176
involves substantial and material exercise of discretion in the	177
investment of retirement system funds shall solicit or accept, and	178
no person shall give to that board member, officer, or employee,	179
payment of actual travel expenses, including expenses incurred	180
with the travel for lodging, meals, food, and beverages.	181

(I) A public official or employee may accept travel, meals,	182
and lodging or expenses or reimbursement of expenses for travel,	183
meals, and lodging in connection with conferences, seminars, and	184
similar events related to official duties if the travel, meals,	185
and lodging, expenses, or reimbursement is not of such a character	186
as to manifest a substantial and improper influence upon the	187
public official or employee with respect to that person's duties.	188
The house of representatives and senate, in their code of ethics,	189
and the Ohio ethics commission, under section 111.15 of the	190
Revised Code, may adopt rules setting standards and conditions for	191
the furnishing and acceptance of such travel, meals, and lodging,	192
expenses, or reimbursement.	193

A person who acts in compliance with this division and any	194
applicable rules adopted under it, or any applicable, similar	195
rules adopted by the supreme court governing judicial officers and	196
employees, does not violate division (D), (E), or (F) of this	197
section. This division does not preclude any person from seeking	198
an advisory opinion from the appropriate ethics commission under	199
section 102.08 of the Revised Code.	200

(J) For purposes of divisions (D), (E), and (F) of this	201
section, the membership of a public official or employee in an	202
organization shall not be considered, in and of itself, to be of	203
such a character as to manifest a substantial and improper	204
influence on the public official or employee with respect to that	205
person's duties. As used in this division, "organization" means a	206
church or a religious, benevolent, fraternal, or professional	207
organization that is tax exempt under subsection 501(a) and	208
described in subsection 501(c)(3), (4), (8), (10), or (19) of the	209
"Internal Revenue Code of 1986." This division does not apply to a	210
public official or employee who is an employee of an organization,	211
serves as a trustee, director, or officer of an organization, or	212
otherwise holds a fiduciary relationship with an organization.	213
This division does not allow a public official or employee who is	214
a member of an organization to participate, formally or	215
informally, in deliberations, discussions, or voting on a matter	216
or to use his official position with regard to the interests of	217
the organization on the matter if the public official or employee	218
has assumed a particular responsibility in the organization with	219
respect to the matter or if the matter would affect that person's	220
personal, pecuniary interests.	221

(K) It is not a violation of this section for a prosecuting	222
attorney to appoint assistants and employees in accordance with	223
division (B) of section 309.06 and section 2921.421 of the Revised	224
Code, for a chief legal officer of a municipal corporation or an	225
official designated as prosecutor in a municipal corporation to	226
appoint assistants and employees in accordance with sections	227
733.621 and 2921.421 of the Revised Code, for a township law	228
director appointed under section 504.15 of the Revised Code to	229
appoint assistants and employees in accordance with sections	230
504.151 and 2921.421 of the Revised Code, or for a coroner to	231
appoint assistants and employees in accordance with division (B)	232
of section 313.05 of the Revised Code.	233

As used in this division, "chief legal officer" has the same	234
meaning as in section 733.621 of the Revised Code.	235

Sec. 2921.01.  As used in sections 2921.01 to 2921.45 of the	236
Revised Code:	237

(A) "Public official" means any elected or appointed officer,	238
or employee, or agent of the state or any political subdivision,	239
whether in a temporary or permanent capacity, and includes, but is	240
not limited to, legislators, judges, and law enforcement officers.	241

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

242

(1) Any public official;

243

(2) Any person performing ad hoc a governmental function,	244
including, but not limited to, a juror, member of a temporary	245
commission, master, arbitrator, advisor, or consultant;	246

(3) A person who is a candidate for public office, whether or	247
not the person is elected or appointed to the office for which the	248
person is a candidate. A person is a candidate for purposes of	249
this division if the person has been nominated according to law	250
for election or appointment to public office, or if the person has	251
filed a petition or petitions as required by law to have the	252
person's name placed on the ballot in a primary, general, or	253
special election, or if the person campaigns as a write-in	254
candidate in any primary, general, or special election.	255

(C) "Party official" means any person who holds an elective	256
or appointive post in a political party in the United States or	257
this state, by virtue of which the person directs, conducts, or	258
participates in directing or conducting party affairs at any level	259
of responsibility.	260

(D) "Official proceeding" means any proceeding before a	261
legislative, judicial, administrative, or other governmental	262
agency or official authorized to take evidence under oath, and	263
includes any proceeding before a referee, hearing examiner,	264
commissioner, notary, or other person taking testimony or a	265
deposition in connection with an official proceeding.	266

(E) "Detention" means arrest; confinement in any vehicle	267
subsequent to an arrest; confinement in any public or private	268
facility for custody of persons charged with or convicted of crime	269
in this state or another state or under the laws of the United	270
States or alleged or found to be a delinquent child or unruly	271
child in this state or another state or under the laws of the	272
United States; hospitalization, institutionalization, or	273
confinement in any public or private facility that is ordered	274
pursuant to or under the authority of section 2945.37, 2945.371,	275
2945.38, 2945.39, 2945.40, 2945.401, or 2945.402 of the Revised	276
Code; confinement in any vehicle for transportation to or from any	277
facility of any of those natures; detention for extradition or	278
deportation; except as provided in this division, supervision by	279
any employee of any facility of any of those natures that is	280
incidental to hospitalization, institutionalization, or	281
confinement in the facility but that occurs outside the facility;	282
supervision by an employee of the department of rehabilitation and	283
correction of a person on any type of release from a state	284
correctional institution; or confinement in any vehicle, airplane,	285
or place while being returned from outside of this state into this	286
state by a private person or entity pursuant to a contract entered	287
into under division (E) of section 311.29 of the Revised Code or	288
division (B) of section 5149.03 of the Revised Code. For a person	289
confined in a county jail who participates in a county jail	290
industry program pursuant to section 5147.30 of the Revised Code,	291
"detention" includes time spent at an assigned work site and going	292
to and from the work site.	293

(F) "Detention facility" means any public or private place	294
used for the confinement of a person charged with or convicted of	295
any crime in this state or another state or under the laws of the	296
United States or alleged or found to be a delinquent child or	297
unruly child in this state or another state or under the laws of	298
the United States.	299

(G) "Valuable thing or valuable benefit" includes, but is not	300
limited to, a contribution. This inclusion does not indicate or	301
imply that a contribution was not included in those terms before	302
September 17, 1986.	303

(H) "Campaign committee," "contribution," "political action	304
committee," "legislative campaign fund," and "political party,"	305
and "political contributing entity" have the same meanings as in	306
section 3517.01 of the Revised Code.	307

(I) "Provider agreement" and "medical assistance program"	308
have the same meanings as in section 2913.40 of the Revised Code.	309

Sec. 2921.43.  (A) No public servant shall knowingly solicit	310
or accept, and no person shall knowingly promise or give to a	311
public servant, either of the following:	312

(1) Any compensation, other than as allowed by divisions (G),	313
(H), and (I) of section 102.03 of the Revised Code or other	314
provisions of law, to perform the public servant's official	315
duties, to perform any other act or service in the public	316
servant's public capacity, for the general performance of the	317
duties of the public servant's public office or public employment,	318
or as a supplement to the public servant's public compensation;	319

(2) Additional or greater fees or costs than are allowed by	320
law to perform the public servant's official duties.	321

(B) No public servant for the public servant's own personal	322
or business use, and no person for the person's own personal or	323
business use or for the personal or business use of a public	324
servant or party official, shall solicit or accept anything of	325
value in consideration of either of the following:	326

(1) Appointing or securing, maintaining, or renewing the	327
appointment of any person to any public office, employment, or	328
agency;	329

(2) Preferring, or maintaining the status of, any public	330
employee with respect to compensation, duties, placement,	331
location, promotion, or other material aspects of employment.	332

(C) No person for the benefit of a political party, campaign	333
committee, legislative campaign fund, or political action	334
committee, or political contributing entity shall coerce any	335
contribution in consideration of either of the following:	336

(1) Appointing or securing, maintaining, or renewing the	337
appointment of any person to any public office, employment, or	338
agency;	339

(2) Preferring, or maintaining the status of, any public	340
employee with respect to compensation, duties, placement,	341
location, promotion, or other material aspects of employment.	342

(D) Whoever violates this section is guilty of soliciting	343
improper compensation, a misdemeanor of the first degree.	344

(E) A public servant who is convicted of a violation of this	345
section is disqualified from holding any public office,	346
employment, or position of trust in this state for a period of	347
seven years from the date of conviction.	348

(F) Divisions (A), (B), and (C) of this section do not	349
prohibit a person from making voluntary contributions to a	350
political party, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, or	351
political action committee, or political contributing entity or	352
prohibit a political party, campaign committee, legislative	353
campaign fund, or political action committee, or political	354
contributing entity from accepting voluntary contributions.	355

Sec. 3517.01.  (A)(1) A political party within the meaning of	356
Title XXXV of the Revised Code is any group of voters that, at the	357
most recent regular state election, polled for its candidate for	358
governor in the state or nominees for presidential electors at	359
least five per cent of the entire vote cast for that office or	360
that filed with the secretary of state, subsequent to any election	361
in which it received less than five per cent of that vote, a	362
petition signed by qualified electors equal in number to at least	363
one per cent of the total vote for governor or nominees for	364
presidential electors at the most recent election, declaring their	365
intention of organizing a political party, the name of which shall	366
be stated in the declaration, and of participating in the	367
succeeding primary election, held in even-numbered years, that	368
occurs more than one hundred twenty days after the date of filing.	369
No such group of electors shall assume a name or designation that	370
is similar, in the opinion of the secretary of state, to that of	371
an existing political party as to confuse or mislead the voters at	372
an election. If any political party fails to cast five per cent of	373
the total vote cast at an election for the office of governor or	374
president, it shall cease to be a political party.	375

(2) A campaign committee shall be legally liable for any	376
debts, contracts, or expenditures incurred or executed in its	377
name.	378

(B) Notwithstanding the definitions found in section 3501.01	379
of the Revised Code, as used in this section and sections 3517.08	380
to 3517.14, 3517.99, and 3517.992 of the Revised Code:	381

(1) "Campaign committee" means an entity that is formed by a	382
candidate or a combination of two or more persons authorized by a	383
candidate under section 3517.081 of the Revised Code to receive	384
contributions and make expenditures and that is legally liable for	385
any debts, contracts, or expenditures incurred or executed in its	386
name.	387

(2) "Campaign treasurer" means an individual appointed by a	388
candidate under section 3517.081 of the Revised Code.	389

(3) "Candidate" has the same meaning as in division (H) of	390
section 3501.01 of the Revised Code and also includes any person	391
who, at any time before or after an election, receives	392
contributions or makes expenditures or other use of contributions,	393
has given consent for another to receive contributions or make	394
expenditures or other use of contributions, or appoints a campaign	395
treasurer, for the purpose of bringing about the person's	396
nomination or election to public office. When two persons jointly	397
seek the offices of governor and lieutenant governor, "candidate"	398
means the pair of candidates jointly. "Candidate" does not include	399
candidates for election to the offices of member of a county or	400
state central committee, presidential elector, and delegate to a	401
national convention or conference of a political party.	402

(4) "Continuing association" means an association, other than	403
a campaign committee, political party, legislative campaign fund,	404
political contributing entity, or labor organization, that is	405
intended to be a permanent organization that has a primary purpose	406
other than supporting or opposing specific candidates, political	407
parties, or ballot issues, and that functions on a regular basis	408
throughout the year. "Continuing association" includes	409
organizations that are determined to be not organized for profit	410
under subsection 501 and that are described in subsection	411
501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), or 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code.	412

(5) "Contribution" means a loan, gift, deposit, forgiveness	413
of indebtedness, donation, advance, payment, or transfer of funds	414
or anything of value, including a transfer of funds from an inter	415
vivos or testamentary trust or decedent's estate, and the payment	416
by any person other than the person to whom the services are	417
rendered for the personal services of another person, which	418
contribution is made, received, or used for the purpose of	419
influencing the results of an election. Any loan, gift, deposit,	420
forgiveness of indebtedness, donation, advance, payment, or	421
transfer of funds or of anything of value, including a transfer of	422
funds from an inter vivos or testamentary trust or decedent's	423
estate, and the payment by any campaign committee, political	424
action committee, legislative campaign fund, political party,	425
political contributing entity, or person other than the person to	426
whom the services are rendered for the personal services of	427
another person, that is made, received, or used by a state or	428
county political party, other than moneys a state or county	429
political party receives from the Ohio political party fund	430
pursuant to section 3517.17 of the Revised Code and the moneys a	431
state or county political party may receive under sections	432
3517.101, 3517.1012, and 3517.1013 of the Revised Code, shall be	433
considered to be a "contribution" for the purpose of section	434
3517.10 of the Revised Code and shall be included on a statement	435
of contributions filed under that section.	436

"Contribution" does not include any of the following:

437

(a) Services provided without compensation by individuals	438
volunteering a portion or all of their time on behalf of a person;	439

(b) Ordinary home hospitality;

440

(c) The personal expenses of a volunteer paid for by that	441
volunteer campaign worker;	442

(d) Any gift given to a state or county political party	443
pursuant to section 3517.101 of the Revised Code. As used in	444
division (B)(5)(d) of this section, "political party" means only a	445
major political party;	446

(e) Any contribution as defined in section 3517.1011 of the	447
Revised Code that is made, received, or used to pay the direct	448
costs of producing or airing an electioneering communication;	449

(f) Any gift given to a state or county political party for	450
the party's restricted fund under division (A)(2) of section	451
3517.1012 of the Revised Code;	452

(g) Any gift given to a state political party for deposit in	453
a levinLevin account pursuant to section 3517.1013 of the Revised	454
Code. As used in this division, "levinLevin account" has the same	455
meaning as in that section.	456

(6) "Expenditure" means the disbursement or use of a	457
contribution for the purpose of influencing the results of an	458
election or of making a charitable donation under division (G) of	459
section 3517.08 of the Revised Code. Any disbursement or use of a	460
contribution by a state or county political party is an	461
expenditure and shall be considered either to be made for the	462
purpose of influencing the results of an election or to be made as	463
a charitable donation under division (G) of section 3517.08 of the	464
Revised Code and shall be reported on a statement of expenditures	465
filed under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code. During the thirty	466
days preceding a primary or general election, any disbursement to	467
pay the direct costs of producing or airing a broadcast, cable, or	468
satellite communication that refers to a clearly identified	469
candidate shall be considered to be made for the purpose of	470
influencing the results of that election and shall be reported as	471
an expenditure or as an independent expenditure under section	472
3517.10 or 3517.105 of the Revised Code, as applicable, except	473
that the information required to be reported regarding	474
contributors for those expenditures or independent expenditures	475
shall be the same as the information required to be reported under	476
divisiondivisions (D)(1) and (2) of section 3517.1011 of the	477
Revised Code.	478

As used in this division, "broadcast, cable, or satellite	479
communication" and "refers to a clearly identified candidate" have	480
the same meanings as in section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code.	481

(7) "Personal expenses" includes, but is not limited to,	482
ordinary expenses for accommodations, clothing, food, personal	483
motor vehicle or airplane, and home telephone.	484

(8) "Political action committee" means a combination of two	485
or more persons, the primary or major purpose of which is to	486
support or oppose any candidate, political party, or issue, or to	487
influence the result of any election through express advocacy, and	488
that is not a political party, a campaign committee, a political	489
contributing entity, or a legislative campaign fund. "Political	490
action committee" does not include a continuing association that	491
makes disbursements for the direct costs of producing or airing	492
electioneering communications and that does not engage in express	493
advocacy.	494

(9) "Public office" means any state, county, municipal,	495
township, or district office, except an office of a political	496
party, that is filled by an election and the offices of United	497
States senator and representative.	498

(10) "Anything of value" has the same meaning as in section	499
1.03 of the Revised Code.	500

(11) "Beneficiary of a campaign fund" means a candidate, a	501
public official or employee for whose benefit a campaign fund	502
exists, and any other person who has ever been a candidate or	503
public official or employee and for whose benefit a campaign fund	504
exists.	505

(12) "Campaign fund" means money or other property, including	506
contributions.	507

(13) "Public official or employee" has the same meaning as in	508
section 102.01 of the Revised Code.	509

(14) "Caucus" means all of the members of the house of	510
representatives or all of the members of the senate of the general	511
assembly who are members of the same political party.	512

(15) "Legislative campaign fund" means a fund that is	513
established as an auxiliary of a state political party and	514
associated with one of the houses of the general assembly.	515

(16) "In-kind contribution" means anything of value other	516
than money that is used to influence the results of an election or	517
is transferred to or used in support of or in opposition to a	518
candidate, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund,	519
political party, or political action committee, or political	520
contributing entity and that is made with the consent of, in	521
coordination, cooperation, or consultation with, or at the request	522
or suggestion of the benefited candidate, committee, fund, or	523
party, or entity. The financing of the dissemination,	524
distribution, or republication, in whole or part, of any broadcast	525
or of any written, graphic, or other form of campaign materials	526
prepared by the candidate, the candidate's campaign committee, or	527
their authorized agents is an in-kind contribution to the	528
candidate and an expenditure by the candidate.	529

(17) "Independent expenditure" means an expenditure by a	530
person advocating the election or defeat of an identified	531
candidate or candidates, that is not made with the consent of, in	532
coordination, cooperation, or consultation with, or at the request	533
or suggestion of any candidate or candidates or of the campaign	534
committee or agent of the candidate or candidates. As used in	535
division (B)(17) of this section:	536

(a) "Person" means an individual, partnership, unincorporated	537
business organization or association, political action committee,	538
political contributing entity, separate segregated fund,	539
association, or other organization or group of persons, but not a	540
labor organization or a corporation unless the labor organization	541
or corporation is a political contributing entity.	542

(b) "Advocating" means any communication containing a message	543
advocating election or defeat.	544

(c) "Identified candidate" means that the name of the	545
candidate appears, a photograph or drawing of the candidate	546
appears, or the identity of the candidate is otherwise apparent by	547
unambiguous reference.	548

(d) "Made in coordination, cooperation, or consultation with,	549
or at the request or suggestion of, any candidate or the campaign	550
committee or agent of the candidate" means made pursuant to any	551
arrangement, coordination, or direction by the candidate, the	552
candidate's campaign committee, or the candidate's agent prior to	553
the publication, distribution, display, or broadcast of the	554
communication. An expenditure is presumed to be so made when it is	555
any of the following:	556

(i) Based on information about the candidate's plans,	557
projects, or needs provided to the person making the expenditure	558
by the candidate, or by the candidate's campaign committee or	559
agent, with a view toward having an expenditure made;	560

(ii) Made by or through any person who is, or has been,	561
authorized to raise or expend funds, who is, or has been, an	562
officer of the candidate's campaign committee, or who is, or has	563
been, receiving any form of compensation or reimbursement from the	564
candidate or the candidate's campaign committee or agent;	565

(iii) Except as otherwise provided in division (D) of section	566
3517.105 of the Revised Code, made by a political party in support	567
of a candidate, unless the expenditure is made by a political	568
party to conduct voter registration or voter education efforts.	569

(e) "Agent" means any person who has actual oral or written	570
authority, either express or implied, to make or to authorize the	571
making of expenditures on behalf of a candidate, or means any	572
person who has been placed in a position with the candidate's	573
campaign committee or organization such that it would reasonably	574
appear that in the ordinary course of campaign-related activities	575
the person may authorize expenditures.	576

(18) "Labor organization" means a labor union; an employee	577
organization; a federation of labor unions, groups, locals, or	578
other employee organizations; an auxiliary of a labor union,	579
employee organization, or federation of labor unions, groups,	580
locals, or other employee organizations; or any other bona fide	581
organization in which employees participate and that exists for	582
the purpose, in whole or in part, of dealing with employers	583
concerning grievances, labor disputes, wages, hours, and other	584
terms and conditions of employment.	585

(19) "Separate segregated fund" means a separate segregated	586
fund established pursuant to the Federal Election Campaign Act.	587

(20) "Federal Election Campaign Act" means the "Federal	588
Election Campaign Act of 1971," 86 Stat. 11, 2 U.S.C.A. 431, et	589
seq., as amended.	590

(21) "Restricted fund" means the fund a state or county	591
political party must establish under division (A)(1) of section	592
3517.1012 of the Revised Code.	593

(22) "Electioneering communication" has the same meaning as	594
in section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code.	595

(23) "Express advocacy" means a communication that contains	596
express words advocating the nomination, election, or defeat of a	597
candidate or that contains express words advocating the adoption	598
or defeat of a question or issue, as determined by a final	599
judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction.	600

(24) "Political committee" has the same meaning as in section	601
3517.1011 of the Revised Code.	602

(25) "Political contributing entity" means any entity,	603
including a corporation or labor organization, that may lawfully	604
make contributions and expenditures and that is not an individual	605
or a political action committee, continuing association, campaign	606
committee, political party, legislative campaign fund, designated	607
state campaign committee, or state candidate fund. For purposes of	608
this division, "lawfully" means not prohibited by any section of	609
the Revised Code, or authorized by a final judgment of a court of	610
competent jurisdiction.	611

Sec. 3517.08.  (A) The personal expenses of a candidate paid	612
for by the candidate, from the candidate's personal funds, shall	613
not be considered as a contribution by or an expenditure by the	614
candidate and shall not be reported under section 3517.10 of the	615
Revised Code.	616

(B)(1) An expenditure by a political action committee or a	617
political contributing entity shall not be considered a	618
contribution by the political action committee or the political	619
contributing entity or an expenditure by or on behalf of the	620
candidate if the purpose of the expenditure is to inform only its	621
members by means of mailed publications of its activities or	622
endorsements.	623

(2) An expenditure by a political party shall not be	624
considered a contribution by the political party or an expenditure	625
by or on behalf of the candidate if the purpose of the expenditure	626
is to inform predominantly the party's members by means of mailed	627
publications or other direct communication of its activities or	628
endorsements, or for voter contact such as sample ballots, absent	629
voter's ballots application mailings, voter registration, or	630
get-out-the-vote activities.	631

(C) An expenditure by a continuing association, political	632
contributing entity, or political party shall not be considered a	633
contribution to any campaign committee or an expenditure by or on	634
behalf of any campaign committee if the purpose of the expenditure	635
is for the staff and maintenance of the continuing association's,	636
political contributing entity's, or political party's	637
headquarters, or for a political poll, survey, index, or other	638
type of measurement not on behalf of a specific candidate.	639

(D) The expenses of maintaining a constituent office paid	640
for, from the candidate's personal funds, by a candidate who is a	641
member of the general assembly at the time of the election shall	642
not be considered a contribution by or an expenditure by or on	643
behalf of the candidate, and shall not be reported, if the	644
constituent office is not used for any candidate's campaign	645
activities.	646

(E) The net contribution of each social or fund-raising	647
activity shall be calculated by totaling all contributions to the	648
activity minus the expenditures made for the activity.	649

(F) An expenditure that purchases goods or services shall be	650
attributed to an election when the disbursement of funds is made,	651
rather than at the time the goods or services are used. The	652
secretary of state, under the procedures of Chapter 119. of the	653
Revised Code, shall establish rules for the attribution of	654
expenditures to a candidate when the candidate is a candidate for	655
more than one office during a reporting period and for	656
expenditures made in a year in which no election is held. The	657
secretary of state shall further define by rule those expenditures	658
that are or are not by or on behalf of a candidate.	659

(G) An expenditure for the purpose of a charitable donation	660
may be made if it is made to an organization that is exempt from	661
federal income taxation under subsection 501(a) and described in	662
subsection 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), 501(c)(8), 501(c)(10), or	663
501(c)(19) of the Internal Revenue Code or is approved by advisory	664
opinion of the Ohio elections commission as a legitimate	665
charitable organization. Each expenditure under this division	666
shall be separately itemized on statements made pursuant to	667
section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.	668

Sec. 3517.09.  (A) No person or committee shall solicit, ask,	669
invite, or demand, directly or indirectly, orally or in writing, a	670
contribution, subscription, or payment from a candidate for	671
nomination or election or from the campaign committee of that	672
candidate, and no person shall solicit, ask, invite, or demand	673
that a candidate for nomination or election or the campaign	674
committee of that candidate subscribe to the support of a club or	675
organization, buy tickets to an entertainment, ball, supper, or	676
other meeting, or pay for space in a book, program, or	677
publication. This division does not apply to any of the following:	678

(1) Regular advertisements in periodicals having an	679
established circulation;	680

(2) Regular payments to civic, political, fraternal, social,	681
charitable, or religious organizations of which the candidate was	682
a member or contributor six months before the candidate's	683
candidacy;	684

(3) Regular party assessments made by a party against its own	685
candidates.	686

(B) No person shall coerce, intimidate, or cause harm to	687
another person by an act or failure to act, or shall threaten to	688
coerce, intimidate, or cause harm to another person, because that	689
other person makes or does not make a contribution to a candidate,	690
campaign committee, political party, legislative campaign fund,	691
political action committee, political contributing entity, or	692
person making disbursements to pay the direct costs of producing	693
or airing electioneering communications.	694

(C) An employer or labor organization, directly or through	695
another person, may obtain contributions for a candidate, campaign	696
committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund,	697
political party, or person making disbursements to pay the direct	698
costs of producing or airing electioneering communications from an	699
employee or member from whom the employer or labor organization	700
was not obtaining contributions for that candidate, campaign	701
committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund,	702
political party, or person making disbursements to pay the direct	703
costs of producing or airing electioneering communications before	704
the effective date of this amendmentMarch 31, 2005, on an	705
automatic basis pursuant to a payroll deduction plan only if the	706
employee or member who is contributing to that candidate, campaign	707
committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund,	708
political party, or person making	709
disbursements to pay the direct costs of producing or airing	710
electioneering communications affirmatively consents to the	711
contribution in writing.	712

(D) In addition to the laws listed in division (A) of section	713
4117.10 of the Revised Code that prevail over conflicting	714
agreements between employee organizations and public employers,	715
this section prevails over any conflicting provisions of	716
agreements between labor organizations and public employers that	717
are entered into on or after the effective date of this amendment	718
March 31, 2005, pursuant to Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code.	719

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

720

(1) "Appointing authority" has the same meaning as in section	721
124.01 of the Revised Code.	722

(2) "State elected officer" means any person appointed or	723
elected to a state elective office.	724

(3) "State elective office" means any of the offices of	725
governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor of	726
state, treasurer of state, attorney general, member of the state	727
board of education, member of the general assembly, and justice	728
and chief justice of the supreme court.	729

(4) "County elected officer" means any person appointed or	730
elected to a county elective office.	731

(5) "County elective office" means any of the offices of	732
county auditor, county treasurer, clerk of the court of common	733
pleas, sheriff, county recorder, county engineer, county	734
commissioner, prosecuting attorney, and coroner.	735

(6) "Contribution" includes a contribution to any political	736
party, campaign committee, political action committee, political	737
contributing entity, or legislative campaign fund.	738

(B) No state elected officer, no campaign committee of such	739
an officer, and no other person or entity shall knowingly solicit	740
or accept a contribution on behalf of that officer or that	741
officer's campaign committee from any of the following:	742

(1) A state employee whose appointing authority is the state	743
elected officer;	744

(2) A state employee whose appointing authority is authorized	745
or required by law to be appointed by the state elected officer;	746

(3) A state employee who functions in or is employed in or by	747
the same public agency, department, division, or office as the	748
state elected officer.	749

(C) No candidate for a state elective office, no campaign	750
committee of such a candidate, and no other person or entity shall	751
knowingly solicit or accept a contribution on behalf of that	752
candidate or that candidate's campaign committee from any of the	753
following:	754

(1) A state employee at the time of the solicitation, whose	755
appointing authority will be the candidate, if elected;	756

(2) A state employee at the time of the solicitation, whose	757
appointing authority will be appointed by the candidate, if	758
elected, as authorized or required by law;	759

(3) A state employee at the time of the solicitation, who	760
will function in or be employed in or by the same public agency,	761
department, division, or office as the candidate, if elected.	762

(D) No county elected officer, no campaign committee of such	763
an officer, and no other person or entity shall knowingly solicit	764
a contribution on behalf of that officer or that officer's	765
campaign committee from any of the following:	766

(1) A county employee whose appointing authority is the	767
county elected officer;	768

(2) A county employee whose appointing authority is	769
authorized or required by law to be appointed by the county	770
elected officer;	771

(3) A county employee who functions in or is employed in or	772
by the same public agency, department, division, or office as the	773
county elected officer.	774

(E) No candidate for a county elective office, no campaign	775
committee of such a candidate, and no other person or entity shall	776
knowingly solicit a contribution on behalf of that candidate or	777
that candidate's campaign committee from any of the following:	778

(1) A county employee at the time of the solicitation, whose	779
appointing authority will be the candidate, if elected;	780

(2) A county employee at the time of the solicitation, whose	781
appointing authority will be appointed by the candidate, if	782
elected, as authorized or required by law;	783

(3) A county employee at the time of the solicitation, who	784
will function in or be employed in or by the same public agency,	785
department, division, or office as the candidate, if elected.	786

(F)(1) No public employee shall solicit a contribution from	787
any person while the public employee is performing the public	788
employee's official duties or in those areas of a public building	789
where official business is transacted or conducted.	790

(2) No person shall solicit a contribution from any public	791
employee while the public employee is performing the public	792
employee's official duties or is in those areas of a public	793
building where official business is transacted or conducted.	794

(3) As used in division (F) of this section, "public	795
employee" does not include any person holding an elective office.	796

(G) The prohibitions in divisions (B), (C), (D), (E), and (F)	797
of this section are in addition to the prohibitions in sections	798
124.57, 3304.22, and 4503.032 of the Revised Code.	799

Sec. 3517.10.  (A) Except as otherwise provided in this	800
division, every campaign committee, political action committee,	801
legislative campaign fund, and political party, and political	802
contributing entity that made or received a contribution or made	803
an expenditure in connection with the nomination or election of	804
any candidate or in connection with any ballot issue or question	805
at any election held or to be held in this state shall file, on a	806
form prescribed under this section or by electronic means of	807
transmission as provided in this section and section 3517.106 of	808
the Revised Code, a full, true, and itemized statement, made under	809
penalty of election falsification, setting forth in detail the	810
contributions and expenditures, not later than four p.m. of the	811
following dates:	812

(1) The twelfth day before the election to reflect	813
contributions received and expenditures made from the close of	814
business on the last day reflected in the last previously filed	815
statement, if any, to the close of business on the twentieth day	816
before the election;	817

(2) The thirty-eighth day after the election to reflect the	818
contributions received and expenditures made from the close of	819
business on the last day reflected in the last previously filed	820
statement, if any, to the close of business on the seventh day	821
before the filing of the statement;	822

(3) The last business day of January of every year to reflect	823
the contributions received and expenditures made from the close of	824
business on the last day reflected in the last previously filed	825
statement, if any, to the close of business on the last day of	826
December of the previous year;	827

(4) The last business day of July of every year to reflect	828
the contributions received and expenditures made from the close of	829
business on the last day reflected in the last previously filed	830
statement, if any, to the close of business on the last day of	831
June of that year.	832

A campaign committee shall only be required to file the	833
statements prescribed under divisions (A)(1) and (2) of this	834
section in connection with the nomination or election of the	835
committee's candidate.	836

The statement required under division (A)(1) of this section	837
shall not be required of any campaign committee, political action	838
committee, legislative campaign fund, or political party, or	839
political contributing entity that has received contributions of	840
less than one thousand dollars and has made expenditures of less	841
than one thousand dollars at the close of business on the	842
twentieth day before the election. Those contributions and	843
expenditures shall be reported in the statement required under	844
division (A)(2) of this section.	845

If an election to select candidates to appear on the general	846
election ballot is held within sixty days before a general	847
election, the campaign committee of a successful candidate in the	848
earlier election may file the statement required by division	849
(A)(1) of this section for the general election instead of the	850
statement required by division (A)(2) of this section for the	851
earlier election if the pregeneral election statement reflects the	852
status of contributions and expenditures for the period twenty	853
days before the earlier election to twenty days before the general	854
election.	855

If a person becomes a candidate less than twenty days before	856
an election, the candidate's campaign committee is not required to	857
file the statement required by division (A)(1) of this section.	858

No statement under division (A)(3) or (4) of this section	859
shall be required for any year in which a campaign committee,	860
political action committee, legislative campaign fund, or	861
political party, or political contributing entity is required to	862
file a postgeneral election statement under division (A)(2) of	863
this section. However, such a statement may be filed, at the	864
option of the campaign committee, political action committee,	865
legislative campaign fund, or political party, or political	866
contributing entity.	867

No statement under division (A)(3) or (4) of this section	868
shall be required if the campaign committee, political action	869
committee, legislative campaign fund, or political party, or	870
political contributing entity has no contributions that it has	871
received and no expenditures that it has made since the last date	872
reflected in its last previously filed statement. However, the	873
campaign committee, political action committee, legislative	874
campaign fund, or political party, or political contributing	875
entity shall file a statement to that effect, on a form prescribed	876
under this section and made under penalty of election	877
falsification, on the date required in division (A)(3) or (4) of	878
this section, as applicable.	879

The campaign committee of a statewide candidate shall file a	880
monthly statement of contributions received during each of the	881
months of July, August, and September in the year of the general	882
election in which the candidate seeks office. The campaign	883
committee of a statewide candidate shall file the monthly	884
statement not later than three business days after the last day of	885
the month covered by the statement. During the period beginning on	886
the nineteenth day before the general election in which a	887
statewide candidate seeks election to office and extending through	888
the day of that general election, each time the campaign committee	889
of the joint candidates for the offices of governor and lieutenant	890
governor or of a candidate for the office of secretary of state,	891
auditor of state, treasurer of state, or attorney general receives	892
a contribution from a contributor that causes the aggregate amount	893
of contributions received from that contributor during that period	894
to equal or exceed ten thousand dollars and each time the campaign	895
committee of a candidate for the office of chief justice or	896
justice of the supreme court receives a contribution from a	897
contributor that causes the aggregate amount of contributions	898
received from that contributor during that period to exceed ten	899
thousand dollars, the campaign committee shall file a	900
two-business-day statement reflecting that contribution. During	901
the period beginning on the nineteenth day before a primary	902
election in which a candidate for statewide office seeks	903
nomination to office and extending through the day of that primary	904
election, each time either the campaign committee of a statewide	905
candidate in that primary election that files a notice under	906
division (C)(1) of section 3517.103 of the Revised Code or the	907
campaign committee of a statewide candidate in that primary	908
election to which, in accordance with division (D) of section	909
3517.103 of the Revised Code, the contribution limitations	910
prescribed in section 3517.102 of the Revised Code no longer apply	911
receives a contribution from a contributor that causes the	912
aggregate amount of contributions received from that contributor	913
during that period to exceed ten thousand dollars, the campaign	914
committee shall file a two-business-day statement reflecting that	915
contribution. Contributions reported on a two-business-day	916
statement required to be filed by a campaign committee of a	917
statewide candidate in a primary election shall also be included	918
in the postprimary election statement required to be filed by that	919
campaign committee under division (A)(2) of this section. A	920
two-business-day statement required by this paragraph shall be	921
filed not later than two business days after receipt of the	922
contribution. The statements required by this paragraph shall be	923
filed in addition to any other statements required by this	924
section.	925

Subject to the secretary of state having implemented, tested,	926
and verified the successful operation of any system the secretary	927
of state prescribes pursuant to divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of	928
this section and division (H)(1) of section 3517.106 of the	929
Revised Code for the filing of campaign finance statements by	930
electronic means of transmission, a campaign committee of a	931
statewide candidate shall file a two-business-day statement under	932
the preceding paragraph by electronic means of transmission if the	933
campaign committee is required to file a pre-election,	934
postelection, or monthly statement of contributions and	935
expenditures by electronic means of transmission under this	936
section or section 3517.106 of the Revised Code.	937

If a campaign committee or political action committee has no	938
balance on hand and no outstanding obligations and desires to	939
terminate itself, it shall file a statement to that effect, on a	940
form prescribed under this section and made under penalty of	941
election falsification, with the official with whom it files a	942
statement under division (A) of this section after filing a final	943
statement of contributions and a final statement of expenditures,	944
if contributions have been received or expenditures made since the	945
period reflected in its last previously filed statement.	946

(B) Except as otherwise provided in division (C)(7) of this	947
section, each statement required by division (A) of this section	948
shall contain the following information:	949

(1) The full name and address of each campaign committee,	950
political action committee, legislative campaign fund, or	951
political party, or political contributing entity, including any	952
treasurer of the committee, fund, or party, or entity, filing a	953
contribution and expenditure statement;	954

(2)(a) In the case of a campaign committee, the candidate's	955
full name and address;	956

(b) In the case of a political action committee, the	957
registration number assigned to the committee under division	958
(D)(1) of this section.	959

(3) The date of the election and whether it was or will be a	960
general, primary, or special election;	961

(4) A statement of contributions received, which shall	962
include the following information:	963

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

964

(b)(i) The full name and address of each person, political	965
party, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, or political	966
action committee, or political contributing entity from whom	967
contributions are received and the registration number assigned to	968
the political action committee under division (D)(1) of this	969
section. The requirement of filing the full address does not apply	970
to any statement filed by a state or local committee of a	971
political party, to a finance committee of such committee, or to a	972
committee recognized by a state or local committee as its	973
fund-raising auxiliary. Notwithstanding division (F) of this	974
section, the requirement of filing the full address shall be	975
considered as being met if the address filed is the same address	976
the contributor provided under division (E)(1) of this section.	977

(ii) If a political action committee, political contributing	978
entity, legislative campaign fund, or political party that is	979
required to file campaign finance statements by electronic means	980
of transmission under section 3517.106 of the Revised Code or a	981
campaign committee of a statewide candidate or candidate for the	982
office of member of the general assembly receives a contribution	983
from an individual that exceeds one hundred dollars, the name of	984
the individual's current employer, if any, or, if the individual	985
is self-employed, the individual's occupation and the name of the	986
individual's business, if any;	987

(iii) If a campaign committee of a statewide candidate or	988
candidate for the office of member of the general assembly	989
receives a contribution transmitted pursuant to section 3599.031	990
of the Revised Code from amounts deducted from the wages and	991
salaries of two or more employees that exceeds in the aggregate	992
one hundred dollars during any one filing period under division	993
(A)(1), (2), (3), or (4) of this section, the full name of the	994
employees' employer and the full name of the labor organization of	995
which the employees are members, if any.	996

(c) A description of the contribution received, if other than	997
money;	998

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

999

(e) A separately itemized account of all contributions and	1000
expenditures regardless of the amount, except a receipt of a	1001
contribution from a person in the sum of twenty-five dollars or	1002
less at one social or fund-raising activity and a receipt of a	1003
contribution transmitted pursuant to section 3599.031 of the	1004
Revised Code from amounts deducted from the wages and salaries of	1005
employees if the contribution from the amount deducted from the	1006
wages and salary of any one employee is twenty-five dollars or	1007
less aggregated in a calendar year. An account of the total	1008
contributions from each social or fund-raising activity shall	1009
include a description of and the value of each in-kind	1010
contribution received at that activity from any person who made	1011
one or more such contributions whose aggregate value exceeded two	1012
hundred fifty dollars and shall be listed separately, together	1013
with the expenses incurred and paid in connection with that	1014
activity. A campaign committee, political action committee,	1015
legislative campaign fund, or political party, or political	1016
contributing entity shall keep records of contributions from each	1017
person in the amount of twenty-five dollars or less at one social	1018
or fund-raising activity and contributions from amounts deducted	1019
under section 3599.031 of the Revised Code from the wages and	1020
salary of each employee in the amount of twenty-five dollars or	1021
less aggregated in a calendar year. No continuing association that	1022
is recognized by a state or local committee of a political party	1023
as an auxiliary of the party and that makes a contribution from	1024
funds derived solely from regular dues paid by members of the	1025
auxiliary shall be required to list the name or address of any	1026
members who paid those dues.	1027

Contributions that are other income shall be itemized	1028
separately from all other contributions. The information required	1029
under division (B)(4) of this section shall be provided for all	1030
other income itemized. As used in this paragraph, "other income"	1031
means a loan, investment income, or interest income.	1032

(f) In the case of a campaign committee of a state elected	1033
officer, if a person doing business with the state elected officer	1034
in the officer's official capacity makes a contribution to the	1035
campaign committee of that officer, the information required under	1036
division (B)(4) of this section in regard to that contribution,	1037
which shall be filed together with and considered a part of the	1038
committee's statement of contributions as required under division	1039
(A) of this section but shall be filed on a separate form provided	1040
by the secretary of state. As used in this division:	1041

(i) "State elected officer" has the same meaning as in	1042
section 3517.092 of the Revised Code.	1043

(ii) "Person doing business" means a person or an officer of	1044
an entity who enters into one or more contracts with a state	1045
elected officer or anyone authorized to enter into contracts on	1046
behalf of that officer to receive payments for goods or services,	1047
if the payments total, in the aggregate, more than five thousand	1048
dollars during a calendar year.	1049

(5) A statement of expenditures which shall include the	1050
following information:	1051

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

1052

(b) The full name and address of each person, political	1053
party, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, or political	1054
action committee, or political contributing entity to whom the	1055
expenditure was made and the registration number assigned to the	1056
political action committee under division (D)(1) of this section;	1057

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

1058

(d) The amount of each expenditure.

1059

(C)(1) The statement of contributions and expenditures shall	1060
be signed by the person completing the form. If a statement of	1061
contributions and expenditures is filed by electronic means of	1062
transmission pursuant to this section or section 3517.106 of the	1063
Revised Code, the electronic signature of the person who executes	1064
the statement and transmits the statement by electronic means of	1065
transmission, as provided in division (H) of section 3517.106 of	1066
the Revised Code, shall be attached to or associated with the	1067
statement and shall be binding on all persons and for all purposes	1068
under the campaign finance reporting law as if the signature had	1069
been handwritten in ink on a printed form.	1070

(2) The person filing the statement, under penalty of	1071
election falsification, shall include with it a list of each	1072
anonymous contribution, the circumstances under which it was	1073
received, and the reason it cannot be attributed to a specific	1074
donor.	1075

(3) Each statement of a campaign committee of a candidate who	1076
holds public office shall contain a designation of each	1077
contributor who is an employee in any unit or department under the	1078
candidate's direct supervision and control. In a space provided in	1079
the statement, the person filing the statement shall affirm that	1080
each such contribution was voluntarily made.	1081

(4) A campaign committee that did not receive contributions	1082
or make expenditures in connection with the nomination or election	1083
of its candidate shall file a statement to that effect, on a form	1084
prescribed under this section and made under penalty of election	1085
falsification, on the date required in division (A)(2) of this	1086
section.	1087

(5) The campaign committee of any person who attempts to	1088
become a candidate and who, for any reason, does not become	1089
certified in accordance with Title XXXV of the Revised Code for	1090
placement on the official ballot of a primary, general, or special	1091
election to be held in this state, and who, at any time prior to	1092
or after an election, receives contributions or makes	1093
expenditures, or has given consent for another to receive	1094
contributions or make expenditures, for the purpose of bringing	1095
about the person's nomination or election to public office, shall	1096
file the statement or statements prescribed by this section and a	1097
termination statement, if applicable. Division (C)(5) of this	1098
section does not apply to any person with respect to an election	1099
to the offices of member of a county or state central committee,	1100
presidential elector, or delegate to a national convention or	1101
conference of a political party.	1102

(6)(a) The statements required to be filed under this section	1103
shall specify the balance in the hands of the campaign committee,	1104
political action committee, legislative campaign fund, or	1105
political party, or political contributing entity and the	1106
disposition intended to be made of that balance.	1107

(b) The secretary of state shall prescribe the form for all	1108
statements required to be filed under this section and shall	1109
furnish the forms to the boards of elections in the several	1110
counties. The boards of elections shall supply printed copies of	1111
those forms without charge. The secretary of state shall prescribe	1112
the appropriate methodology, protocol, and data file structure for	1113
statements required or permitted to be filed by electronic means	1114
of transmission under division (A) of this section, divisions (E),	1115
(F), and (G) of section 3517.106, division (D) of section	1116
3517.1011, division (B) of section 3517.1012, and division (C) of	1117
section 3517.1013 of the Revised Code. Subject to division (A) of	1118
this section, divisions (E), (F), and (G) of section 3517.106,	1119
division (D) of section 3517.1011, division (B) of section	1120
3517.1012, and division (C) of section 3517.1013 of the Revised	1121
Code, the statements required to be stored on computer by the	1122
secretary of state under division (B) of section 3517.106 of the	1123
Revised Code shall be filed in whatever format the secretary of	1124
state considers necessary to enable the secretary of state to	1125
store the information contained in the statements on computer. Any	1126
such format shall be of a type and nature that is readily	1127
available to whoever is required to file the statements in that	1128
format.	1129

(c) The secretary of state shall assess the need for training	1130
regarding the filing of campaign finance statements by electronic	1131
means of transmission and regarding associated technologies for	1132
candidates, campaign committees, political action committees,	1133
legislative campaign funds, or political parties, or political	1134
contributing entities, for individuals, partnerships, or other	1135
entities, or for persons making disbursements to pay the direct	1136
costs of producing or airing electioneering communications,	1137
required or permitted to file statements by electronic means of	1138
transmission under this section or section 3517.105, 3517.106,	1139
3517.1011, 3517.1012, or 3517.1013 of the Revised Code. If, in the	1140
opinion of the secretary of state, training in these areas is	1141
necessary, the secretary of state shall arrange for the provision	1142
of voluntary training programs for candidates, campaign	1143
committees, political action committees, legislative campaign	1144
funds, or political parties, or political contributing entities,	1145
for individuals, partnerships, and other entities, or for persons	1146
making disbursements to pay the direct costs of producing or	1147
airing electioneering communications, as appropriate.	1148

(7) Each monthly statement and each two-business-day	1149
statement required by division (A) of this section shall contain	1150
the information required by divisions (B)(1) to (4), (C)(2), and,	1151
if appropriate, (C)(3) of this section. Each statement shall be	1152
signed as required by division (C)(1) of this section.	1153

(D)(1) Prior to receiving a contribution or making an	1154
expenditure, every campaign committee, political action committee,	1155
legislative campaign fund, or political party, or political	1156
contributing entity shall appoint a treasurer and shall file, on a	1157
form prescribed by the secretary of state, a designation of that	1158
appointment, including the full name and address of the treasurer	1159
and of the campaign committee, political action committee,	1160
legislative campaign fund, or political party, or political	1161
contributing entity. That designation shall be filed with the	1162
official with whom the campaign committee, political action	1163
committee, legislative campaign fund, or political party, or	1164
political contributing entity is required to file statements under	1165
section 3517.11 of the Revised Code. The name of a campaign	1166
committee shall include at least the last name of the campaign	1167
committee's candidate. The secretary of state shall assign a	1168
registration number to each political action committee that files	1169
a designation of the appointment of a treasurer under this	1170
division if the political action committee is required by division	1171
(A)(1) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code to file the	1172
statements prescribed by this section with the secretary of state.	1173

(2) The treasurer appointed under division (D)(1) of this	1174
section shall keep a strict account of all contributions, from	1175
whom received and the purpose for which they were disbursed.	1176

(3)(a) Except as otherwise provided in section 3517.108 of	1177
the Revised Code, a campaign committee shall deposit all monetary	1178
contributions received by the committee into an account separate	1179
from a personal or business account of the candidate or campaign	1180
committee.	1181

(b) A political action committee shall deposit all monetary	1182
contributions received by the committee into an account separate	1183
from all other funds.	1184

(c) A state or county political party may establish a state	1185
candidate fund that is separate from an account that contains the	1186
public moneys received from the Ohio political party fund under	1187
section 3517.17 of the Revised Code and from all other funds. A	1188
state or county political party may deposit into its state	1189
candidate fund any amounts of monetary contributions that are made	1190
to or accepted by the political party subject to the applicable	1191
limitations, if any, prescribed in section 3517.102 of the Revised	1192
Code. A state or county political party shall deposit all other	1193
monetary contributions received by the party into one or more	1194
accounts that are separate from its state candidate fund and from	1195
its account that contains the public moneys received from the Ohio	1196
political party fund under section 3517.17 of the Revised Code.	1197

(d) Each state political party shall have only one	1198
legislative campaign fund for each house of the general assembly.	1199
Each such fund shall be separate from any other funds or accounts	1200
of that state party. A legislative campaign fund is authorized to	1201
receive contributions and make expenditures for the primary	1202
purpose of furthering the election of candidates who are members	1203
of that political party to the house of the general assembly with	1204
which that legislative campaign fund is associated. Each	1205
legislative campaign fund shall be administered and controlled in	1206
a manner designated by the caucus. As used in this division,	1207
"caucus" has the same meaning as in section 3517.01 of the Revised	1208
Code and includes, as an ex officio member, the chairperson of the	1209
state political party with which the caucus is associated or that	1210
chairperson's designee.	1211

(4) Every expenditure in excess of twenty-five dollars shall	1212
be vouched for by a receipted bill, stating the purpose of the	1213
expenditure, that shall be filed with the statement of	1214
expenditures. A canceled check with a notation of the purpose of	1215
the expenditure is a receipted bill for purposes of division	1216
(D)(4) of this section.	1217

(5) The secretary of state or the board of elections, as the	1218
case may be, shall issue a receipt for each statement filed under	1219
this section and shall preserve a copy of the receipt for a period	1220
of at least six years. All statements filed under this section	1221
shall be open to public inspection in the office where they are	1222
filed and shall be carefully preserved for a period of at least	1223
six years after the year in which they are filed.	1224

(6) The secretary of state, by rule adopted pursuant to	1225
section 3517.23 of the Revised Code, shall prescribe both of the	1226
following:	1227

(a) The manner of immediately acknowledging, with date and	1228
time received, and preserving the receipt of statements that are	1229
transmitted by electronic means of transmission to the secretary	1230
of state pursuant to this section or section 3517.106, 3517.1011,	1231
3517.1012, or 3517.1013 of the Revised Code;	1232

(b) The manner of preserving the contribution and	1233
expenditure, contribution and disbursement, deposit and	1234
disbursement, or gift and disbursement information in the	1235
statements described in division (D)(6)(a) of this section. The	1236
secretary of state shall preserve the contribution and	1237
expenditure, contribution and disbursement, deposit and	1238
disbursement, or gift and disbursement information in those	1239
statements for at least ten years after the year in which they are	1240
filed by electronic means of transmission.	1241

(7) The secretary of state, pursuant to division (I) of	1242
section 3517.106 of the Revised Code, shall make available online	1243
to the public through the internet the contribution and	1244
expenditure, contribution and disbursement, deposit and	1245
disbursement, or gift and disbursement information in all	1246
statements, all addenda, amendments, or other corrections to	1247
statements, and all amended statements filed with the secretary of	1248
state by electronic or other means of transmission under this	1249
section, division (B)(2)(b) or (C)(2)(b) of section 3517.105, or	1250
section 3517.106, 3517.1011, 3517.1012, 3517.1013, or 3517.11 of	1251
the Revised Code. The secretary of state may remove the	1252
information from the internet after a reasonable period of time.	1253

(E)(1) Any person, political party, campaign committee,	1254
legislative campaign fund, or political action committee, or	1255
political contributing entity that makes a contribution in	1256
connection with the nomination or election of any candidate or in	1257
connection with any ballot issue or question at any election held	1258
or to be held in this state shall provide its full name and	1259
address to the recipient of the contribution at the time the	1260
contribution is made. The political action committee also shall	1261
provide the registration number assigned to the committee under	1262
division (D)(1) of this section to the recipient of the	1263
contribution at the time the contribution is made.	1264

(2) Any individual who makes a contribution that exceeds one	1265
hundred dollars to a political action committee, political	1266
contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or political party	1267
or to a campaign committee of a statewide candidate or candidate	1268
for the office of member of the general assembly shall provide the	1269
name of the individual's current employer, if any, or, if the	1270
individual is self-employed, the individual's occupation and the	1271
name of the individual's business, if any, to the recipient of the	1272
contribution at the time the contribution is made. Sections	1273
3599.39 and 3599.40 of the Revised Code do not apply to division	1274
(E)(2) of this section.	1275

(3) If a campaign committee shows that it has exercised its	1276
best efforts to obtain, maintain, and submit the information	1277
required under divisions (B)(4)(b)(ii) and (iii) of this section,	1278
that committee is considered to have met the requirements of those	1279
divisions. A campaign committee shall not be considered to have	1280
exercised its best efforts unless, in connection with written	1281
solicitations, it regularly includes a written request for the	1282
information required under division (B)(4)(b)(ii) of this section	1283
from the contributor or the information required under division	1284
(B)(4)(b)(iii) of this section from whoever transmits the	1285
contribution.	1286

(4) Any check that a political action committee uses to make	1287
a contribution or an expenditure shall contain the full name and	1288
address of the committee and the registration number assigned to	1289
the committee under division (D)(1) of this section.	1290

(F) As used in this section:

1291

(1)(a) Except as otherwise provided in division (F)(1) of	1292
this section, "address" means all of the following if they exist:	1293
apartment number, street, road, or highway name and number, rural	1294
delivery route number, city or village, state, and zip code as	1295
used in a person's post-office address, but not post-office box.	1296

(b) Except as otherwise provided in division (F)(1) of this	1297
section, if an address is required in this section, a post-office	1298
box and office, room, or suite number may be included in addition	1299
to, but not in lieu of, an apartment, street, road, or highway	1300
name and number.	1301

(c) If an address is required in this section, a campaign	1302
committee, political action committee, legislative campaign fund,	1303
or political party, or political contributing entity may use the	1304
business or residence address of its treasurer or deputy	1305
treasurer. The post-office box number of the campaign committee,	1306
political action committee, legislative campaign fund, or	1307
political party, or political contributing entity may be used in	1308
addition to that address.	1309

(d) For the sole purpose of a campaign committee's reporting	1310
of contributions on a statement of contributions received under	1311
division (B)(4) of this section, "address" has one of the	1312
following meanings at the option of the campaign committee:	1313

(i) The same meaning as in division (F)(1)(a) of this	1314
section;	1315

(ii) All of the following, if they exist: the contributor's	1316
post-office box number and city or village, state, and zip code as	1317
used in the contributor's post-office address.	1318

(e) As used with regard to the reporting under this section	1319
of any expenditure, "address" means all of the following if they	1320
exist: apartment number, street, road, or highway name and number,	1321
rural delivery route number, city or village, state, and zip code	1322
as used in a person's post-office address, or post-office box. If	1323
an address concerning any expenditure is required in this section,	1324
a campaign committee, political action committee, legislative	1325
campaign fund, or political party, or political contributing	1326
entity may use the business or residence address of its treasurer	1327
or deputy treasurer or its post-office box number.	1328

(2) "Statewide candidate" means the joint candidates for the	1329
offices of governor and lieutenant governor or a candidate for the	1330
office of secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of	1331
state, attorney general, member of the state board of education,	1332
chief justice of the supreme court, or justice of the supreme	1333
court.	1334

(G) An independent expenditure shall be reported whenever and	1335
in the same manner that an expenditure is required to be reported	1336
under this section and shall be reported pursuant to division	1337
(B)(2)(a) or (C)(2)(a) of section 3517.105 of the Revised Code.	1338

(H)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (H)(2) of	1339
this section, if, during the combined pre-election and	1340
postelection reporting periods for an election, a campaign	1341
committee has received contributions of five hundred dollars or	1342
less and has made expenditures in the total amount of five hundred	1343
dollars or less, it may file a statement to that effect, under	1344
penalty of election falsification, in lieu of the statement	1345
required by division (A)(2) of this section. The statement shall	1346
indicate the total amount of contributions received and the total	1347
amount of expenditures made during those combined reporting	1348
periods.	1349

(2) In the case of a successful candidate at a primary	1350
election, if either the total contributions received by or the	1351
total expenditures made by the candidate's campaign committee	1352
during the preprimary, postprimary, pregeneral, and postgeneral	1353
election periods combined equal more than five hundred dollars,	1354
the campaign committee may file the statement under division	1355
(H)(1) of this section only for the primary election. The first	1356
statement that the campaign committee files in regard to the	1357
general election shall reflect all contributions received and all	1358
expenditures made during the preprimary and postprimary election	1359
periods.	1360

(3) Divisions (H)(1) and (2) of this section do not apply if	1361
a campaign committee receives contributions or makes expenditures	1362
prior to the first day of January of the year of the election at	1363
which the candidate seeks nomination or election to office or if	1364
the campaign committee does not file a termination statement with	1365
its postprimary election statement in the case of an unsuccessful	1366
primary election candidate or with its postgeneral election	1367
statement in the case of other candidates.	1368

(I) In the case of a contribution made by a partner of a	1369
partnership or an owner or a member of another unincorporated	1370
business from any funds of the partnership or other unincorporated	1371
business, all of the following apply:	1372

(1) The recipient of the contribution shall report the	1373
contribution by listing both the partnership or other	1374
unincorporated business and the name of the partner, owner, or	1375
member making the contribution.	1376

(2) For purposes of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code, the	1377
contribution shall be considered to have been made by the partner,	1378
owner, or member reported under division (I)(1) of this section.	1379

(3) No contribution from a partner of a partnership or an	1380
owner or a member of another unincorporated business shall be	1381
accepted from any funds of the partnership or other unincorporated	1382
business unless the recipient reports the contribution under	1383
division (I)(1) of this section.	1384

(4) No partnership or other unincorporated business shall	1385
make a contribution or contributions solely in the name of the	1386
partnership or other unincorporated business.	1387

(5) As used in division (I) of this section, "partnership or	1388
other unincorporated business" includes, but is not limited to, a	1389
cooperative, a sole proprietorship, a general partnership, a	1390
limited partnership, a limited partnership association, a limited	1391
liability partnership, and a limited liability company.	1392

(J) A candidate shall have only one campaign committee at any	1393
given time for all of the offices for which the person is a	1394
candidate or holds office.	1395

(K)(1) In addition to filing a designation of appointment of	1396
a treasurer under division (D)(1) of this section, the campaign	1397
committee of any candidate for an elected municipal office that	1398
pays an annual amount of compensation of five thousand dollars or	1399
less, the campaign committee of any candidate for member of a	1400
board of education except member of the state board of education,	1401
or the campaign committee of any candidate for township trustee or	1402
township clerk may sign, under penalty of election falsification,	1403
a certificate attesting that the committee will not accept	1404
contributions during an election period that exceed in the	1405
aggregate two thousand dollars from all contributors and one	1406
hundred dollars from any one individual, and that the campaign	1407
committee will not make expenditures during an election period	1408
that exceed in the aggregate two thousand dollars.	1409

The certificate shall be on a form prescribed by the	1410
secretary of state and shall be filed not later than ten days	1411
after the candidate files a declaration of candidacy and petition,	1412
a nominating petition, or a declaration of intent to be a write-in	1413
candidate.	1414

(2) Except as otherwise provided in division (K)(3) of this	1415
section, a campaign committee that files a certificate under	1416
division (K)(1) of this section is not required to file the	1417
statements required by division (A) of this section.	1418

(3) If, after filing a certificate under division (K)(1) of	1419
this section, a campaign committee exceeds any of the limitations	1420
described in that division during an election period, the	1421
certificate is void and thereafter the campaign committee shall	1422
file the statements required by division (A) of this section. If	1423
the campaign committee has not previously filed a statement, then	1424
on the first statement the campaign committee is required to file	1425
under division (A) of this section after the committee's	1426
certificate is void, the committee shall report all contributions	1427
received and expenditures made from the time the candidate filed	1428
the candidate's declaration of candidacy and petition, nominating	1429
petition, or declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate.	1430

(4) As used in division (K) of this section, "election	1431
period" means the period of time beginning on the day a person	1432
files a declaration of candidacy and petition, nominating	1433
petition, or declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate	1434
through the day of the election at which the person seeks	1435
nomination to office if the person is not elected to office, or,	1436
if the candidate was nominated in a primary election, the day of	1437
the election at which the candidate seeks office.	1438

(L) A political contributing entity that receives	1439
contributions from the dues, membership fees, or other assessments	1440
of its members or from its officers, shareholders, and employees	1441
may report the aggregate amount of contributions received from	1442
those contributors and the number of individuals making those	1443
contributions, for each filing period under divisions (A)(1), (2),	1444
(3), and (4) of this section, rather than reporting information as	1445
required under division (B)(4) of this section, including, when	1446
applicable, the name of the current employer, if any, of a	1447
contributor whose contribution exceeds one hundred dollars or, if	1448
such a contributor is self-employed, the contributor's occupation	1449
and the name of the contributor's business, if any. Division	1450
(B)(4) of this section applies to a political contributing entity	1451
with regard to contributions it receives from all other	1452
contributors.	1453

Sec. 3517.102.  (A) Except as otherwise provided in section	1454
3517.103 of the Revised Code, as used in this section and sections	1455
3517.103 and 3517.104 of the Revised Code:	1456

(1) "Candidate" has the same meaning as in section 3517.01 of	1457
the Revised Code but includes only candidates for the offices of	1458
governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor of	1459
state, treasurer of state, attorney general, member of the state	1460
board of education, member of the general assembly, chief justice	1461
of the supreme court, and justice of the supreme court.	1462

(2) "Statewide candidate" or "any one statewide candidate"	1463
means the joint candidates for the offices of governor and	1464
lieutenant governor or a candidate for the office of secretary of	1465
state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, attorney general,	1466
member of the state board of education, chief justice of the	1467
supreme court, or justice of the supreme court.	1468

(3) "Senate candidate" means a candidate for the office of	1469
state senator.	1470

(4) "House candidate" means a candidate for the office of	1471
state representative.	1472

(5)(a) "Primary election period" for a candidate begins on	1473
the beginning date of the candidate's pre-filing period specified	1474
in division (A)(9) of section 3517.109 of the Revised Code and	1475
ends on the day of the primary election.	1476

(b) In regard to any candidate, the "general election period"	1477
begins on the day after the primary election immediately preceding	1478
the general election at which the candidate seeks an office	1479
specified in division (A)(1) of this section and ends on the	1480
thirty-first day of December following that general election.	1481

(6) "State candidate fund" means the state candidate fund	1482
established by a state or county political party under division	1483
(D)(3)(c) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.	1484

(7) "Postgeneral election statement" means the statement	1485
filed under division (A)(2) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code	1486
by the campaign committee of a candidate after the general	1487
election in which the candidate ran for office or filed by	1488
legislative campaign fund after the general election in an	1489
even-numbered year.	1490

(8) "Contribution" means any contribution that is required to	1491
be reported in the statement of contributions under section	1492
3517.10 of the Revised Code.	1493

(9)(a) Except as otherwise provided in division (A)(9)(b) of	1494
this section and in division (F) of section 3517.103 and division	1495
(B)(3)(b) of section 3517.1010 of the Revised Code, "designated	1496
state campaign committee" means:	1497

(i) In the case of contributions to or from a state political	1498
party, a campaign committee of a statewide candidate, statewide	1499
officeholder, senate candidate, house candidate, or member of the	1500
general assembly.	1501

(ii) In the case of contributions to or from a county	1502
political party, a campaign committee of a senate candidate or	1503
house candidate whose candidacy is to be submitted to some or all	1504
of the electors in that county, or member of the general assembly	1505
whose district contains all or part of that county.	1506

(iii) In the case of contributions to or from a legislative	1507
campaign fund, a campaign committee of any of the following:	1508

(I) A senate or house candidate who, if elected, will be a	1509
member of the same party that established the legislative campaign	1510
fund and the same house with which the legislative campaign fund	1511
is associated;	1512

(II) A state senator or state representative who is a member	1513
of the same party that established the legislative campaign fund	1514
and the same house with which the legislative campaign fund is	1515
associated.	1516

(b) A campaign committee is no longer a "designated state	1517
campaign committee" after the campaign committee's candidate	1518
changes the designation of treasurer required to be filed under	1519
division (D)(1) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code to indicate	1520
that the person intends to be a candidate for, or becomes a	1521
candidate for nomination or election to, any office that, if	1522
elected, would not qualify that candidate's campaign committee as	1523
a "designated state campaign committee" under division (A)(9)(a)	1524
of this section.	1525

(B)(1)(a) No individual who is seven years of age or older	1526
shall make a contribution or contributions aggregating more than:	1527

(i) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one	1528
statewide candidate in a primary election period or in a general	1529
election period;	1530

(ii) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any	1531
one senate candidate in a primary election period or in a general	1532
election period;	1533

(iii) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any	1534
one house candidate in a primary election period or in a general	1535
election period;	1536

(iv) Ten thousand dollars to a county political party of the	1537
county in which the individual's designated Ohio residence is	1538
located for the party's state candidate fund in a calendar year;	1539

(v) Fifteen thousand dollars to any one legislative campaign	1540
fund in a calendar year;	1541

(vi) Thirty thousand dollars to any one state political party	1542
for the party's state candidate fund in a calendar year;	1543

(vii) Ten thousand dollars to any one political action	1544
committee in a calendar year;	1545

(viii) Ten thousand dollars to any one political contributing	1546
entity in a calendar year.	1547

(b) No individual shall make a contribution or contributions	1548
to the state candidate fund of a county political party of any	1549
county other than the county in which the individual's designated	1550
Ohio residence is located.	1551

(c) No individual who is under seven years of age shall make	1552
any contribution.	1553

(2)(a) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no	1554
political action committee shall make a contribution or	1555
contributions aggregating more than:	1556

(i) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one	1557
statewide candidate in a primary election period or in a general	1558
election period;	1559

(ii) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any	1560
one senate candidate in a primary election period or in a general	1561
election period;	1562

(iii) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any	1563
one house candidate in a primary election period or in a general	1564
election period;	1565

(iv) Fifteen thousand dollars to any one legislative campaign	1566
fund in a calendar year;	1567

(v) Thirty thousand dollars to any one state political party	1568
for the party's state candidate fund in a calendar year;	1569

(vi) Ten thousand dollars to another political action	1570
committee or to a political contributing entity in a calendar	1571
year. This division does not apply to a political action committee	1572
that makes a contribution to a political action committee or a	1573
political contributing entity affiliated with it. For purposes of	1574
this division, a political action committee is affiliated with	1575
another political action committee or with a political	1576
contributing entity if they are both established, financed,	1577
maintained, or controlled by, or if they are, the same	1578
corporation, organization, labor organization, continuing	1579
association, or other person, including any parent, subsidiary,	1580
division, or department of that corporation, organization, labor	1581
organization, continuing association, or other person.	1582

(b) No political action committee shall make a contribution	1583
or contributions to a county political party for the party's state	1584
candidate fund.	1585

(3) No campaign committee shall make a contribution or	1586
contributions aggregating more than:	1587

(a) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one	1588
statewide candidate in a primary election period or in a general	1589
election period;	1590

(b) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one	1591
senate candidate in a primary election period or in a general	1592
election period;	1593

(c) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one	1594
house candidate in a primary election period or in a general	1595
election period;	1596

(d) Ten thousand dollars to any one political action	1597
committee in a calendar year;	1598

(e) Ten thousand dollars to any one political contributing	1599
entity in a calendar year.	1600

(4)(a) Subject to division (D)(3) of this section, no	1601
political party shall make a contribution or contributions	1602
aggregating more than ten thousand dollars to any one political	1603
action committee or to any one political contributing entity in a	1604
calendar year.	1605

(b) No county political party shall make a contribution or	1606
contributions to another county political party.	1607

(5)(a) Subject to division (B)(5)(b) of this section, no	1608
campaign committee, other than a designated state campaign	1609
committee, shall make a contribution or contributions aggregating	1610
in a calendar year more than:	1611

(i) Thirty thousand dollars to any one state political party	1612
for the party's state candidate fund;	1613

(ii) Fifteen thousand dollars to any one legislative campaign	1614
fund;	1615

(iii) Ten thousand dollars to any one county political party	1616
for the party's state candidate fund.	1617

(b) No campaign committee shall make a contribution or	1618
contributions to a county political party for the party's state	1619
candidate fund unless one of the following applies:	1620

(i) The campaign committee's candidate will appear on a	1621
ballot in that county.	1622

(ii) The campaign committee's candidate is the holder of an	1623
elected public office that represents all or part of the	1624
population of that county at the time the contribution is made.	1625

(6)(a) No state candidate fund of a county political party	1626
shall make a contribution or contributions, except a contribution	1627
or contributions to a designated state campaign committee, in a	1628
primary election period or a general election period, aggregating	1629
more than:	1630

(i) Two hundred fifty thousand dollars to the campaign	1631
committee of any one statewide candidate;	1632

(ii) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any	1633
one senate candidate;	1634

(iii) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any	1635
one house candidate.	1636

(b)(i) No state candidate fund of a state or county political	1637
party shall make a transfer or a contribution or transfers or	1638
contributions of cash or cash equivalents to a designated state	1639
campaign committee in a primary election period or in a general	1640
election period aggregating more than:	1641

(I) Five hundred thousand dollars to the campaign committee	1642
of any one statewide candidate;	1643

(II) One hundred thousand dollars to the campaign committee	1644
of any one senate candidate;	1645

(III) Fifty thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any	1646
one house candidate.	1647

(ii) No legislative campaign fund shall make a transfer or a	1648
contribution or transfers or contributions of cash or cash	1649
equivalents to a designated state campaign committee aggregating	1650
more than:	1651

(I) Fifty thousand dollars in a primary election period or	1652
one hundred thousand dollars in a general election period to the	1653
campaign committee of any one senate candidate;	1654

(II) Twenty-five thousand dollars in a primary election	1655
period or fifty thousand dollars in a general election period to	1656
the campaign committee of any one house candidate.	1657

(iii) As used in divisions (B)(6)(b) and (C)(6) of this	1658
section, "transfer or contribution of cash or cash equivalents"	1659
does not include any in-kind contributions.	1660

(c) A county political party that has no state candidate fund	1661
and that is located in a county having a population of less than	1662
one hundred fifty thousand may make one or more contributions from	1663
other accounts to any one statewide candidate or to any one	1664
designated state campaign committee that do not exceed, in the	1665
aggregate, two thousand five hundred dollars in any primary	1666
election period or general election period. As used in this	1667
division, "other accounts" does not include an account that	1668
contains the public moneys received from the Ohio political party	1669
fund under section 3517.17 of the Revised Code.	1670

(d) No legislative campaign fund shall make a contribution,	1671
other than to a designated state campaign committee or to the	1672
state candidate fund of a political party.	1673

(7)(a) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no	1674
political contributing entity shall make a contribution or	1675
contributions aggregating more than:	1676

(i) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any one	1677
statewide candidate in a primary election period or in a general	1678
election period;	1679

(ii) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any	1680
one senate candidate in a primary election period or in a general	1681
election period;	1682

(iii) Ten thousand dollars to the campaign committee of any	1683
one house candidate in a primary election period or in a general	1684
election period;	1685

(iv) Fifteen thousand dollars to any one legislative campaign	1686
fund in a calendar year;	1687

(v) Thirty thousand dollars to any one state political party	1688
for the party's state candidate fund in a calendar year;	1689

(vi) Ten thousand dollars to another political contributing	1690
entity or to a political action committee in a calendar year. This	1691
division does not apply to a political contributing entity that	1692
makes a contribution to a political contributing entity or a	1693
political action committee affiliated with it. For purposes of	1694
this division, a political contributing entity is affiliated with	1695
another political contributing entity or with a political action	1696
committee if they are both established, financed, maintained, or	1697
controlled by, or if they are, the same corporation, organization,	1698
labor organization, continuing association, or other person,	1699
including any parent, subsidiary, division, or department of that	1700
corporation, organization, labor organization, continuing	1701
association, or other person.	1702

(b) No political contributing entity shall make a	1703
contribution or contributions to a county political party for the	1704
party's state candidate fund.	1705

(C)(1)(a) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no	1706
campaign committee of a statewide candidate shall do any of the	1707
following:	1708

(i) Knowingly accept a contribution or contributions from any	1709
individual who is under seven years of age;	1710

(ii) Accept a contribution or contributions aggregating more	1711
than ten thousand dollars from any one individual who is seven	1712
years of age or older, from any one political action committee,	1713
from any one political contributing entity, or from any one other	1714
campaign committee in a primary election period or in a general	1715
election period;	1716

(iii) Accept a contribution or contributions aggregating more	1717
than two hundred fifty thousand dollars from any one or	1718
combination of state candidate funds of county political parties	1719
in a primary election period or in a general election period.	1720

(b) No campaign committee of a statewide candidate shall	1721
accept a contribution or contributions aggregating more than two	1722
thousand five hundred dollars in a primary election period or in a	1723
general election period from a county political party that has no	1724
state candidate fund and that is located in a county having a	1725
population of less than one hundred fifty thousand.	1726

(2)(a) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section and except	1727
for a designated state campaign committee, no campaign committee	1728
of a senate candidate shall do either of the following:	1729

(i) Knowingly accept a contribution or contributions from any	1730
individual who is under seven years of age;	1731

(ii) Accept a contribution or contributions aggregating more	1732
than ten thousand dollars from any one individual who is seven	1733
years of age or older, from any one political action committee,	1734
from any one political contributing entity, from any one state	1735
candidate fund of a county political party, or from any one other	1736
campaign committee in a primary election period or in a general	1737
election period.	1738

(b) No campaign committee of a senate candidate shall accept	1739
a contribution or contributions aggregating more than two thousand	1740
five hundred dollars in a primary election period or in a general	1741
election period from a county political party that has no state	1742
candidate fund and that is located in a county having a population	1743
of less than one hundred fifty thousand.	1744

(3)(a) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section and except	1745
for a designated state campaign committee, no campaign committee	1746
of a house candidate shall do either of the following:	1747

(i) Knowingly accept a contribution or contributions from any	1748
individual who is under seven years of age;	1749

(ii) Accept a contribution or contributions aggregating more	1750
than ten thousand dollars from any one individual who is seven	1751
years of age or older, from any one political action committee,	1752
from any one political contributing entity, from any one state	1753
candidate fund of a county political party, or from any one other	1754
campaign committee in a primary election period or in a general	1755
election period.	1756

(b) No campaign committee of a house candidate shall accept a	1757
contribution or contributions aggregating more than two thousand	1758
five hundred dollars in a primary election period or in a general	1759
election period from a county political party that has no state	1760
candidate fund and that is located in a county having a population	1761
of less than one hundred fifty thousand.	1762

(4)(a)(i) Subject to division (C)(4)(a)(ii) of this section	1763
and except for a designated state campaign committee, no county	1764
political party shall knowingly accept a contribution or	1765
contributions from any individual who is under seven years of age,	1766
or accept a contribution or contributions for the party's state	1767
candidate fund aggregating more than ten thousand dollars from any	1768
one individual whose designated Ohio residence is located within	1769
that county and who is seven years of age or older or from any one	1770
campaign committee in a calendar year.	1771

(ii) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no county	1772
political party shall accept a contribution or contributions for	1773
the party's state candidate fund from any individual whose	1774
designated Ohio residence is located outside of that county and	1775
who is seven years of age or older, from any campaign committee	1776
unless the campaign committee's candidate will appear on a ballot	1777
in that county or unless the campaign committee's candidate is the	1778
holder of an elected public office that represents all or part of	1779
the population of that county at the time the contribution is	1780
accepted, or from any political action committee or any political	1781
contributing entity.	1782

(iii) No county political party shall accept a contribution	1783
or contributions from any other county political party.	1784

(b) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no state	1785
political party shall do either of the following:	1786

(i) Knowingly accept a contribution or contributions from any	1787
individual who is under seven years of age;	1788

(ii) Accept a contribution or contributions for the party's	1789
state candidate fund aggregating more than thirty thousand dollars	1790
from any one individual who is seven years of age or older, from	1791
any one political action committee, from any one political	1792
contributing entity, or from any one campaign committee, other	1793
than a designated state campaign committee, in a calendar year.	1794

(5) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no	1795
legislative campaign fund shall do either of the following:	1796

(a) Knowingly accept a contribution or contributions from any	1797
individual who is under seven years of age;	1798

(b) Accept a contribution or contributions aggregating more	1799
than fifteen thousand dollars from any one individual who is seven	1800
years of age or older, from any one political action committee,	1801
from any one political contributing entity, or from any one	1802
campaign committee, other than a designated state campaign	1803
committee, in a calendar year.	1804

(6)(a) No designated state campaign committee shall accept a	1805
transfer or contribution of cash or cash equivalents from a state	1806
candidate fund of a state political party aggregating in a primary	1807
election period or a general election period more than:	1808

(i) Five hundred thousand dollars, in the case of a campaign	1809
committee of a statewide candidate;	1810

(ii) One hundred thousand dollars, in the case of a campaign	1811
committee of a senate candidate;	1812

(iii) Fifty thousand dollars, in the case of a campaign	1813
committee of a house candidate.	1814

(b) No designated state campaign committee shall accept a	1815
transfer or contribution of cash or cash equivalents from a	1816
legislative campaign fund aggregating more than:	1817

(i) Fifty thousand dollars in a primary election period or	1818
one hundred thousand dollars in a general election period, in the	1819
case of a campaign committee of a senate candidate;	1820

(ii) Twenty-five thousand dollars in a primary election	1821
period or fifty thousand dollars in a general election period, in	1822
the case of a campaign committee of a house candidate.	1823

(c) No campaign committee of a candidate for the office of	1824
member of the general assembly, including a designated state	1825
campaign committee, shall accept a transfer or contribution of	1826
cash or cash equivalents from any one or combination of state	1827
candidate funds of county political parties aggregating in a	1828
primary election period or a general election period more than:	1829

(i) One hundred thousand dollars, in the case of a campaign	1830
committee of a senate candidate;	1831

(ii) Fifty thousand dollars, in the case of a campaign	1832
committee of a house candidate.	1833

(7)(a) Subject to division (D)(3) of this section, no	1834
political action committee and no political contributing entity	1835
shall do either of the following:	1836

(i) Knowingly accept a contribution or contributions from any	1837
individual who is under seven years of age;	1838

(ii) Accept a contribution or contributions aggregating more	1839
than ten thousand dollars from any one individual who is seven	1840
years of age or older, from any one campaign committee, or from	1841
any one political party in a calendar year.	1842

(b) Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no political	1843
action committee shall accept a contribution or contributions	1844
aggregating more than ten thousand dollars from another political	1845
action committee or from a political contributing entity in a	1846
calendar year. Subject to division (D)(1) of this section, no	1847
political contributing entity shall accept a contribution or	1848
contributions aggregating more than ten thousand dollars from	1849
another political contributing entity or from a political action	1850
committee in a calendar year. This division does not apply to a	1851
political action committee or political contributing entity that	1852
accepts a contribution from a political action committee or	1853
political contributing entity affiliated with it. For purposes of	1854
this division, a political action committee is affiliated with	1855
another political action committee or with a political	1856
contributing entity if they are both established, financed,	1857
maintained, or controlled by the same corporation, organization,	1858
labor organization, continuing association, or other person,	1859
including any parent, subsidiary, division, or department of that	1860
corporation, organization, labor organization, continuing	1861
association, or other person.	1862

(D)(1)(a) For purposes of the limitations prescribed in	1863
division (B)(2) of this section and the limitations prescribed in	1864
divisions (C)(1), (2), (3), (4), (5), and (7)(b) of this section,	1865
whichever is applicable, all contributions made by and all	1866
contributions accepted from political action committees that are	1867
established, financed, maintained, or controlled by, or that are,	1868
the same corporation, organization, labor organization, continuing	1869
association, or other person, including any parent, subsidiary,	1870
division, or department of that corporation, organization, labor	1871
organization, continuing association, or other person, are	1872
considered to have been made by or accepted from a single	1873
political action committee.	1874

(b) For purposes of the limitations prescribed in division	1875
(B)(7) of this section and the limitations prescribed in divisions	1876
(C)(1), (2), (3), (4), (5), and (7)(b) of this section, whichever	1877
is applicable, all contributions made by and all contributions	1878
accepted from political contributing entities that are	1879
established, financed, maintained, or controlled by, or that are,	1880
the same corporation, organization, labor organization, continuing	1881
association, or other person, including any parent, subsidiary,	1882
division, or department of that corporation, organization, labor	1883
organization, continuing association, or other person, are	1884
considered to have been made by or accepted from a single	1885
political contributing entity.	1886

(2) As used in divisions (B)(1)(a)(vii), (B)(3)(d),	1887
(B)(4)(a), and (C)(7) of this section, "political action	1888
committee" does not include a political action committee that is	1889
organized to support or oppose a ballot issue or question and that	1890
makes no contributions to or expenditures on behalf of a political	1891
party, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, or political	1892
action committee, or political contributing entity. As used in	1893
divisions (B)(1)(a)(viii), (B)(3)(e), (B)(4)(a), and (C)(7) of	1894
this section, "political contributing entity" does not include a	1895
political contributing entity that is organized to support or	1896
oppose a ballot issue or question and that makes no contributions	1897
to or expenditures on behalf of a political party, campaign	1898
committee, legislative campaign fund, political action committee,	1899
or political contributing entity.	1900

(3) For purposes of the limitations prescribed in divisions	1901
(B)(4) and (C)(7)(a) of this section, all contributions made by	1902
and all contributions accepted from a national political party, a	1903
state political party, and a county political party are considered	1904
to have been made by or accepted from a single political party and	1905
shall be combined with each other to determine whether the	1906
limitations have been exceeded.	1907

(E)(1) If a legislative campaign fund has kept a total amount	1908
of contributions exceeding one hundred fifty thousand dollars at	1909
the close of business on the seventh day before the postgeneral	1910
election statement is required to be filed under section 3517.10	1911
of the Revised Code, the legislative campaign fund shall comply	1912
with division (E)(2) of this section.	1913

(2)(a) Any legislative campaign fund that has kept a total	1914
amount of contributions in excess of the amount specified in	1915
division (E)(1) of this section at the close of business on the	1916
seventh day before the postgeneral election statement is required	1917
to be filed under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code shall	1918
dispose of the excess amount in the manner prescribed in division	1919
(E)(2)(b)(i), (ii), or (iii) of this section not later than ninety	1920
days after the day the postgeneral election statement is required	1921
to be filed under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code. Any	1922
legislative campaign fund that is required to dispose of an excess	1923
amount of contributions under this division shall file a statement	1924
on the ninetieth day after the postgeneral election statement is	1925
required to be filed under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code	1926
indicating the total amount of contributions the fund has at the	1927
close of business on the seventh day before the postgeneral	1928
election statement is required to be filed under section 3517.10	1929
of the Revised Code and that the excess contributions were	1930
disposed of pursuant to this division and division (E)(2)(b) of	1931
this section. The statement shall be on a form prescribed by the	1932
secretary of state and shall contain any additional information	1933
the secretary of state considers necessary.	1934

(b) Any legislative campaign fund that is required to dispose	1935
of an excess amount of contributions under division (E)(2) of this	1936
section shall dispose of that excess amount by doing any of the	1937
following:	1938

(i) Giving the amount to the treasurer of state for deposit	1939
into the state treasury to the credit of the Ohio elections	1940
commission fund created by division (I) of section 3517.152 of the	1941
Revised Code;	1942

(ii) Giving the amount to individuals who made contributions	1943
to that legislative campaign fund as a refund of all or part of	1944
their contributions;	1945

(iii) Giving the amount to a corporation that is exempt from	1946
federal income taxation under subsection 501(a) and described in	1947
subsection 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code.	1948

(F)(1) No legislative campaign fund shall fail to file a	1949
statement required by division (E) of this section.	1950

(2) No legislative campaign fund shall fail to dispose of	1951
excess contributions as required by division (E) of this section.	1952

(G) Nothing in this section shall affect, be used in	1953
determining, or supersede a limitation on campaign contributions	1954
as provided for in the Federal Election Campaign Act.	1955

Sec. 3517.105.  (A)(1) As used in this section, "public	1956
political advertising" means advertising to the general public	1957
through a broadcasting station, newspaper, magazine, poster, yard	1958
sign, or outdoor advertising facility, by direct mail, or by any	1959
other means of advertising to the general public.	1960

(2) For purposes of this section and section 3517.20 of the	1961
Revised Code, a person is a member of a political action committee	1962
if the person makes one or more contributions to that political	1963
action committee, and a person is a member of a political	1964
contributing entity if the person makes one or more contributions	1965
to, or pays dues, membership fees, or other assessments to, that	1966
political contributing entity.	1967

(B)(1) Whenever a candidate, a campaign committee, a	1968
political action committee or political contributing entity with	1969
ten or more members, or a legislative campaign fund makes an	1970
independent expenditure, or whenever a political action committee	1971
or political contributing entity with fewer than ten members makes	1972
an independent expenditure in excess of one hundred dollars for a	1973
local candidate, in excess of two hundred fifty dollars for a	1974
candidate for the office of member of the general assembly, or in	1975
excess of five hundred dollars for a statewide candidate, for the	1976
purpose of financing communications advocating the election or	1977
defeat of an identified candidate or solicits without the	1978
candidate's express consent a contribution for or against an	1979
identified candidate through public political advertising, a	1980
statement shall appear or be presented in a clear and conspicuous	1981
manner in the advertising that does both of the following:	1982

(a) Clearly indicates that the communication or public	1983
political advertising is not authorized by the candidate or the	1984
candidate's campaign committee;	1985

(b) Clearly identifies the candidate, campaign committee,	1986
political action committee, political contributing entity, or	1987
legislative campaign fund that has paid for the communication or	1988
public political advertising in accordance with section 3517.20 of	1989
the Revised Code.	1990

(2)(a) Whenever any campaign committee, legislative campaign	1991
fund, political action committee, political contributing entity,	1992
or political party makes an independent expenditure in support of	1993
or opposition to any candidate, the committee, entity, fund, or	1994
party shall report the independent expenditure and identify the	1995
candidate on a statement prescribed by the secretary of state and	1996
filed by the committee, entity, fund, or party as part of its	1997
statement of contributions and expenditures pursuant to division	1998
(A) of section 3517.10 and division (A) of section 3517.11 of the	1999
Revised Code.	2000

(b) Whenever any individual, partnership, or other entity,	2001
except a corporation, labor organization, campaign committee,	2002
legislative campaign fund, political action committee, political	2003
contributing entity, or political party, makes one or more	2004
independent expenditures in support of or opposition to any	2005
candidate, the individual, partnership, or other entity shall file	2006
with the secretary of state in the case of a statewide candidate,	2007
or with the board of elections in the county in which the	2008
candidate files the candidate's petitions for nomination or	2009
election for district or local office, not later than the dates	2010
specified in divisions (A)(1), (2), (3), and (4) of section	2011
3517.10 of the Revised Code, and, except as otherwise provided in	2012
that section, a statement itemizing all independent expenditures	2013
made during the period since the close of business on the last day	2014
reflected in the last previously filed such statement, if any. The	2015
statement shall be made on a form prescribed by the secretary of	2016
state or shall be filed by electronic means of transmission	2017
pursuant to division (G) of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code	2018
as authorized or required by that division. The statement shall	2019
indicate the date and the amount of each independent expenditure	2020
and the candidate on whose behalf it was made and shall be made	2021
under penalty of election falsification.	2022

(C)(1) Whenever a corporation, labor organization, campaign	2023
committee, political action committee with ten or more members, or	2024
legislative campaign fund makes an independent expenditure, or	2025
whenever a political action committee with fewer than ten members	2026
makes an independent expenditure in excess of one hundred dollars	2027
for a local ballot issue or question, or in excess of five hundred	2028
dollars for a statewide ballot issue or question, for the purpose	2029
of financing communications advocating support of or opposition to	2030
an identified ballot issue or question or solicits without the	2031
express consent of the ballot issue committee a contribution for	2032
or against an identified ballot issue or question through public	2033
political advertising, a statement shall appear or be presented in	2034
a clear and conspicuous manner in the advertising that does both	2035
of the following:	2036

(a) Clearly indicates that the communication or public	2037
political advertising is not authorized by the identified ballot	2038
issue committee;	2039

(b) Clearly identifies the corporation, labor organization,	2040
campaign committee, legislative campaign fund, or political action	2041
committee that has paid for the communication or public political	2042
advertising in accordance with section 3517.20 of the Revised	2043
Code.	2044

(2)(a) Whenever any corporation, labor organization, campaign	2045
committee, legislative campaign fund, political party, or	2046
political action committee makes an independent expenditure in	2047
support of or opposition to any ballot issue or question, the	2048
corporation or labor organization shall report the independent	2049
expenditure in accordance with division (C) of section 3599.03 of	2050
the Revised Code, and the campaign committee, legislative campaign	2051
fund, political party, or political action committee shall report	2052
the independent expenditure and identify the ballot issue or	2053
question on a statement prescribed by the secretary of state and	2054
filed by the campaign committee, fund, or party, or political	2055
action committee as part of its statement of contributions and	2056
expenditures pursuant to division (A) of section 3517.10 and	2057
division (A) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code.	2058

(b) Whenever any individual, partnership, or other entity,	2059
except a corporation, labor organization, campaign committee,	2060
legislative campaign fund, political action committee, or	2061
political party, makes one or more independent expenditures in	2062
excess of one hundred dollars in support of or opposition to any	2063
ballot issue or question, the individual, partnership, or other	2064
entity shall file with the secretary of state in the case of a	2065
statewide ballot issue or question, or with the board of elections	2066
in the county that certifies the issue or question for placement	2067
on the ballot in the case of a district or local issue or	2068
question, not later than the dates specified in divisions (A)(1),	2069
(2), (3), and (4) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code, and,	2070
except as otherwise provided in that section, a statement	2071
itemizing all independent expenditures made during the period	2072
since the close of business on the last day reflected in the last	2073
previously filed such statement, if any. The statement shall be	2074
made on a form prescribed by the secretary of state or shall be	2075
filed by electronic means of transmission pursuant to division (G)	2076
of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code as authorized or required	2077
by that division. The statement shall indicate the date and the	2078
amount of each independent expenditure and the ballot issue or	2079
question in support of or opposition to which it was made and	2080
shall be made under penalty of election falsification.	2081

(3) No person, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund,	2082
political action committee, corporation, labor organization, or	2083
other organization or association shall use or cause to be used a	2084
false or fictitious name in making an independent expenditure in	2085
support of or opposition to any candidate or any ballot issue or	2086
question. A name is false or fictitious if the person, campaign	2087
committee, legislative campaign fund, political action committee,	2088
corporation, labor organization, or other organization or	2089
association does not actually exist or operate, if the	2090
corporation, labor organization, or other organization or	2091
association has failed to file a fictitious name or other	2092
registration with the secretary of state, if it is required to do	2093
so, or if the person, campaign committee, legislative campaign	2094
fund, or political action committee has failed to file a	2095
designation of the appointment of a treasurer, if it is required	2096
to do so by division (D)(1) of section 3517.10 of the Revised	2097
Code.	2098

(D) Any expenditure by a political party for the purpose of	2099
financing communications advocating the election or defeat of a	2100
candidate for judicial office shall be deemed to be an independent	2101
expenditure subject to the provisions of this section.	2102

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

2103

(1) "Statewide office" means any of the offices of governor,	2104
lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor of state,	2105
treasurer of state, attorney general, chief justice of the supreme	2106
court, and justice of the supreme court.	2107

(2) "Addendum to a statement" includes an amendment or other	2108
correction to that statement.	2109

(B)(1) The secretary of state shall store on computer the	2110
information contained in statements of contributions and	2111
expenditures and monthly statements required to be filed under	2112
section 3517.10 of the Revised Code and in statements of	2113
independent expenditures required to be filed under section	2114
3517.105 of the Revised Code by any of the following:	2115

(a) The campaign committees of candidates for statewide	2116
office;	2117

(b) The political action committees and political	2118
contributing entities described in division (A)(1) of section	2119
3517.11 of the Revised Code;	2120

(c) Legislative campaign funds;

2121

(d) State political parties;

2122

(e) Individuals, partnerships, corporations, labor	2123
organizations, or other entities that make independent	2124
expenditures in support of or opposition to a statewide candidate	2125
or a statewide ballot issue or question;	2126

(f) The campaign committees of candidates for the office of	2127
member of the general assembly;	2128

(g) County political parties, with respect to their state	2129
candidate funds.	2130

(2) The secretary of state shall store on computer the	2131
information contained in disclosure of electioneering	2132
communications statements required to be filed under section	2133
3517.1011 of the Revised Code.	2134

(3) The secretary of state shall store on computer the	2135
information contained in deposit and disbursement statements	2136
required to be filed with the office of the secretary of state	2137
under section 3517.1012 of the Revised Code.	2138

(4) The secretary of state shall store on computer the gift	2139
and disbursement information contained in statements required to	2140
be filed with the office of the secretary of state under section	2141
3517.1013 of the Revised Code.	2142

(C)(1) The secretary of state shall make available to the	2143
campaign committees, political action committees, political	2144
contributing entities, legislative campaign funds, political	2145
parties, individuals, partnerships, corporations, labor	2146
organizations, and other entities described in division (B) of	2147
this section, and to members of the news media and other	2148
interested persons, for a reasonable fee, computer programs that	2149
are compatible with the secretary of state's method of storing the	2150
information contained in the statements.	2151

(2) The secretary of state shall make the information	2152
required to be stored under division (B) of this section available	2153
on computer at the secretary of state's office so that, to the	2154
maximum extent feasible, individuals may obtain at the secretary	2155
of state's office any part or all of that information for any	2156
given year, subject to the limitation expressed in division (D) of	2157
this section.	2158

(D) The secretary of state shall keep the information stored	2159
on computer under division (B) of this section for at least six	2160
years.	2161

(E)(1) Subject to division (L) of this section and subject to	2162
the secretary of state having implemented, tested, and verified	2163
the successful operation of any system the secretary of state	2164
prescribes pursuant to division (H)(1) of this section and	2165
divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of section 3517.10 of the Revised	2166
Code for the filing of campaign finance statements by electronic	2167
means of transmission, the campaign committee of each candidate	2168
for statewide office may file the statements prescribed by section	2169
3517.10 of the Revised Code by electronic means of transmission	2170
or, if the total amount of the contributions received or the total	2171
amount of the expenditures made by the campaign committee for the	2172
applicable reporting period as specified in division (A) of	2173
section 3517.10 of the Revised Code exceeds ten thousand dollars,	2174
shall file those statements by electronic means of transmission.	2175

Except as otherwise provided in this division, within five	2176
business days after a statement filed by a campaign committee of a	2177
candidate for statewide office is received by the secretary of	2178
state by electronic or other means of transmission, the secretary	2179
of state shall make available online to the public through the	2180
internet, as provided in division (I) of this section, the	2181
contribution and expenditure information in that statement. The	2182
secretary of state shall not make available online to the public	2183
through the internet any contribution or expenditure information	2184
contained in a statement for any candidate until the secretary of	2185
state is able to make available online to the public through the	2186
internet the contribution and expenditure information for all	2187
candidates for a particular office, or until the applicable filing	2188
deadline for that statement has passed, whichever is sooner. As	2189
soon as the secretary of state has available all of the	2190
contribution and expenditure information for all candidates for a	2191
particular office, or as soon as the applicable filing deadline	2192
for a statement has passed, whichever is sooner, the secretary of	2193
state shall simultaneously make available online to the public	2194
through the internet the information for all candidates for that	2195
office.	2196

If a statement filed by electronic means of transmission is	2197
found to be incomplete or inaccurate after the examination of the	2198
statement for completeness and accuracy pursuant to division	2199
(B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the campaign	2200
committee shall file by electronic means of transmission any	2201
addendum to the statement that provides the information necessary	2202
to complete or correct the statement or, if required by the	2203
secretary of state under that division, an amended statement.	2204

Within five business days after the secretary of state	2205
receives from a campaign committee of a candidate for statewide	2206
office an addendum to the statement or an amended statement by	2207
electronic or other means of transmission under this division or	2208
division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the	2209
secretary of state shall make the contribution and expenditure	2210
information in the addendum or amended statement available online	2211
to the public through the internet as provided in division (I) of	2212
this section.	2213

(2) Subject to the secretary of state having implemented,	2214
tested, and verified the successful operation of any system the	2215
secretary of state prescribes pursuant to division (H)(1) of this	2216
section and divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of section 3517.10 of	2217
the Revised Code for the filing of campaign finance statements by	2218
electronic means of transmission, a political action committee and	2219
a political contributing entity described in division (B)(1)(b) of	2220
this section, a legislative campaign fund, and a state political	2221
party may file the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the	2222
Revised Code by electronic means of transmission or, if the total	2223
amount of the contributions received or the total amount of the	2224
expenditures made by the political action committee, political	2225
contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or state political	2226
party for the applicable reporting period as specified in division	2227
(A) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code exceeds ten thousand	2228
dollars, shall file those statements by electronic means of	2229
transmission.	2230

Within five business days after a statement filed by a	2231
political action committee or a political contributing entity	2232
described in division (B)(1)(b) of this section, a legislative	2233
campaign fund, or a state political party is received by the	2234
secretary of state by electronic or other means of transmission,	2235
the secretary of state shall make available online to the public	2236
through the internet, as provided in division (I) of this section,	2237
the contribution and expenditure information in that statement.	2238

If a statement filed by electronic means of transmission is	2239
found to be incomplete or inaccurate after the examination of the	2240
statement for completeness and accuracy pursuant to division	2241
(B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the political	2242
action committee, political contributing entity, legislative	2243
campaign fund, or state political party shall file by electronic	2244
means of transmission any addendum to the statement that provides	2245
the information necessary to complete or correct the statement or,	2246
if required by the secretary of state under that division, an	2247
amended statement.	2248

Within five business days after the secretary of state	2249
receives from a political action committee or a political	2250
contributing entity described in division (B)(1)(b) of this	2251
section, a legislative campaign fund, or a state political party	2252
an addendum to the statement or an amended statement by electronic	2253
or other means of transmission under this division or division	2254
(B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the secretary of	2255
state shall make the contribution and expenditure information in	2256
the addendum or amended statement available online to the public	2257
through the internet as provided in division (I) of this section.	2258

(3) Subject to the secretary of state having implemented,	2259
tested, and verified the successful operation of any system the	2260
secretary of state prescribes pursuant to division (H)(1) of this	2261
section and divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of section 3517.10 of	2262
the Revised Code for the filing of campaign finance statements by	2263
electronic means of transmission, a county political party shall	2264
file the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised	2265
Code with respect to its state candidate fund by electronic means	2266
of transmission to the office of the secretary of state.	2267

Within five business days after a statement filed by a county	2268
political party with respect to its state candidate fund is	2269
received by the secretary of state by electronic means of	2270
transmission, the secretary of state shall make available online	2271
to the public through the internet, as provided in division (I) of	2272
this section, the contribution and expenditure information in that	2273
statement.	2274

If a statement is found to be incomplete or inaccurate after	2275
the examination of the statement for completeness and accuracy	2276
pursuant to division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised	2277
Code, a county political party shall file by electronic means of	2278
transmission any addendum to the statement that provides the	2279
information necessary to complete or correct the statement or, if	2280
required by the secretary of state under that division, an amended	2281
statement.	2282

Within five business days after the secretary of state	2283
receives from a county political party an addendum to the	2284
statement or an amended statement by electronic means of	2285
transmission under this division or division (B)(3)(a) of section	2286
3517.11 of the Revised Code, the secretary of state shall make the	2287
contribution and expenditure information in the addendum or	2288
amended statement available online to the public through the	2289
internet as provided in division (I) of this section.	2290

(F)(1) Subject to division (L) of this section and subject to	2291
the secretary of state having implemented, tested, and verified	2292
the successful operation of any system the secretary of state	2293
prescribes pursuant to division (H)(1) of this section and	2294
divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of section 3517.10 of the Revised	2295
Code for the filing of campaign finance statements by electronic	2296
means of transmission, a campaign committee of a candidate for the	2297
office of member of the general assembly or a campaign committee	2298
of a candidate for the office of judge of a court of appeals may	2299
file the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised	2300
Code in accordance with division (A)(2) of section 3517.11 of the	2301
Revised Code or by electronic means of transmission to the office	2302
of the secretary of state or, if the total amount of the	2303
contributions received by the campaign committee for the	2304
applicable reporting period as specified in division (A) of	2305
section 3517.10 of the Revised Code exceeds ten thousand dollars,	2306
shall file those statements by electronic means of transmission to	2307
the office of the secretary of state.	2308

Except as otherwise provided in this division, within five	2309
business days after a statement filed by a campaign committee of a	2310
candidate for the office of member of the general assembly or a	2311
campaign committee of a candidate for the office of judge of a	2312
court of appeals is received by the secretary of state by	2313
electronic or other means of transmission, the secretary of state	2314
shall make available online to the public through the internet, as	2315
provided in division (I) of this section, the contribution and	2316
expenditure information in that statement. The secretary of state	2317
shall not make available online to the public through the internet	2318
any contribution or expenditure information contained in a	2319
statement for any candidate until the secretary of state is able	2320
to make available online to the public through the internet the	2321
contribution and expenditure information for all candidates for a	2322
particular office, or until the applicable filing deadline for	2323
that statement has passed, whichever is sooner. As soon as the	2324
secretary of state has available all of the contribution and	2325
expenditure information for all candidates for a particular	2326
office, or as soon as the applicable filing deadline for a	2327
statement has passed, whichever is sooner, the secretary of state	2328
shall simultaneously make available online to the public through	2329
the internet the information for all candidates for that office.	2330

If a statement filed by electronic means of transmission is	2331
found to be incomplete or inaccurate after the examination of the	2332
statement for completeness and accuracy pursuant to division	2333
(B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the campaign	2334
committee shall file by electronic means of transmission to the	2335
office of the secretary of state any addendum to the statement	2336
that provides the information necessary to complete or correct the	2337
statement or, if required by the secretary of state under that	2338
division, an amended statement.	2339

Within five business days after the secretary of state	2340
receives from a campaign committee of a candidate for the office	2341
of member of the general assembly or a campaign committee of a	2342
candidate for the office of judge of a court of appeals an	2343
addendum to the statement or an amended statement by electronic or	2344
other means of transmission under this division or division	2345
(B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the secretary of	2346
state shall make the contribution and expenditure information in	2347
the addendum or amended statement available online to the public	2348
through the internet as provided in division (I) of this section.	2349

(2) If a statement, addendum, or amended statement is not	2350
filed by electronic means of transmission to the office of the	2351
secretary of state but is filed by printed version only under	2352
division (A)(2) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code with the	2353
appropriate board of elections, the campaign committee of a	2354
candidate for the office of member of the general assembly or a	2355
campaign committee of a candidate for the office of judge of a	2356
court of appeals shall file two copies of the printed version of	2357
the statement, addendum, or amended statement with the board of	2358
elections. The board of elections shall send one of those copies	2359
by overnight delivery service to the secretary of state before the	2360
close of business on the day the board of elections receives the	2361
statement, addendum, or amended statement.	2362

(G) Subject to the secretary of state having implemented,	2363
tested, and verified the successful operation of any system the	2364
secretary of state prescribes pursuant to division (H)(1) of this	2365
section and divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of section 3517.10 of	2366
the Revised Code for the filing of campaign finance statements by	2367
electronic means of transmission, any individual, partnership, or	2368
other entity that makes independent expenditures in support of or	2369
opposition to a statewide candidate or a statewide ballot issue or	2370
question as provided in division (B)(2)(b) or (C)(2)(b) of section	2371
3517.105 of the Revised Code may file the statement specified in	2372
that division by electronic means of transmission or, if the total	2373
amount of independent expenditures made during the reporting	2374
period under that division exceeds ten thousand dollars, shall	2375
file the statement specified in that division by electronic means	2376
of transmission.	2377

Within five business days after a statement filed by an	2378
individual, partnership, or other entity is received by the	2379
secretary of state by electronic or other means of transmission,	2380
the secretary of state shall make available online to the public	2381
through the internet, as provided in division (I) of this section,	2382
the expenditure information in that statement.	2383

If a statement filed by electronic means of transmission is	2384
found to be incomplete or inaccurate after the examination of the	2385
statement for completeness and accuracy pursuant to division	2386
(B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised Code, the individual,	2387
partnership, or other entity shall file by electronic means of	2388
transmission any addendum to the statement that provides the	2389
information necessary to complete or correct the statement or, if	2390
required by the secretary of state under that division, an amended	2391
statement.	2392

Within five business days after the secretary of state	2393
receives from an individual, partnership, or other entity	2394
described in division (B)(2)(b) or (C)(2)(b) of section 3517.105	2395
of the Revised Code an addendum to the statement or an amended	2396
statement by electronic or other means of transmission under this	2397
division or division (B)(3)(a) of section 3517.11 of the Revised	2398
Code, the secretary of state shall make the expenditure	2399
information in the addendum or amended statement available online	2400
to the public through the internet as provided in division (I) of	2401
this section.	2402

(H)(1) The secretary of state, by rule adopted pursuant to	2403
section 3517.23 of the Revised Code, shall prescribe one or more	2404
techniques by which a person who executes and transmits by	2405
electronic means a statement of contributions and expenditures, a	2406
statement of independent expenditures, a disclosure of	2407
electioneering communications statement, a deposit and	2408
disbursement statement, or a gift and disbursement statement, an	2409
addendum to any of those statements, an amended statement of	2410
contributions and expenditures, an amended statement of	2411
independent expenditures, an amended disclosure of electioneering	2412
communications statement, an amended deposit and disbursement	2413
statement, or an amended gift and disbursement statement, under	2414
this section or section 3517.10, 3517.105, 3517.1011, 3517.1012,	2415
or 3517.1013 of the Revised Code shall electronically sign the	2416
statement, addendum, or amended statement. Any technique	2417
prescribed by the secretary of state pursuant to this division	2418
shall create an electronic signature that satisfies all of the	2419
following:	2420

(a) It is unique to the signer.

2421

(b) It objectively identifies the signer.

2422

(c) It involves the use of a signature device or other means	2423
or method that is under the sole control of the signer and that	2424
cannot be readily duplicated or compromised.	2425

(d) It is created and linked to the electronic record to	2426
which it relates in a manner that, if the record or signature is	2427
intentionally or unintentionally changed after signing, the	2428
electronic signature is invalidated.	2429

(2) An electronic signature prescribed by the secretary of	2430
state under division (H)(1) of this section shall be attached to	2431
or associated with the statement of contributions and	2432
expenditures, the statement of independent expenditures, the	2433
disclosure of electioneering communications statement, the deposit	2434
and disbursement statement, or the gift and disbursement	2435
statement, the addendum to any of those statements, the amended	2436
statement of contributions and expenditures, the amended statement	2437
of independent expenditures, the amended disclosure of	2438
electioneering communications statement, the amended deposit and	2439
disbursement statement, or the amended gift and disbursement	2440
statement that is executed and transmitted by electronic means by	2441
the person to whom the electronic signature is attributed. The	2442
electronic signature that is attached to or associated with the	2443
statement, addendum, or amended statement under this division	2444
shall be binding on all persons and for all purposes under the	2445
campaign finance reporting law as if the signature had been	2446
handwritten in ink on a printed form.	2447

(I) The secretary of state shall make the contribution and	2448
expenditure, the contribution and disbursement, the deposit and	2449
disbursement, or the gift and disbursement information in all	2450
statements, all addenda to the statements, and all amended	2451
statements that are filed with the secretary of state by	2452
electronic or other means of transmission under this section or	2453
section 3517.10, 3517.105, 3517.1011, 3517.1012, 3517.1013, or	2454
3517.11 of the Revised Code available online to the public by any	2455
means that are searchable, viewable, and accessible through the	2456
internet.	2457

(J)(1) As used in this division, "library" means a library	2458
that is open to the public and that is one of the following:	2459

(a) A library that is maintained and regulated under section	2460
715.13 of the Revised Code;	2461

(b) A library that is created, maintained, and regulated	2462
under Chapter 3375. of the Revised Code.	2463

(2) The secretary of state shall notify all libraries of the	2464
location on the internet at which the contribution and	2465
expenditure, contribution and disbursement, deposit and	2466
disbursement, or gift and disbursement information in campaign	2467
finance statements required to be made available online to the	2468
public through the internet pursuant to division (I) of this	2469
section may be accessed.	2470

If that location is part of the world wide web and if the	2471
secretary of state has notified a library of that world wide web	2472
location as required by this division, the library shall include a	2473
link to that world wide web location on each internet-connected	2474
computer it maintains that is accessible to the public.	2475

(3) If the system the secretary of state prescribes for the	2476
filing of campaign finance statements by electronic means of	2477
transmission pursuant to division (H)(1) of this section and	2478
divisions (C)(6)(b) and (D)(6) of section 3517.10 of the Revised	2479
Code includes filing those statements through the internet via the	2480
world wide web, the secretary of state shall notify all libraries	2481
of the world wide web location at which those statements may be	2482
filed.	2483

If those statements may be filed through the internet via the	2484
world wide web and if the secretary of state has notified a	2485
library of that world wide web location as required by this	2486
division, the library shall include a link to that world wide web	2487
location on each internet-connected computer it maintains that is	2488
accessible to the public.	2489

(K) It is an affirmative defense to a complaint or charge	2490
brought against any campaign committee, political action	2491
committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign	2492
fund, or political party, any individual, partnership, or other	2493
entity, or any person making disbursements to pay the direct costs	2494
of producing or airing electioneering communications, for the	2495
failure to file by electronic means of transmission a campaign	2496
finance statement as required by this section or section 3517.10,	2497
3517.105, 3517.1011, 3517.1012, or 3517.1013 of the Revised Code	2498
that all of the following apply to the campaign committee,	2499
political action committee, political contributing entity,	2500
legislative campaign fund, or political party, the individual,	2501
partnership, or other entity, or the person making disbursements	2502
to pay the direct costs of producing or airing electioneering	2503
communications, that failed to so file:	2504

(1) The campaign committee, political action committee,	2505
political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or	2506
political party, the individual, partnership, or other entity, or	2507
the person making disbursements to pay the direct costs of	2508
producing or airing electioneering communications attempted to	2509
file by electronic means of transmission the required statement	2510
prior to the deadline set forth in the applicable section.	2511

(2) The campaign committee, political action committee,	2512
political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or	2513
political party, the individual, partnership, or other entity, or	2514
the person making disbursements to pay the direct costs of	2515
producing or airing electioneering communications was unable to	2516
file by electronic means of transmission due to an expected or	2517
unexpected shutdown of the whole or part of the electronic	2518
campaign finance statement-filing system, such as for maintenance	2519
or because of hardware, software, or network connection failure.	2520

(3) The campaign committee, political action committee,	2521
political contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or	2522
political party, the individual, partnership, or other entity, or	2523
the person making disbursements to pay the direct costs of	2524
producing or airing electioneering communications filed by	2525
electronic means of transmission the required statement within a	2526
reasonable period of time after being unable to so file it under	2527
the circumstance described in division (K)(2) of this section.	2528

(L)(1) The secretary of state shall adopt rules pursuant to	2529
Chapter 119. of the Revised Code to permit a campaign committee of	2530
a candidate for statewide office that makes expenditures of less	2531
than twenty-five thousand dollars during the filing period or a	2532
campaign committee for the office of member of the general	2533
assembly or the office of judge of a court of appeals that would	2534
otherwise be required to file campaign finance statements by	2535
electronic means of transmission under division (E) or (F) of this	2536
section to file those statements by paper with the office of the	2537
secretary of state. Those rules shall provide for all of the	2538
following:	2539

(a) An eligible campaign committee that wishes to file a	2540
campaign finance statement by paper instead of by electronic means	2541
of transmission shall file the statement on paper with the office	2542
of the secretary of state not sooner than twenty-four hours after	2543
the end of the filing period set forth in section 3517.10 of the	2544
Revised Code that is covered by the applicable statement.	2545

(b) The statement shall be accompanied by a fee, the amount	2546
of which the secretary of state shall determine by rule. The	2547
amount of the fee established under this division shall not exceed	2548
the data entry and data verification costs the secretary of state	2549
will incur to convert the information on the statement to an	2550
electronic format as required under division (I) of this section.	2551

(c) The secretary of state shall arrange for the information	2552
in campaign finance statements filed pursuant to division (L) of	2553
this section to be made available online to the public through the	2554
internet in the same manner, and at the same times, as information	2555
is made available under divisions (E), (F), and (I) of this	2556
section for candidates whose campaign committees file those	2557
statements by electronic means of transmission.	2558

(d) The candidate of an eligible campaign committee that	2559
intends to file a campaign finance statement pursuant to division	2560
(L) of this section shall file an affidavit indicating that the	2561
candidate's campaign committee intends to so file and stating that	2562
filing the statement by electronic means of transmission would	2563
constitute a hardship for the candidate or for the eligible	2564
campaign committee.	2565

(e) An eligible campaign committee that files a campaign	2566
finance statement on paper pursuant to division (L) of this	2567
section shall review the contribution and information made	2568
available online by the secretary of state with respect to that	2569
paper filing and shall notify the secretary of state of any errors	2570
with respect to that filing that appear in the data made available	2571
on that web site.	2572

(f) If an eligible campaign committee whose candidate has	2573
filed an affidavit in accordance with rules adopted under division	2574
(L)(1)(d) of this section subsequently fails to file that	2575
statement on paper by the applicable deadline established in rules	2576
adopted under division (L)(1)(a) of this section, penalties for	2577
the late filing of the campaign finance statement shall apply to	2578
that campaign committee for each day after that paper filing	2579
deadline, as if the campaign committee had filed the statement	2580
after the applicable deadline set forth in division (A) of section	2581
3517.10 of the Revised Code.	2582

(2) The process for permitting campaign committees that would	2583
otherwise be required to file campaign finance statements by	2584
electronic means of transmission to file those statements on paper	2585
with the office of the secretary of state that is required to be	2586
developed under division (L)(1) of this section shall be in effect	2587
and available for use by eligible campaign committees for all	2588
campaign finance statements that are required to be filed on or	2589
after June 30, 2005. Notwithstanding any provision of the Revised	2590
Code to the contrary, if the process the secretary of state is	2591
required to develop under division (L)(1) of this section is not	2592
in effect and available for use on and after June 30, 2005, all	2593
penalties for the failure of campaign committees to file campaign	2594
finance statements by electronic means of transmission shall be	2595
suspended until such time as that process is in effect and	2596
available for use.	2597

(3) Notwithstanding any provision of the Revised Code to the	2598
contrary, any eligible campaign committee that files campaign	2599
finance statements on paper with the office of the secretary of	2600
state pursuant to division (L)(1) of this section shall be deemed	2601
to have filed those campaign finance statements by electronic	2602
means of transmission to the office of the secretary of state.	2603

Sec. 3517.108.  (A) As used in divisions (A) and (B) of this	2604
section:	2605

(1) "Candidate" has the same meaning as in section 3517.01 of	2606
the Revised Code but includes only candidates for the offices of	2607
governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor of	2608
state, treasurer of state, attorney general, member of the state	2609
board of education, member of the general assembly, chief justice	2610
of the supreme court, and justice of the supreme court.	2611

(2) A "general election period" begins on the day after the	2612
primary election immediately preceding the general election at	2613
which a candidate seeks an office specified in division (A)(1) of	2614
this section and ends on the thirty-first day of December	2615
following that general election.	2616

(3) A "primary election period" begins on the first day of	2617
January of the year following the year in which the general	2618
election was held for the office that the candidate seeks,	2619
including any mid-term election, and ends on the day of the	2620
primary election.	2621

(B) Whenever the campaign committee of a candidate has unpaid	2622
debt at the end of a primary election period or at the end of a	2623
general election period, the committee may accept additional	2624
contributions during the immediately following election period up	2625
to the applicable limitation prescribed under section 3517.102 of	2626
the Revised Code from any individual, political action committee,	2627
political contributing entity, or other campaign committee who,	2628
during the primary or general election period for which debt	2629
remains unpaid, has contributed less than the contribution	2630
limitations prescribed under section 3517.102 of the Revised Code	2631
applicable to that individual, political action committee,	2632
political contributing entity, or other campaign committee. Any	2633
additional contribution that a campaign committee accepts under	2634
this division shall count toward the applicable limitations	2635
prescribed under section 3517.102 of the Revised Code for that	2636
primary or general election period at the end of which the debt	2637
remains unpaid, and shall not count toward the applicable	2638
limitations for any other primary or general election period if	2639
all of the following conditions apply:	2640

(1) The campaign committee reports, on the statement required	2641
to be filed under division (A)(2) of section 3517.10 of the	2642
Revised Code, all debt remaining unpaid at the end of the election	2643
period. The committee shall also file a separate statement, on a	2644
form prescribed by the secretary of state, at the same time that	2645
the committee is required to file a statement of contributions and	2646
expenditures under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code. The	2647
separate statement shall include the name and address of each	2648
contributor who makes an additional contribution under division	2649
(B) of this section, how the contribution was applied to pay the	2650
unpaid debt as required by division (B)(3) of this section, and	2651
the balance of the unpaid debt after each contribution was applied	2652
to it.	2653

(2) The additional contributions are accepted only during the	2654
primary or general election period, whichever is applicable,	2655
immediately following the election period covered in the statement	2656
filed under division (B)(1) of this section.	2657

(3) All additional contributions made under division (B) of	2658
this section are used by the campaign committee that receives them	2659
only to pay the debt of the committee reported under division	2660
(B)(1) of this section.	2661

(4) The campaign committee maintains a separate account for	2662
all additional contributions made under division (B) of this	2663
section and uses moneys in that account only to pay the unpaid	2664
debt reported under division (B)(1) of this section and to	2665
administer the account.	2666

(5) The campaign committee stops accepting additional	2667
contributions after funds sufficient to repay the unpaid debt	2668
reported under division (B)(1) of this section have been raised	2669
and promptly disposes of any contributions received that exceed	2670
the amount of the unpaid debt by returning the excess	2671
contributions to the contributors or by giving the excess	2672
contributions to an organization that is exempt from federal	2673
income taxation under subsection 501(a) and described in	2674
subsection 501(c)(3), (4), (8), (10), or (19) of the Internal	2675
Revenue Code.	2676

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

2677

(1) "Candidate" has the same meaning as in section 3517.01 of	2678
the Revised Code but includes only candidates for the offices of	2679
governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor of	2680
state, treasurer of state, attorney general, member of the state	2681
board of education, and member of the general assembly.	2682

(2) "Statewide candidate" means the joint candidates for the	2683
offices of governor and lieutenant governor or a candidate for the	2684
office of secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of	2685
state, attorney general, and member of the state board of	2686
education.	2687

(3) "Senate candidate" means a candidate for the office of	2688
state senator.	2689

(4) "House candidate" means a candidate for the office of	2690
state representative.	2691

(5) "State office" means the offices of governor, lieutenant	2692
governor, secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of	2693
state, attorney general, member of the state board of education,	2694
and member of the general assembly.	2695

(6) "Aggregate contribution" means the total of all	2696
contributions from a contributor during the pre-filing period.	2697

(7) "Allowable aggregate contribution" means all of the	2698
following:	2699

(a) In the case of a contribution from a contributor whose	2700
contributions are subject to the contribution limits described in	2701
division (B)(1), (2), (3), or (6)(a), or (7) of section 3517.102	2702
of the Revised Code, that portion of the amount of the	2703
contributor's aggregate contribution that does not exceed the	2704
preprimary contribution limit applicable to that contributor.	2705

(b) In the case of a contribution or contributions from a	2706
contributor whose contributions are not subject to the	2707
contribution limits described in divisions (B)(1), (2), (3), or	2708
(6)(a), or (7) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code, the total	2709
of the following:	2710

(i) That portion of the aggregate contribution that was	2711
received as in-kind services;	2712

(ii) That portion of the aggregate contribution that was	2713
received as cash and does not exceed the applicable preprimary	2714
cash transfer or contribution limits described in division	2715
(B)(6)(b) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code.	2716

(8) "Excess aggregate contribution" means, for each	2717
contributor, the amount by which that contributor's aggregate	2718
contribution exceeds that contributor's allowable aggregate	2719
contribution.	2720

(9) "Pre-filing period" means the period of time ending on	2721
the day that the candidacy petitions are due for the state office	2722
for which the candidate has filed and beginning on the latest date	2723
of the following:	2724

(a) The first day of January of the year following the	2725
general election in which that state office was last on the	2726
ballot;	2727

(b) The first day of January of the year following the	2728
general election in which the candidate was last a candidate for	2729
any office;	2730

(c) The first day of the month following the primary election	2731
in which the candidate was last a candidate for any office.	2732

(10) "Filing date" means the last date on which a candidacy	2733
petition may be filed for an office.	2734

(11) "Applicable carry-in limit" means thirty-five thousand	2735
dollars if the candidate is a house candidate or a candidate for	2736
the state board of education, one hundred thousand dollars if the	2737
candidate is a senate candidate, and two hundred thousand dollars	2738
if the candidate is a statewide candidate other than a candidate	2739
for the state board of education.	2740

(12) "Campaign asset" means prepaid, purchased, or donated	2741
assets available to the candidate on the date of the filing	2742
deadline for the office the candidate is seeking that will be	2743
consumed or depleted in the course of the candidate's election	2744
campaign, including, but not limited to, postage, prepaid rent for	2745
campaign headquarters, prepaid radio, television, and newspaper	2746
advertising, and other prepaid consulting and personal services.	2747

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

2748

(a) The total of the allowable aggregate contribution of each	2749
contributor;	2750

(b) The applicable carry-in limit.

2751

(14) "Excess funds" means the amount by which the sum of the	2752
total cash on hand and total reported campaign assets exceeds	2753
permitted funds.	2754

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

2755

(a) A candidate who, during the pre-filing period, accepts or	2756
has a campaign committee that accepts contributions on the	2757
candidate's behalf for the purpose of nominating or electing the	2758
candidate to any office not subject to the contribution limits	2759
prescribed in section 3517.102 of the Revised Code;	2760

(b) A person who, during the pre-filing period, accepts or	2761
has a campaign committee that accepts contributions on the	2762
person's behalf prior to the person deciding upon or announcing	2763
the office for which the person will become a candidate for	2764
nomination or election.	2765

(B) Each candidate who files for state office, not later than	2766
the filing date for that office, shall dispose of any excess	2767
funds. Each covered candidate who files for state office, not	2768
later than the filing date for that office, shall dispose of any	2769
excess aggregate contributions.	2770

(C) Any campaign committee that is required to dispose of	2771
excess funds or excess aggregate contributions under division (B)	2772
of this section shall dispose of that excess amount or amounts by	2773
doing any of the following:	2774

(1) Giving the amount to the treasurer of state for deposit	2775
into the state treasury to the credit of the Ohio elections	2776
commission fund created by division (I) of section 3517.152 of the	2777
Revised Code;	2778

(2) Giving the amount to individuals who made contributions	2779
to that campaign committee as a refund of all or part of their	2780
contributions;	2781

(3) Giving the amount to a corporation that is exempt from	2782
federal income taxation under subsection 501(a) and described in	2783
subsection 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code.	2784

(D)(1) Subject to division (D)(2) of this section, no	2785
candidate or covered candidate shall appear on the ballot, even if	2786
certified to appear on the ballot, unless the candidate's or	2787
covered candidate's campaign committee has disposed of excess	2788
funds, excess aggregate contributions, or both as required by	2789
divisions (B) and (C) of this section.	2790

(2) If the excess aggregate contributions accepted by a	2791
covered candidate or a covered candidate's campaign committee	2792
aggregate a total of less than five thousand dollars from all	2793
contributors, that candidate shall not be prohibited from	2794
appearing on the ballot under division (D)(1) of this section.	2795

(E)(1) The campaign committee of each candidate required to	2796
dispose of excess funds under this section shall file a report, on	2797
a form prescribed by the secretary of state, with the official or	2798
board with which the candidate is required to file statements	2799
under section 3517.11 of the Revised Code. The report shall be	2800
filed by the seventh day following the filing deadline for the	2801
office the candidate is seeking, shall indicate the amount of	2802
excess funds disposed of, and shall describe the manner in which	2803
the campaign committee disposed of the excess amount.	2804

(2) In addition to the information required to be included in	2805
a report filed under division (E)(1) of this section, the campaign	2806
committee of each covered candidate required to dispose of excess	2807
aggregate contributions under this section shall include in that	2808
report the source and amount of each excess aggregate contribution	2809
disposed of and shall describe the manner in which the campaign	2810
committee disposed of the excess amount.	2811

(F)(1) Each campaign committee of a candidate who has filed a	2812
declaration of candidacy or a nominating petition for a state	2813
office, not later than seven days after the filing date for the	2814
office the candidate is seeking, shall file a declaration of	2815
filing-day finances, on a form prescribed by the secretary of	2816
state, with the official or board with which the candidate is	2817
required to file statements under section 3517.11 of the Revised	2818
Code.	2819

(2) A declaration of filing-day finances shall list all of	2820
the following:	2821

(a) The amount of cash on hand in the candidate's campaign	2822
fund on the filing date for the office the candidate is seeking.	2823

(b) The value and description of all campaign assets worth	2824
five hundred dollars or more available to the candidate on the	2825
filing date. Assets purchased by the campaign shall be valued at	2826
actual cost, and in-kind contributions shall be valued at market	2827
value.	2828

(c) The total of all aggregate contributions;

2829

(d) The total of all allowable aggregate contributions;

2830

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

2831

(3) In addition to the information required to be included in	2832
a report of filing-day finances filed under division (F)(1) of	2833
this section, the campaign committee of each covered candidate	2834
shall include both of the following in that report:	2835

(a) The total of all excess aggregate contributions;

2836

(b) For each contributor, if any, for whom there is an excess	2837
aggregate contribution, the name, address, aggregate contribution,	2838
and excess aggregate contribution.	2839

(G) A campaign committee of a candidate is not required to	2840
file a declaration of filing-day finances under division (F) of	2841
this section if all of the following apply:	2842

(1) The campaign committee has not accepted, during the	2843
pre-filing period, any aggregate contribution greater than the	2844
applicable amount.	2845

(2) The campaign committee had less than the carry-in amount	2846
in cash on hand at the beginning of the pre-filing period.	2847

(3) The candidate files a declaration, on a form prescribed	2848
by the secretary of state, with the official or board with which	2849
the candidate is required to file statements under section 3517.11	2850
of the Revised Code not later than seven days after the filing	2851
date for the office that candidate is seeking, stating that the	2852
candidate's campaign committee has not accepted aggregate	2853
contributions as described in division (G)(1) of this section and	2854
has less than the carry-in amount in cash on hand as described in	2855
division (G)(2) of this section.	2856

Sec. 3517.11.  (A)(1) Campaign committees of candidates for	2857
statewide office or the state board of education, political action	2858
committees or political contributing entities that make	2859
contributions to campaign committees of candidates that are	2860
required to file the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of	2861
the Revised Code with the secretary of state, political action	2862
committees or political contributing entities that make	2863
contributions to campaign committees of candidates for member of	2864
the general assembly, political action committees or political	2865
contributing entities that make contributions to state and	2866
national political parties and to legislative campaign funds,	2867
political action committees or political contributing entities	2868
that receive contributions or make expenditures in connection with	2869
a statewide ballot issue, political action committees or political	2870
contributing entities that make contributions to other political	2871
action committees or political contributing entities, political	2872
parties, and campaign committees, except as set forth in division	2873
(A)(3) of this section, legislative campaign funds, and state and	2874
national political parties shall file the statements prescribed by	2875
section 3517.10 of the Revised Code with the secretary of state.	2876

(2)(a) Except as otherwise provided in division (F) of	2877
section 3517.106 of the Revised Code, campaign committees of	2878
candidates for all other offices shall file the statements	2879
prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code with the board	2880
of elections where their candidates are required to file their	2881
petitions or other papers for nomination or election.	2882

(b) A campaign committee of a candidate for office of member	2883
of the general assembly or a campaign committee of a candidate for	2884
the office of judge of a court of appeals shall file two copies of	2885
the printed version of any statement, addendum, or amended	2886
statement if the committee does not file pursuant to division	2887
(F)(1) or (L) of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code but files by	2888
printed version only with the appropriate board of elections. The	2889
board of elections shall send one of those copies by overnight	2890
delivery service to the secretary of state before the close of	2891
business on the day the board of elections receives the statement,	2892
addendum, or amended statement.	2893

(3) Political action committees or political contributing	2894
entities that only contribute to a county political party,	2895
contribute to campaign committees of candidates whose nomination	2896
or election is to be submitted only to electors within a county,	2897
subdivision, or district, excluding candidates for member of the	2898
general assembly, and receive contributions or make expenditures	2899
in connection with ballot questions or issues to be submitted only	2900
to electors within a county, subdivision, or district shall file	2901
the statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code	2902
with the board of elections in that county or in the county	2903
contained in whole or part within the subdivision or district	2904
having a population greater than that of any other county	2905
contained in whole or part within that subdivision or district, as	2906
the case may be.	2907

(4) Except as otherwise provided in division (E)(3) of	2908
section 3517.106 of the Revised Code with respect to state	2909
candidate funds, county political parties shall file the	2910
statements prescribed by section 3517.10 of the Revised Code with	2911
the board of elections of their respective counties.	2912

(B)(1) The official with whom petitions and other papers for	2913
nomination or election to public office are filed shall furnish	2914
each candidate at the time of that filing a copy of sections	2915
3517.01, 3517.08 to 3517.11, 3517.13 to 3517.993, 3599.03, and	2916
3599.031 of the Revised Code and any other materials that the	2917
secretary of state may require. Each candidate receiving the	2918
materials shall acknowledge their receipt in writing.	2919

(2) On or before the tenth day before the dates on which	2920
statements are required to be filed by section 3517.10 of the	2921
Revised Code, every candidate subject to the provisions of this	2922
section and sections 3517.10 and 3517.106 of the Revised Code	2923
shall be notified of the requirements and applicable penalties of	2924
those sections. The secretary of state, by certified mail, return	2925
receipt requested, shall notify all candidates required to file	2926
those statements with the secretary of state's office. The board	2927
of elections of every county shall notify by first class mail any	2928
candidate who has personally appeared at the office of the board	2929
on or before the tenth day before the statements are required to	2930
be filed and signed a form, to be provided by the secretary of	2931
state, attesting that the candidate has been notified of the	2932
candidate's obligations under the campaign finance law. The board	2933
shall forward the completed form to the secretary of state. The	2934
board shall use certified mail, return receipt requested, to	2935
notify all other candidates required to file those statements with	2936
it.	2937

(3)(a) Any statement required to be filed under sections	2938
3517.081 to 3517.17 of the Revised Code that is found to be	2939
incomplete or inaccurate by the officer to whom it is submitted	2940
shall be accepted on a conditional basis, and the person who filed	2941
it shall be notified by certified mail as to the incomplete or	2942
inaccurate nature of the statement. The secretary of state may	2943
examine statements filed for candidates for the office of member	2944
of the general assembly and candidates for the office of judge of	2945
a court of appeals for completeness and accuracy. The secretary of	2946
state shall examine for completeness and accuracy statements that	2947
campaign committees of candidates for the office of member of the	2948
general assembly and campaign committees of candidates for the	2949
office of judge of a court of appeals file pursuant to division	2950
(F) or (L) of section 3517.106 of the Revised Code. If an officer	2951
at the board of elections where a statement filed for a candidate	2952
for the office of member of the general assembly or for a	2953
candidate for the office of judge of a court of appeals was	2954
submitted finds the statement to be incomplete or inaccurate, the	2955
officer shall immediately notify the secretary of state of its	2956
incomplete or inaccurate nature. If either an officer at the board	2957
of elections or the secretary of state finds a statement filed for	2958
a candidate for the office of member of the general assembly or	2959
for a candidate for the office of judge of a court of appeals to	2960
be incomplete or inaccurate, only the secretary of state shall	2961
send the notification as to the incomplete or inaccurate nature of	2962
the statement.	2963

Within twenty-one days after receipt of the notice, in the	2964
case of a pre-election statement, a postelection statement, a	2965
monthly statement, an annual statement, or a semiannual statement	2966
prescribed by section 3517.10, an annual statement prescribed by	2967
section 3517.101, or a statement prescribed by division (B)(2)(b)	2968
or (C)(2)(b) of section 3517.105 or section 3517.107 of the	2969
Revised Code, the recipient shall file an addendum, amendment, or	2970
other correction to the statement providing the information	2971
necessary to complete or correct the statement. The secretary of	2972
state may require that, in lieu of filing an addendum, amendment,	2973
or other correction to a statement that is filed by electronic	2974
means of transmission to the office of the secretary of state	2975
pursuant to section 3517.106 of the Revised Code, the recipient of	2976
the notice described in this division file by electronic means of	2977
transmission an amended statement that incorporates the	2978
information necessary to complete or correct the statement.	2979

The secretary of state shall determine by rule when an	2980
addendum, amendment, or other correction to any of the following	2981
or when an amended statement of any of the following shall be	2982
filed:	2983

(i) A two-business-day statement prescribed by section	2984
3517.10 of the Revised Code;	2985

(ii) A disclosure of electioneering communications statement	2986
prescribed by division (D) of section 3517.1011 of the Revised	2987
Code;	2988

(iii) A deposit and disbursement statement prescribed under	2989
division (B) of section 3517.1012 of the Revised Code;	2990

(iv) A gift and disbursement statement prescribed under	2991
section 3517.1013 of the Revised Code.	2992

An addendum, amendment, or other correction to a statement	2993
that is filed by electronic means of transmission pursuant to	2994
section 3517.106 of the Revised Code shall be filed in the same	2995
manner as the statement.	2996

The provisions of sections 3517.10, 3517.106, 3517.1011,	2997
3517.1012, and 3517.1013 of the Revised Code pertaining to the	2998
filing of statements of contributions and expenditures, statements	2999
of independent expenditures, disclosure of electioneering	3000
communications statements, deposit and disbursement statements,	3001
and gift and disbursement statements by electronic means of	3002
transmission apply to the filing of addenda, amendments, or other	3003
corrections to those statements by electronic means of	3004
transmission and the filing of amended statements by electronic	3005
means of transmission.	3006

(b) Within five business days after the secretary of state	3007
receives, by electronic or other means of transmission, an	3008
addendum, amendment, or other correction to a statement or an	3009
amended statement under division (B)(3)(a) of this section, the	3010
secretary of state, pursuant to divisions (E), (F), (G), and (I)	3011
of section 3517.106 or division (D) of section 3517.1011 of the	3012
Revised Code, shall make the contribution and expenditure,	3013
contribution and disbursement, deposit and disbursement, or gift	3014
and disbursement information in that addendum, amendment,	3015
correction, or amended statement available online to the public	3016
through the internet.	3017

(4)(a) The secretary of state or the board of elections shall	3018
examine all statements for compliance with sections 3517.08 to	3019
3517.17 of the Revised Code.	3020

(b) The secretary of state may contract with an individual or	3021
entity not associated with the secretary of state and experienced	3022
in interpreting the campaign finance law of this state to conduct	3023
examinations of statements filed by any statewide candidate, as	3024
defined in section 3517.103 of the Revised Code.	3025

(c) The examination shall be conducted by a person or entity	3026
qualified to conduct it. The results of the examination shall be	3027
available to the public, and, when the examination is conducted by	3028
an individual or entity not associated with the secretary of	3029
state, the results of the examination shall be reported to the	3030
secretary of state.	3031

(C)(1) In the event of a failure to file or a late filing of	3032
a statement required to be filed under sections 3517.081 to	3033
3517.17 of the Revised Code, or if a filed statement or any	3034
addendum, amendment, or other correction to a statement or any	3035
amended statement, if an addendum, amendment, or other correction	3036
or an amended statement is required to be filed, is incomplete or	3037
inaccurate or appears to disclose a failure to comply with or a	3038
violation of law, the official whose duty it is to examine the	3039
statement shall promptly file a complaint with the Ohio elections	3040
commission under section 3517.153 of the Revised Code if the law	3041
is one over which the commission has jurisdiction to hear	3042
complaints, or the official shall promptly report the failure or	3043
violation to the board of elections and the board shall promptly	3044
report it to the prosecuting attorney in accordance with division	3045
(J) of section 3501.11 of the Revised Code. If the official files	3046
a complaint with the commission, the commission shall proceed in	3047
accordance with sections 3517.154 to 3517.157 of the Revised Code.	3048

(2) For purposes of division (C)(1) of this section, a	3049
statement or an addendum, amendment, or other correction to a	3050
statement or an amended statement required to be filed under	3051
sections 3517.081 to 3517.17 of the Revised Code is incomplete or	3052
inaccurate under this section if the statement, addendum,	3053
amendment, other correction, or amended statement fails to	3054
disclose substantially all contributions or gifts that are	3055
received or deposits that are made that are required to be	3056
reported under sections 3517.10, 3517.107, 3517.108, 3517.1011,	3057
3517.1012, and 3517.1013 of the Revised Code or if the statement,	3058
addendum, amendment, other correction, or amended statement fails	3059
to disclose at least ninety per cent of the total contributions or	3060
gifts received or deposits made or of the total expenditures or	3061
disbursements made during the reporting period.	3062

(D) No certificate of nomination or election shall be issued	3063
to a person, and no person elected to an office shall enter upon	3064
the performance of the duties of that office, until that person or	3065
that person's campaign committee, as appropriate, has fully	3066
complied with this section and sections 3517.08, 3517.081,	3067
3517.10, and 3517.13 of the Revised Code.	3068

Sec. 3517.13.  (A)(1) No campaign committee of a statewide	3069
candidate shall fail to file a complete and accurate statement	3070
required under division (A)(1) of section 3517.10 of the Revised	3071
Code.	3072

(2) No campaign committee of a statewide candidate shall fail	3073
to file a complete and accurate monthly statement, and no campaign	3074
committee of a statewide candidate or a candidate for the office	3075
of chief justice or justice of the supreme court shall fail to	3076
file a complete and accurate two-business-day statement, as	3077
required under section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.	3078

As used in this division, "statewide candidate" has the same	3079
meaning as in division (F)(2) of section 3517.10 of the Revised	3080
Code.	3081

(B) No campaign committee shall fail to file a complete and	3082
accurate statement required under division (A)(1) of section	3083
3517.10 of the Revised Code.	3084

(C) No campaign committee shall fail to file a complete and	3085
accurate statement required under division (A)(2) of section	3086
3517.10 of the Revised Code.	3087

(D) No campaign committee shall fail to file a complete and	3088
accurate statement required under division (A)(3) or (4) of	3089
section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.	3090

(E) No person other than a campaign committee shall knowingly	3091
fail to file a statement required under section 3517.10 or	3092
3517.107 of the Revised Code.	3093

(F) No person shall make cash contributions to any person	3094
totaling more than one hundred dollars in each primary, special,	3095
or general election.	3096

(G)(1) No person shall knowingly conceal or misrepresent	3097
contributions given or received, expenditures made, or any other	3098
information required to be reported by a provision in sections	3099
3517.08 to 3517.13 and 3517.17 of the Revised Code.	3100

(2)(a) No person shall make a contribution to a campaign	3101
committee, political action committee, political contributing	3102
entity, legislative campaign fund, political party, or person	3103
making disbursements to pay the direct costs of producing or	3104
airing electioneering communications in the name of another	3105
person.	3106

(b) A person does not make a contribution in the name of	3107
another when either of the following applies:	3108

(i) An individual makes a contribution from a partnership or	3109
other unincorporated business account, if the contribution is	3110
reported by listing both the name of the partnership or other	3111
unincorporated business and the name of the partner or owner	3112
making the contribution as required under division (I) of section	3113
3517.10 of the Revised Code.	3114

(ii) A person makes a contribution in that person's spouse's	3115
name or in both of their names.	3116

(H) No person within this state, publishing a newspaper or	3117
other periodical, shall charge a campaign committee for political	3118
advertising a rate in excess of the rate such person would charge	3119
if the campaign committee were a general rate advertiser whose	3120
advertising was directed to promoting its business within the same	3121
area as that encompassed by the particular office that the	3122
candidate of the campaign committee is seeking. The rate shall	3123
take into account the amount of space used, as well as the type of	3124
advertising copy submitted by or on behalf of the campaign	3125
committee. All discount privileges otherwise offered by a	3126
newspaper or periodical to general rate advertisers shall be	3127
available upon equal terms to all campaign committees.	3128

No person within this state, operating a radio or television	3129
station or network of stations in this state, shall charge a	3130
campaign committee for political broadcasts a rate that exceeds:	3131

(1) During the forty-five days preceding the date of a	3132
primary election and during the sixty days preceding the date of a	3133
general or special election in which the candidate of the campaign	3134
committee is seeking office, the lowest unit charge of the station	3135
for the same class and amount of time for the same period;	3136

(2) At any other time, the charges made for comparable use of	3137
that station by its other users.	3138

(I) Subject to divisions (K), (L), (M), and (N) of this	3139
section, no agency or department of this state or any political	3140
subdivision shall award any contract, other than one let by	3141
competitive bidding or a contract incidental to such contract or	3142
which is by force account, for the purchase of goods costing more	3143
than five hundred dollars or services costing more than five	3144
hundred dollars to any individual, partnership, association,	3145
including, without limitation, a professional association	3146
organized under Chapter 1785. of the Revised Code, estate, or	3147
trust if the individual has made or the individual's spouse has	3148
made, or any partner, shareholder, administrator, executor, or	3149
trustee or the spouse of any of them has made, as an individual,	3150
within the two previous calendar years, one or more contributions	3151
totaling in excess of one thousand dollars to the holder of the	3152
public office having ultimate responsibility for the award of the	3153
contract or to the public officer's campaign committee.	3154

(J) Subject to divisions (K), (L), (M), and (N) of this	3155
section, no agency or department of this state or any political	3156
subdivision shall award any contract, other than one let by	3157
competitive bidding or a contract incidental to such contract or	3158
which is by force account, for the purchase of goods costing more	3159
than five hundred dollars or services costing more than five	3160
hundred dollars to a corporation or business trust, except a	3161
professional association organized under Chapter 1785. of the	3162
Revised Code, if an owner of more than twenty per cent of the	3163
corporation or business trust or the spouse of that person has	3164
made, as an individual, within the two previous calendar years,	3165
taking into consideration only owners for all of that period, one	3166
or more contributions totaling in excess of one thousand dollars	3167
to the holder of a public office having ultimate responsibility	3168
for the award of the contract or to the public officer's campaign	3169
committee.	3170

(K) For purposes of divisions (I) and (J) of this section, if	3171
a public officer who is responsible for the award of a contract is	3172
appointed by the governor, whether or not the appointment is	3173
subject to the advice and consent of the senate, excluding members	3174
of boards, commissions, committees, authorities, councils, boards	3175
of trustees, task forces, and other such entities appointed by the	3176
governor, the office of the governor is considered to have	3177
ultimate responsibility for the award of the contract.	3178

(L) For purposes of divisions (I) and (J) of this section, if	3179
a public officer who is responsible for the award of a contract is	3180
appointed by the elected chief executive officer of a municipal	3181
corporation, or appointed by the elected chief executive officer	3182
of a county operating under an alternative form of county	3183
government or county charter, excluding members of boards,	3184
commissions, committees, authorities, councils, boards of	3185
trustees, task forces, and other such entities appointed by the	3186
chief executive officer, the office of the chief executive officer	3187
is considered to have ultimate responsibility for the award of the	3188
contract.	3189

(M)(1) Divisions (I) and (J) of this section do not apply to	3190
contracts awarded by the board of commissioners of the sinking	3191
fund, municipal legislative authorities, boards of education,	3192
boards of county commissioners, boards of township trustees, or	3193
other boards, commissions, committees, authorities, councils,	3194
boards of trustees, task forces, and other such entities created	3195
by law, by the supreme court or courts of appeals, by county	3196
courts consisting of more than one judge, courts of common pleas	3197
consisting of more than one judge, or municipal courts consisting	3198
of more than one judge, or by a division of any court if the	3199
division consists of more than one judge. This division shall	3200
apply to the specified entity only if the members of the entity	3201
act collectively in the award of a contract for goods or services.	3202

(2) Divisions (I) and (J) of this section do not apply to	3203
actions of the controlling board.	3204

(N)(1) Divisions (I) and (J) of this section apply to	3205
contributions made to the holder of a public office having	3206
ultimate responsibility for the award of a contract, or to the	3207
public officer's campaign committee, during the time the person	3208
holds the office and during any time such person was a candidate	3209
for the office. Those divisions do not apply to contributions made	3210
to, or to the campaign committee of, a candidate for or holder of	3211
the office other than the holder of the office at the time of the	3212
award of the contract.	3213

(2) Divisions (I) and (J) of this section do not apply to	3214
contributions of a partner, shareholder, administrator, executor,	3215
trustee, or owner of more than twenty per cent of a corporation or	3216
business trust made before the person held any of those positions	3217
or after the person ceased to hold any of those positions in the	3218
partnership, association, estate, trust, corporation, or business	3219
trust whose eligibility to be awarded a contract is being	3220
determined, nor to contributions of the person's spouse made	3221
before the person held any of those positions, after the person	3222
ceased to hold any of those positions, before the two were	3223
married, after the granting of a decree of divorce, dissolution of	3224
marriage, or annulment, or after the granting of an order in an	3225
action brought solely for legal separation. Those divisions do not	3226
apply to contributions of the spouse of an individual whose	3227
eligibility to be awarded a contract is being determined made	3228
before the two were married, after the granting of a decree of	3229
divorce, dissolution of marriage, or annulment, or after the	3230
granting of an order in an action brought solely for legal	3231
separation.	3232

(O) No beneficiary of a campaign fund or other person shall	3233
convert for personal use, and no person shall knowingly give to a	3234
beneficiary of a campaign fund or any other person, for the	3235
beneficiary's or any other person's personal use, anything of	3236
value from the beneficiary's campaign fund, including, without	3237
limitation, payments to a beneficiary for services the beneficiary	3238
personally performs, except as reimbursement for any of the	3239
following:	3240

(1) Legitimate and verifiable prior campaign expenses	3241
incurred by the beneficiary;	3242

(2) Legitimate and verifiable ordinary and necessary prior	3243
expenses incurred by the beneficiary in connection with duties as	3244
the holder of a public office, including, without limitation,	3245
expenses incurred through participation in nonpartisan or	3246
bipartisan events if the participation of the holder of a public	3247
office would normally be expected;	3248

(3) Legitimate and verifiable ordinary and necessary prior	3249
expenses incurred by the beneficiary while doing any of the	3250
following:	3251

(a) Engaging in activities in support of or opposition to a	3252
candidate other than the beneficiary, political party, or ballot	3253
issue;	3254

(b) Raising funds for a political party, political action	3255
committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign	3256
fund, campaign committee, or other candidate;	3257

(c) Participating in the activities of a political party,	3258
political action committee, political contributing entity,	3259
legislative campaign fund, or campaign committee;	3260

(d) Attending a political party convention or other political	3261
meeting.	3262

For purposes of this division, an expense is incurred	3263
whenever a beneficiary has either made payment or is obligated to	3264
make payment, as by the use of a credit card or other credit	3265
procedure or by the use of goods or services received on account.	3266

(P) No beneficiary of a campaign fund shall knowingly accept,	3267
and no person shall knowingly give to the beneficiary of a	3268
campaign fund, reimbursement for an expense under division (O) of	3269
this section to the extent that the expense previously was	3270
reimbursed or paid from another source of funds. If an expense is	3271
reimbursed under division (O) of this section and is later paid or	3272
reimbursed, wholly or in part, from another source of funds, the	3273
beneficiary shall repay the reimbursement received under division	3274
(O) of this section to the extent of the payment made or	3275
reimbursement received from the other source.	3276

(Q) No candidate or public official or employee shall accept	3277
for personal or business use anything of value from a political	3278
party, political action committee, political contributing entity,	3279
legislative campaign fund, or campaign committee other than the	3280
candidate's or public official's or employee's own campaign	3281
committee, and no person shall knowingly give to a candidate or	3282
public official or employee anything of value from a political	3283
party, political action committee, political contributing entity,	3284
legislative campaign fund, or such a campaign committee, except	3285
for the following:	3286

(1) Reimbursement for legitimate and verifiable ordinary and	3287
necessary prior expenses not otherwise prohibited by law incurred	3288
by the candidate or public official or employee while engaged in	3289
any legitimate activity of the political party, political action	3290
committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign	3291
fund, or such campaign committee. Without limitation, reimbursable	3292
expenses under this division include those incurred while doing	3293
any of the following:	3294

(a) Engaging in activities in support of or opposition to	3295
another candidate, political party, or ballot issue;	3296

(b) Raising funds for a political party, legislative campaign	3297
fund, campaign committee, or another candidate;	3298

(c) Attending a political party convention or other political	3299
meeting.	3300

(2) Compensation not otherwise prohibited by law for actual	3301
and valuable personal services rendered under a written contract	3302
to the political party, political action committee, political	3303
contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or such campaign	3304
committee for any legitimate activity of the political party,	3305
political action committee, political contributing entity,	3306
legislative campaign fund, or such campaign committee.	3307

Reimbursable expenses under this division do not include, and	3308
it is a violation of this division for a candidate or public	3309
official or employee to accept, or for any person to knowingly	3310
give to a candidate or public official or employee from a	3311
political party, political action committee, political	3312
contributing entity, legislative campaign fund, or campaign	3313
committee other than the candidate's or public official's or	3314
employee's own campaign committee, anything of value for	3315
activities primarily related to the candidate's or public	3316
official's or employee's own campaign for election, except for	3317
contributions to the candidate's or public official's or	3318
employee's campaign committee.	3319

For purposes of this division, an expense is incurred	3320
whenever a candidate or public official or employee has either	3321
made payment or is obligated to make payment, as by the use of a	3322
credit card or other credit procedure, or by the use of goods or	3323
services on account.	3324

(R)(1) Division (O) or (P) of this section does not prohibit	3325
a campaign committee from making direct advance or post payment	3326
from contributions to vendors for goods and services for which	3327
reimbursement is permitted under division (O) of this section,	3328
except that no campaign committee shall pay its candidate or other	3329
beneficiary for services personally performed by the candidate or	3330
other beneficiary.	3331

(2) If any expense that may be reimbursed under division (O),	3332
(P), or (Q) of this section is part of other expenses that may not	3333
be paid or reimbursed, the separation of the two types of expenses	3334
for the purpose of allocating for payment or reimbursement those	3335
expenses that may be paid or reimbursed may be by any reasonable	3336
accounting method, considering all of the surrounding	3337
circumstances.	3338

(3) For purposes of divisions (O), (P), and (Q) of this	3339
section, mileage allowance at a rate not greater than that allowed	3340
by the internal revenue service at the time the travel occurs may	3341
be paid instead of reimbursement for actual travel expenses	3342
allowable.	3343

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

3344

(a) "State elective office" has the same meaning as in	3345
section 3517.092 of the Revised Code.	3346

(b) "Federal office" means a federal office as defined in the	3347
Federal Election Campaign Act.	3348

(c) "Federal campaign committee" means a principal campaign	3349
committee or authorized committee as defined in the Federal	3350
Election Campaign Act.	3351

(2) No person who is a candidate for state elective office	3352
and who previously sought nomination or election to a federal	3353
office shall transfer any funds or assets from that person's	3354
federal campaign committee for nomination or election to the	3355
federal office to that person's campaign committee as a candidate	3356
for state elective office.	3357

(3) No campaign committee of a person who is a candidate for	3358
state elective office and who previously sought nomination or	3359
election to a federal office shall accept any funds or assets from	3360
that person's federal campaign committee for that person's	3361
nomination or election to the federal office.	3362

(T)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (B)(6)(c) of	3363
section 3517.102 of the Revised Code, a state or county political	3364
party shall not disburse moneys from any account other than a	3365
state candidate fund to make contributions to any of the	3366
following:	3367

(a) A state candidate fund;

3368

(b) A legislative campaign fund;

3369

(c) A campaign committee of a candidate for the office of	3370
governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor of	3371
state, treasurer of state, attorney general, member of the state	3372
board of education, or member of the general assembly.	3373

(2) No state candidate fund, legislative campaign fund, or	3374
campaign committee of a candidate for any office described in	3375
division (T)(1)(c) of this section shall knowingly accept a	3376
contribution in violation of division (T)(1) of this section.	3377

(U) No person shall fail to file the statement required under	3378
section 3517.12 of the Revised Code.	3379

(V) No campaign committee shall fail to file a statement	3380
required under division (K)(3) of section 3517.10 of the Revised	3381
Code.	3382

(W)(1) No foreign national shall, directly or indirectly	3383
through any other person or entity, make a contribution,	3384
expenditure, or independent expenditure or promise, either	3385
expressly or implicitly, to make a contribution, expenditure, or	3386
independent expenditure in support of or opposition to a candidate	3387
for any elective office in this state, including an office of a	3388
political party.	3389

(2) No candidate, campaign committee, political action	3390
committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign	3391
fund, state candidate fund, political party, or separate	3392
segregated fund shall solicit or accept a contribution,	3393
expenditure, or independent expenditure from a foreign national.	3394
The secretary of state may direct any candidate, committee,	3395
entity, fund, or party that accepts a contribution, expenditure,	3396
or independent expenditure in violation of this division to return	3397
the contribution, expenditure, or independent expenditure or, if	3398
it is not possible to return the contribution, expenditure, or	3399
independent expenditure, then to return instead the value of it,	3400
to the contributor.	3401

(3) As used in division (W) of this section, "foreign	3402
national" has the same meaning as in section 441e(b) of the	3403
Federal Election Campaign Act.	3404

(X)(1) No state or county political party shall transfer any	3405
moneys from its restricted fund to any account of the political	3406
party into which contributions may be made or from which	3407
contributions or expenditures may be made.	3408

(2)(a) No state or county political party shall deposit a	3409
contribution or contributions that it receives into its restricted	3410
fund.	3411

(b) No state or county political party shall make a	3412
contribution or an expenditure from its restricted fund.	3413

(3)(a) No corporation or labor organization shall make a gift	3414
or gifts from the corporation's or labor organization's money or	3415
property aggregating more than ten thousand dollars to any one	3416
state or county political party for the party's restricted fund in	3417
a calendar year.	3418

(b) No state or county political party shall accept a gift or	3419
gifts for the party's restricted fund aggregating more than ten	3420
thousand dollars from any one corporation or labor organization in	3421
a calendar year.	3422

(4) No state or county political party shall transfer any	3423
moneys in the party's restricted fund to any other state or county	3424
political party.	3425

(5) No state or county political party shall knowingly fail	3426
to file a statement required under section 3517.1012 of the	3427
Revised Code.	3428

Sec. 3517.152.  (A)(1) There is hereby created the Ohio	3429
elections commission consisting of seven members.	3430

Not later than forty-five days after August 24, 1995, the	3431
speaker of the house of representatives and the leader in the	3432
senate of the political party of which the speaker is a member	3433
shall jointly submit to the governor a list of five persons who	3434
are affiliated with that political party. Not later than	3435
forty-five days after August 24, 1995, the two legislative leaders	3436
in the two houses of the general assembly of the major political	3437
party of which the speaker is not a member shall jointly submit to	3438
the governor a list of five persons who are affiliated with the	3439
major political party of which the speaker is not a member. Not	3440
later than fifteen days after receiving each list, the governor	3441
shall appoint three persons from each list to the commission. The	3442
governor shall appoint one person from each list to a term that	3443
ends on December 31, 1996, one person from each list to a term	3444
that ends on December 31, 1997, and one person from each list to a	3445
term that ends on December 31, 1998.	3446

Not later than thirty days after the governor appoints these	3447
six members, they shall, by a majority vote, appoint to the	3448
commission a seventh member, who shall not be affiliated with a	3449
political party. If the six members fail to appoint the seventh	3450
member within this thirty-day period, the chief justice of the	3451
supreme court, not later than thirty days after the end of the	3452
period during which the six members were required to appoint a	3453
member, shall appoint the seventh member, who shall not be	3454
affiliated with a political party. The seventh member shall be	3455
appointed to a term that ends on December 31, 2001. Terms of the	3456
initial members appointed under this division begin on January 1,	3457
1996.	3458

(2) If a vacancy occurs in the position of the seventh	3459
member, who is not affiliated with a political party, the six	3460
remaining members by a majority vote shall appoint, not later than	3461
forty-five days after the date of the vacancy, the seventh member	3462
of the commission, who shall not be affiliated with a political	3463
party. If these members fail to appoint the seventh member within	3464
this forty-five-day period, the chief justice of the supreme	3465
court, within fifteen days after the end of this period, shall	3466
appoint the seventh member, who shall not be affiliated with a	3467
political party. If a vacancy occurs in any of the other six	3468
positions on the commission, the legislative leaders of the	3469
political party from whose list of persons the member being	3470
replaced was appointed shall submit to the governor, not later	3471
than thirty days after the date of the vacancy, a list of three	3472
persons who are affiliated with that political party. Not later	3473
than fifteen days after receiving the list, the governor, with the	3474
advice and consent of the senate, shall appoint one person from	3475
the list to the commission.	3476

(3) At no time shall more than six members of the commission	3477
be affiliated with a political party, and, of these six members,	3478
not more than three shall be affiliated with the same political	3479
party.	3480

(4) In making appointments to the commission, the governor	3481
shall take into consideration the various geographic areas of this	3482
state and shall appoint members so that those areas are	3483
represented on the commission in a balanced manner, to the extent	3484
feasible.	3485

(5) Members of the commission shall be registered electors	3486
and shall be of good moral character.	3487

(B) Each member of the Ohio elections commission shall hold	3488
office from the date of the member's appointment until the end of	3489
the term for which the member was appointed. A member appointed to	3490
fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for	3491
which the member's predecessor was appointed shall hold office for	3492
the remainder of that term. A member shall continue in office	3493
subsequent to the expiration date of the member's term until the	3494
member's successor takes office or until a period of sixty days	3495
has elapsed, whichever occurs first. After the initial terms of	3496
office provided for in division (A)(1) of this section, terms of	3497
office shall be for five years.	3498

(C) A vacancy in the Ohio elections commission may be caused	3499
by death, resignation, or three absences from commission meetings	3500
in a calendar year if those absences are caused by reasons	3501
declared invalid by a vote of five members of the remaining	3502
members of the commission.	3503

(D) Each member of the Ohio elections commission while in the	3504
performance of the business of the commission shall be entitled to	3505
receive compensation at the rate of twenty-five thousand dollars	3506
per year. Members shall be reimbursed for expenses actually and	3507
necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties.	3508

(E) No member of the Ohio elections commission shall serve	3509
more than one full term unless the terms served are served	3510
nonconsecutively.	3511

(F)(1) No member of the Ohio elections commission shall do or	3512
be any of the following:	3513

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

3514

(b) Serve on a committee supporting or opposing a candidate	3515
or ballot question or issue;	3516

(c) Be an officer of the state central committee, a county	3517
central committee, or a district, city, township, or other	3518
committee of a political party or an officer of the executive	3519
committee of the state central committee, a county central	3520
committee, or a district, city, township, or other committee of a	3521
political party;	3522

(d) Be a legislative agent as defined in section 101.70 of	3523
the Revised Code or an executive agency lobbyist as defined in	3524
section 121.60 of the Revised Code;	3525

(e) Solicit or be involved in soliciting contributions on	3526
behalf of a candidate, campaign committee, political party, or	3527
political action committee, or political contributing entity;	3528

(f) Be in the unclassified service under section 124.11 of	3529
the Revised Code;	3530

(g) Be a person or employee described in divisions (C)(1) to	3531
(15) of section 4117.01 of the Revised Code.	3532

(2) No member or employee of the commission shall make a	3533
contribution to, or for the benefit of, a campaign committee or	3534
committee in support of or opposition to a ballot question or	3535
issue, a political party, a legislative campaign fund, or a	3536
political action committee, or a political contributing entity.	3537

(G)(1) The members of the Ohio elections commission shall	3538
elect a chairperson and a vice-chairperson. At no time shall the	3539
chairperson and vice-chairperson be affiliated with the same	3540
political party. The chairperson shall serve in that capacity for	3541
one year and shall not serve as chairperson more than twice during	3542
a term as a member of the commission. No two successive	3543
chairpersons shall be affiliated with the same political party.	3544

(2) The commission shall meet at the call of the chairperson	3545
or upon the written request of a majority of the members. The	3546
meetings and hearings of the commission or a panel of the	3547
commission under sections 3517.153 to 3517.157 of the Revised Code	3548
are subject to section 121.22 of the Revised Code.	3549

(3) The commission shall adopt rules for its procedures in	3550
accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code. Five of the	3551
seven members constitute a quorum. Except as otherwise provided in	3552
this section and in sections 3517.154 to 3517.157 of the Revised	3553
Code, no action shall be taken without the concurrence of a	3554
majority of the members.	3555

(H)(1) The Ohio elections commission shall employ the	3556
technical, professional, and clerical employees that are necessary	3557
for it to carry out its duties.	3558

(2)(a) Notwithstanding section 109.02 of the Revised Code,	3559
the commission shall employ a full-time attorney, and, as needed,	3560
one or more investigatory attorneys to conduct investigations for	3561
the commission or a panel of the commission. The commission may	3562
employ or contract for the services of additional attorneys, as	3563
needed. The full-time attorney shall do all of the following:	3564

(i) Serve as the commission's attorney in regard to all legal	3565
matters, including representing the commission at appeals from a	3566
final determination of the commission, except that the full-time	3567
attorney shall not perform the duties that an investigatory	3568
attorney is required or requested to perform or that another	3569
attorney the commission employs or contracts with for services is	3570
required or requested to perform, and shall not represent the	3571
commission in any legal proceeding in which the commission is a	3572
named party;	3573

(ii) At the request of the commission or a panel of the	3574
commission, be present at a hearing held under sections 3517.154	3575
to 3517.156 of the Revised Code to rule on the admissibility of	3576
evidence and to advise on the conduct of procedure;	3577

(iii) Perform other duties as required by rule of the	3578
commission.	3579

(b) An attorney employed by or under contract with the	3580
commission shall be licensed to practice law in this state.	3581

(3)(a) Except as otherwise provided in division (H)(3)(b) of	3582
this section, at least five members of the commission shall agree	3583
on the employment of a person, a majority of the members shall	3584
agree on the discharge of an employee, and a person employed by	3585
the commission shall serve at the pleasure of the commission.	3586

(b) At least five of the seven members shall agree on the	3587
discharge of an investigatory attorney.	3588

(I) There is hereby created in the state treasury the Ohio	3589
elections commission fund. All moneys credited to the fund shall	3590
be used solely for the purpose of paying expenses related to the	3591
operation of the Ohio elections commission.	3592

Sec. 3517.155.  (A)(1) Except as otherwise provided in	3593
division (B) of this section, the Ohio elections commission shall	3594
hold its first hearing on a complaint filed with it, other than a	3595
complaint that receives an expedited hearing under section	3596
3517.156 of the Revised Code, not later than ninety business days	3597
after the complaint is filed unless the commission has good cause	3598
to hold the hearing after that time, in which case it shall hold	3599
the hearing not later than one hundred eighty business days after	3600
the complaint is filed. At the hearing, the commission shall	3601
determine whether or not the failure to act or the violation	3602
alleged in the complaint has occurred and shall do only one of the	3603
following, except as otherwise provided in division (B) of this	3604
section or in division (B) of section 3517.151 of the Revised	3605
Code:	3606

(a) Enter a finding that good cause has been shown not to	3607
impose a fine or not to refer the matter to the appropriate	3608
prosecutor;	3609

(b) Impose a fine under section 3517.993 of the Revised Code;

3610

(c) Refer the matter to the appropriate prosecutor;

3611

(d) Direct the secretary of state or appropriate board of	3612
elections with the authority to certify a candidate to the ballot	3613
to remove a candidate's name from the ballot if the candidate is	3614
barred from the ballot under division (D) of section 3517.1010 of	3615
the Revised Code.	3616

(2) As used in division (A) of this section, "appropriate	3617
prosecutor" means a prosecutor as defined in section 2935.01 of	3618
the Revised Code and either of the following:	3619

(a) In the case of a failure to comply with or a violation of	3620
law involving a campaign committee or the committee's candidate, a	3621
political party, a legislative campaign fund, or a political	3622
action committee, or a political contributing entity, that is	3623
required to file a statement of contributions and expenditures	3624
with the secretary of state under division (A) of section 3517.11	3625
of the Revised Code, the prosecutor of Franklin county;	3626

(b) In the case of a failure to comply with or a violation of	3627
law involving any other campaign committee or committee's	3628
candidate, or any other political party or, political action	3629
committee, or political contributing entity either of the	3630
following as determined by the commission:	3631

(i) The prosecutor of Franklin county;

3632

(ii) The prosecutor of the county in which the candidacy or	3633
ballot question or issue is submitted to the electors or, if it is	3634
submitted in more than one county, the most populous of those	3635
counties.	3636

(B) If the commission decides that the evidence is	3637
insufficient for it to determine whether or not the failure to act	3638
or the violation alleged in the complaint has occurred, the	3639
commission, by the affirmative vote of five members, may request	3640
that an investigatory attorney investigate the complaint. Upon	3641
that request, an investigatory attorney shall make an	3642
investigation in order to produce sufficient evidence for the	3643
commission to decide the matter. If the commission requests an	3644
investigation under this division, for good cause shown by the	3645
investigatory attorney, the commission may extend by sixty days	3646
the deadline for holding its first hearing on the complaint as	3647
required in division (A) of this section.	3648

(C) The commission shall take one of the actions required	3649
under division (A) of this section not later than thirty days	3650
after the close of all the evidence presented.	3651

(D)(1) The commission shall make any finding of a failure to	3652
comply with or a violation of law in regard to a complaint that	3653
alleges a violation of division (D) of section 3517.1010, division	3654
(A) or (B) of section 3517.21, or division (A) or (B) of section	3655
3517.22 of the Revised Code by clear and convincing evidence. The	3656
commission shall make any finding of a failure to comply with or a	3657
violation of law in regard to any other complaint by a	3658
preponderance of the evidence.	3659

(2) If the commission finds a violation of division (B) of	3660
section 3517.21 or division (B) of section 3517.22 of the Revised	3661
Code, it shall refer the matter to the appropriate prosecutor	3662
under division (A)(1)(c) of this section and shall not impose a	3663
fine under division (A)(1)(b) of this section or section 3517.993	3664
of the Revised Code.	3665

(E) In an action before the commission or a panel of the	3666
commission, if the allegations of the complainant are not proved,	3667
and the commission takes the action described in division	3668
(A)(1)(a) of this section or a panel of the commission takes the	3669
action described in division (C)(1) of section 3517.156 of the	3670
Revised Code, the commission or a panel of the commission may find	3671
that the complaint is frivolous, and, if the commission or panel	3672
so finds, the commission shall order the complainant to pay	3673
reasonable attorney's fees and to pay the costs of the commission	3674
or panel as determined by a majority of the members of the	3675
commission. The costs paid to the commission or panel under this	3676
division shall be deposited into the Ohio elections commission	3677
fund.	3678

Sec. 3517.20.  (A)(1) As used in this section:

3679

(a) "Political publication for or against a candidate" means	3680
a notice, placard, advertisement, sample ballot, brochure, flyer,	3681
direct mailer, or other form of general publication that is	3682
designed to promote the nomination, election, or defeat of a	3683
candidate.	3684

(b) "Political publication for or against an issue" means a	3685
notice, placard, advertisement, sample ballot, brochure, flyer,	3686
direct mailer, or other form of general publication that is	3687
designed to promote the adoption or defeat of a ballot issue or	3688
question or to influence the voters in an election.	3689

(c) "Public political advertising" means newspapers,	3690
magazines, outdoor advertising facilities, direct mailings, or	3691
other similar types of general public political advertising, or	3692
flyers, handbills, or other nonperiodical printed matter.	3693

(d) "Statewide candidate" has the same meaning as in section	3694
3517.102 of the Revised Code.	3695

(e) "Legislative candidate" means a candidate for the office	3696
of member of the general assembly.	3697

(f) "Local candidate" means a candidate for an elective	3698
office of a political subdivision of this state.	3699

(g) "Legislative campaign fund" has the same meaning as in	3700
section 3517.01 of the Revised Code.	3701

(h) "Limited political action committee" means a political	3702
action committee of fewer than ten members.	3703

(i) "Limited political contributing entity" means a political	3704
contributing entity of fewer than ten members.	3705

(j) "Designated amount" means one hundred dollars in the case	3706
of a local candidate or a local ballot issue, two hundred fifty	3707
dollars in the case of a legislative candidate, or five hundred	3708
dollars in the case of a statewide candidate or a statewide ballot	3709
issue.	3710

(j)(k) "To issue" includes to print, post, distribute,	3711
reproduce for distribution, or cause to be issued, printed,	3712
posted, distributed, or reproduced for distribution.	3713

(k)(l) "Telephone bank" means more than five hundred	3714
telephone calls of an identical or substantially similar nature	3715
within any thirty-day period, whether those telephone calls are	3716
made by individual callers or by recording.	3717

(2) No candidate, campaign committee, legislative campaign	3718
fund, political party, or other entity, except a political action	3719
committee or political contributing entity, shall issue a form of	3720
political publication for or against a candidate, or shall make an	3721
expenditure for the purpose of financing political communications	3722
in support of or opposition to a candidate through public	3723
political advertising, unless the name and residence or business	3724
address of the candidate or the chairperson, treasurer, or	3725
secretary of the campaign committee, legislative campaign fund,	3726
political party, or other entity that issues or otherwise is	3727
responsible for that political publication or that makes an	3728
expenditure for that political communication appears in a	3729
conspicuous place on that political publication or is contained	3730
within that political communication.	3731

(3) No limited political action committee or limited	3732
political contributing entity shall do either of the following	3733
unless the name and residence or business address of the	3734
chairperson, treasurer, or secretary of the limited political	3735
action committee or limited political contributing entity involved	3736
appears in a conspicuous place in the political publication for or	3737
against a candidate described in division (A)(3)(a) of this	3738
section or is contained within the political communication	3739
described in division (A)(3)(b) of this section:	3740

(a) Issue a form of political publication for or against a	3741
candidate that costs in excess of the designated amount or that is	3742
issued in cooperation, consultation, or concert with, or at the	3743
request or suggestion of, a candidate, a campaign committee, a	3744
legislative campaign fund, a political party, a political action	3745
committee with ten or more members, a political contributing	3746
entity with ten or more members, or a limited political action	3747
committee or limited political contributing entity that spends in	3748
excess of the designated amount on a related or the same or	3749
similar political publication for or against a candidate;	3750

(b) Make an expenditure in excess of the designated amount in	3751
support of or opposition to a candidate or make an expenditure in	3752
cooperation, consultation, or concert with, or at the request or	3753
suggestion of, a candidate, a campaign committee, a legislative	3754
campaign fund, a political party, a political action committee	3755
with ten or more members, a political contributing entity with ten	3756
or more members, or a limited political action committee or	3757
limited political contributing entity that spends in excess of the	3758
designated amount in support of or opposition to the same	3759
candidate, for the purpose of financing political communications	3760
in support of or opposition to that candidate through public	3761
political advertising.	3762

(4) No political action committee with ten or more members	3763
and no political contributing entity with ten or more members	3764
shall issue a form of political publication for or against a	3765
candidate, or shall make an expenditure for the purpose of	3766
financing political communications in support of or opposition to	3767
a candidate through public political advertising, unless the name	3768
and residence or business address of the chairperson, treasurer,	3769
or secretary of the political action committee or political	3770
contributing entity that issues or otherwise is responsible for	3771
that political publication or that makes an expenditure for that	3772
political communication through public political advertising	3773
appears in a conspicuous place in that political publication or is	3774
contained within that political communication.	3775

(5) No corporation, labor organization, campaign committee,	3776
legislative campaign fund, political party, or other entity,	3777
except a political action committee, shall issue a form of	3778
political publication for or against an issue, or shall make an	3779
expenditure for the purpose of financing political communications	3780
in support of or opposition to a ballot issue or question through	3781
public political advertising, unless the name and residence or	3782
business address of the chairperson, treasurer, or secretary of	3783
the corporation, labor organization, campaign committee,	3784
legislative campaign fund, political party, or other entity that	3785
issues or otherwise is responsible for that political publication	3786
or that makes an expenditure for that political communication	3787
through public political advertising appears in a conspicuous	3788
place in that political publication or is contained within that	3789
political communication.	3790

(6) No limited political action committee shall do either of	3791
the following unless the name and residence or business address of	3792
the chairperson, treasurer, or secretary of the limited political	3793
action committee involved appears in a conspicuous place in the	3794
political publication for or against a ballot issue described in	3795
division (A)(6)(a) of this section or is contained within the	3796
political communication described in division (A)(6)(b) of this	3797
section:	3798

(a) Issue a form of political publication for or against a	3799
ballot issue that costs in excess of the designated amount or that	3800
is issued in cooperation, consultation, or concert with, or at the	3801
request or suggestion of, a candidate, a campaign committee, a	3802
legislative campaign fund, a political party, a political action	3803
committee with ten or more members, or a limited political action	3804
committee that spends in excess of the designated amount for a	3805
related or the same or similar political publication for or	3806
against an issue;	3807

(b) Make an expenditure in excess of the designated amount in	3808
support of or opposition to a ballot issue or make an expenditure	3809
in cooperation, consultation, or concert with, or at the request	3810
or suggestion of, a candidate, a campaign committee, a legislative	3811
campaign fund, a political party, a political action committee	3812
with ten or more members, or a limited political action committee	3813
that spends in excess of the designated amount in support of or	3814
opposition to the same ballot issue, for the purpose of financing	3815
political communications in support of or opposition to that	3816
ballot issue through public political advertising.	3817

(7) No political action committee with ten or more members	3818
shall issue a form of political publication for or against an	3819
issue, or shall make an expenditure for the purpose of financing	3820
political communications in support of or opposition to a ballot	3821
issue or question through public political advertising, unless the	3822
name and residence or business address of the chairperson,	3823
treasurer, or secretary of the political action committee that	3824
issues or otherwise is responsible for that political publication	3825
or that makes an expenditure for that political communication	3826
appears in a conspicuous place in that political publication or is	3827
contained within that political communication.	3828

(8) The disclaimer "paid political advertisement" is not	3829
sufficient to meet the requirements of this section.	3830

(9) If the political publication described in division (A) of	3831
this section is issued by the regularly constituted central or	3832
executive committee of a political party that is organized as	3833
provided in this chapter, it shall be sufficiently identified if	3834
it bears the name of the committee and its chairperson or	3835
treasurer.	3836

(10) If more than one piece of printed matter or printed	3837
political communications are mailed as a single packet, the	3838
requirements of division (A) of this section are met if one of the	3839
pieces of printed matter or printed political communications in	3840
the packet contains the name and residence or business address of	3841
the chairperson, treasurer, or secretary of the organization or	3842
entity that issues or is responsible for the printed matter or	3843
other printed political communications.	3844

(11) This section does not apply to the transmittal of	3845
personal correspondence that is not reproduced by machine for	3846
general distribution.	3847

(12) The secretary of state, by rule, may exempt from the	3848
requirements of this section, printed matter and certain other	3849
kinds of printed communications such as campaign buttons,	3850
balloons, pencils, or similar items, the size or nature of which	3851
makes it unreasonable to add an identification or disclaimer.	3852

(13) The disclaimer or identification described in division	3853
(A) of this section, when paid for by a campaign committee, shall	3854
be identified by the words "paid for by" followed by the name and	3855
address of the campaign committee and the appropriate officer of	3856
the committee, identified by name and title. The identification or	3857
disclaimer may use reasonable abbreviations for common terms such	3858
as "treasurer" or "committee".	3859

(B)(1) No candidate, campaign committee, legislative campaign	3860
fund, political contributing entity, political party, political	3861
action committee, limited political action committee, political	3862
contributing entity, limited political contributing entity, or	3863
other entity shall utter or cause to be uttered, over the	3864
broadcasting facilities of any radio or television station within	3865
this state, any communication that is designed to promote the	3866
nomination, election, or defeat of a candidate, or the adoption or	3867
defeat of an issue or to influence the voters in an election,	3868
unless the speaker identifies the speaker with the speaker's name	3869
and residence address or unless the communication identifies the	3870
chairperson, treasurer, or secretary of the organization	3871
responsible for the communication with the name and residence or	3872
business address of that officer, except that communications by	3873
radio need not broadcast the residence or business address of the	3874
officer. However, a radio station, for a period of at least six	3875
months, shall keep the residence or business address on file and	3876
divulge it to any person upon request.	3877

No person operating a broadcast station or an organ of	3878
printed media shall broadcast or print a paid political	3879
communication that does not contain the identification required by	3880
this section.	3881

(2) Division (B) of this section does not apply to any	3882
communications made on behalf of a radio or television station or	3883
network by any employee of such radio or television station or	3884
network while acting in the course of the employee's employment.	3885

(3) No candidate or entity described in division (B)(1) of	3886
this section shall use or cause to be used a false, fictitious, or	3887
fraudulent name or address in the making or issuing of a	3888
publication or communication included within the provisions of	3889
this section.	3890

(C) No candidate, campaign committee, legislative campaign	3891
fund, political party, political action committee, limited	3892
political action committee, political contributing entity, limited	3893
political contributing entity, or other person or entity shall	3894
conduct a telephone bank for the purpose of promoting the	3895
nomination, election, or defeat of a candidate or the adoption or	3896
defeat of an issue or to influence the voters in an election,	3897
unless the call includes a disclaimer that identifies the name of	3898
the candidate, campaign committee, legislative campaign fund,	3899
political party, political action committee, limited political	3900
action committee, political contributing entity, limited political	3901
contributing entity, or other person or entity paying for the	3902
telephone bank.	3903

(D) Before a prosecution may commence under this section, a	3904
complaint shall be filed with the Ohio elections commission under	3905
section 3517.153 of the Revised Code. After the complaint is	3906
filed, the commission shall proceed in accordance with sections	3907
3517.154 to 3517.157 of the Revised Code.	3908

Sec. 3517.23.  The secretary of state shall adopt rules in	3909
accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code that are	3910
necessary for the administration and enforcement of sections	3911
3517.08 to 3517.13, 3517.18, 3517.20 to 3517.22, 3599.03, and	3912
3599.031 of the Revised Code and shall provide each candidate,	3913
political action committee, political contributing entity,	3914
legislative campaign fund, political party, and person making	3915
disbursements to pay the direct costs of producing or airing	3916
electioneering communications with written instructions and	3917
explanations in order to ensure compliance with sections 3517.08	3918
to 3517.13, 3517.17, 3517.18, 3517.20 to 3517.22, 3599.03, and	3919
3599.031 of the Revised Code.	3920

Sec. 3517.992.  This section establishes penalties only with	3921
respect to acts or failures to act that occur on and after August	3922
24, 1995.	3923

(A)(1) A candidate whose campaign committee violates division	3924
(A), (B), (C), (D), or (V) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code,	3925
or a treasurer of a campaign committee who violates any of those	3926
divisions, shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars for	3927
each day of violation.	3928

(2) Whoever violates division (E) or (X)(5) of section	3929
3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than one	3930
hundred dollars for each day of violation.	3931

(B) A political party that violates division (F)(1) of	3932
section 3517.101 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than	3933
one hundred dollars for each day of violation.	3934

(C) Whoever violates division (F)(2) of section 3517.101 or	3935
division (G) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined	3936
not more than ten thousand dollars or, if the offender is a person	3937
who was nominated or elected to public office, shall forfeit the	3938
nomination or the office to which the offender was elected, or	3939
both.	3940

(D) Whoever violates division (F) of section 3517.13 of the	3941
Revised Code shall be fined not more than three times the amount	3942
contributed.	3943

(E) Whoever violates division (H) of section 3517.13 of the	3944
Revised Code shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars.	3945

(F) Whoever violates division (O), (P), or (Q) of section	3946
3517.13 of the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the	3947
first degree.	3948

(G) A state or county committee of a political party that	3949
violates division (B)(1) of section 3517.18 of the Revised Code	3950
shall be fined not more than twice the amount of the improper	3951
expenditure.	3952

(H) A state or county political party that violates division	3953
(G) of section 3517.101 of the Revised Code shall be fined not	3954
more than twice the amount of the improper expenditure or use.	3955

(I)(1) Any individual who violates division (B)(1) of section	3956
3517.102 of the Revised Code and knows that the contribution the	3957
individual makes violates that division shall be fined an amount	3958
equal to three times the amount contributed in excess of the	3959
amount permitted by that division.	3960

(2) Any political action committee that violates division	3961
(B)(2) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an	3962
amount equal to three times the amount contributed in excess of	3963
the amount permitted by that division.	3964

(3) Any campaign committee that violates division (B)(3) or	3965
(5) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an	3966
amount equal to three times the amount contributed in excess of	3967
the amount permitted by that division.	3968

(4)(a) Any legislative campaign fund that violates division	3969
(B)(6) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an	3970
amount equal to three times the amount transferred or contributed	3971
in excess of the amount permitted by that division, as applicable.	3972

(b) Any state political party, county political party, or	3973
state candidate fund of a state political party or county	3974
political party that violates division (B)(6) of section 3517.102	3975
of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times	3976
the amount transferred or contributed in excess of the amount	3977
permitted by that division, as applicable.	3978

(c) Any political contributing entity that violates division	3979
(B)(7) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an	3980
amount equal to three times the amount contributed in excess of	3981
the amount permitted by that division.	3982

(5) Any political party that violates division (B)(4) of	3983
section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount	3984
equal to three times the amount contributed in excess of the	3985
amount permitted by that division.	3986

(6) Notwithstanding divisions (I)(1), (2), (3), (4), and (5)	3987
of this section, no violation of division (B) of section 3517.102	3988
of the Revised Code occurs, and the secretary of state shall not	3989
refer parties to the Ohio elections commission, if the amount	3990
transferred or contributed in excess of the amount permitted by	3991
that division meets either of the following conditions:	3992

(a) It is completely refunded within five business days after	3993
it is accepted.	3994

(b) It is completely refunded on or before the tenth business	3995
day after notification to the recipient of the excess transfer or	3996
contribution by the board of elections or the secretary of state	3997
that a transfer or contribution in excess of the permitted amount	3998
has been received.	3999

(J)(1) Any campaign committee that violates division (C)(1),	4000
(2), (3), or (6) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be	4001
fined an amount equal to three times the amount accepted in excess	4002
of the amount permitted by that division.	4003

(2)(a) Any county political party that violates division	4004
(C)(4)(a)(ii) or (iii) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code	4005
shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount accepted.	4006

(b) Any county political party that violates division	4007
(C)(4)(a)(i) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be	4008
fined an amount from its state candidate fund equal to three times	4009
the amount accepted in excess of the amount permitted by that	4010
division.	4011

(c) Any state political party that violates division	4012
(C)(4)(b) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined	4013
an amount from its state candidate fund equal to three times the	4014
amount accepted in excess of the amount permitted by that	4015
division.	4016

(3) Any legislative campaign fund that violates division	4017
(C)(5) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined an	4018
amount equal to three times the amount accepted in excess of the	4019
amount permitted by that division.	4020

(4) Any political action committee or political contributing	4021
entity that violates division (C)(7) of section 3517.102 of the	4022
Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the	4023
amount accepted in excess of the amount permitted by that	4024
division.	4025

(5) Notwithstanding divisions (J)(1), (2), (3), and (4) of	4026
this section, no violation of division (C) of section 3517.102 of	4027
the Revised Code occurs, and the secretary of state shall not	4028
refer parties to the Ohio elections commission, if the amount	4029
transferred or contributed in excess of the amount permitted to be	4030
accepted by that division meets either of the following	4031
conditions:	4032

(a) It is completely refunded within five business days after	4033
its acceptance.	4034

(b) It is completely refunded on or before the tenth business	4035
day after notification to the recipient of the excess transfer or	4036
contribution by the board of elections or the secretary of state	4037
that a transfer or contribution in excess of the permitted amount	4038
has been received.	4039

(K)(1) Any legislative campaign fund that violates division	4040
(F)(1) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall be fined	4041
twenty-five dollars for each day of violation.	4042

(2) Any legislative campaign fund that violates division	4043
(F)(2) of section 3517.102 of the Revised Code shall give to the	4044
treasurer of state for deposit into the state treasury to the	4045
credit of the Ohio elections commission fund all excess	4046
contributions not disposed of as required by division (E) of	4047
section 3517.102 of the Revised Code.	4048

(L) Whoever violates section 3517.105 of the Revised Code	4049
shall be fined one thousand dollars.	4050

(M)(1) Whoever solicits a contribution in violation of	4051
section 3517.092 or violates division (B) of section 3517.09 of	4052
the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree.	4053

(2) Whoever knowingly accepts a contribution in violation of	4054
division (B) or (C) of section 3517.092 of the Revised Code shall	4055
be fined an amount equal to three times the amount accepted in	4056
violation of either of those divisions and shall return to the	4057
contributor any amount so accepted. Whoever unknowingly accepts a	4058
contribution in violation of division (B) or (C) of section	4059
3517.092 of the Revised Code shall return to the contributor any	4060
amount so accepted.	4061

(N) Whoever violates division (S) of section 3517.13 of the	4062
Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to three times the	4063
amount of funds transferred or three times the value of the assets	4064
transferred in violation of that division.	4065

(O) Any campaign committee that accepts a contribution or	4066
contributions in violation of section 3517.108 of the Revised	4067
Code, uses a contribution in violation of that section, or fails	4068
to dispose of excess contributions in violation of that section	4069
shall be fined an amount equal to three times the amount accepted,	4070
used, or kept in violation of that section.	4071

(P) Any political party, state candidate fund, legislative	4072
candidate fund, or campaign committee that violates division (T)	4073
of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount	4074
equal to three times the amount contributed or accepted in	4075
violation of that section.	4076

(Q) A treasurer of a committee or another person who violates	4077
division (U) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined	4078
not more than two hundred fifty dollars.	4079

(R) Whoever violates division (I) or (J) of section 3517.13	4080
of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than one thousand	4081
dollars. Whenever a person is found guilty of violating division	4082
(I) or (J) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code, the contract	4083
awarded in violation of either of those divisions shall be	4084
rescinded if its terms have not yet been performed.	4085

(S) A candidate whose campaign committee violates or a	4086
treasurer of a campaign committee who violates section 3517.081 of	4087
the Revised Code, and a candidate whose campaign committee	4088
violates or a treasurer of a campaign committee or another person	4089
who violates division (C) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code,	4090
shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars.	4091

(T) A candidate whose campaign committee violates or a	4092
treasurer of a committee who violates division (B) of section	4093
3517.09 of the Revised Code, or a candidate whose campaign	4094
committee violates or a treasurer of a campaign committee or	4095
another person who violates division (C) of section 3517.09 of the	4096
Revised Code shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars.	4097

(U) Whoever violates section 3517.20 of the Revised Code	4098
shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars.	4099

(V) Whoever violates section 3517.21 or 3517.22 of the	4100
Revised Code shall be imprisoned for not more than six months or	4101
fined not more than five thousand dollars, or both.	4102

(W) A campaign committee that is required to file a	4103
declaration of no limits under division (D)(2) of section 3517.103	4104
of the Revised Code that, before filing that declaration, accepts	4105
a contribution or contributions that exceed the limitations	4106
prescribed in section 3517.102 of the Revised Code, shall return	4107
that contribution or those contributions to the contributor.	4108

(X) Any campaign committee that fails to file the declaration	4109
of filing-day finances required by division (F) of section	4110
3517.109 or the declaration of primary-day finances or declaration	4111
of year-end finances required by division (E) of section 3517.1010	4112
of the Revised Code shall be fined twenty-five dollars for each	4113
day of violation.	4114

(Y) Any campaign committee that fails to dispose of excess	4115
funds or excess aggregate contributions under division (B) of	4116
section 3517.109 of the Revised Code in the manner required by	4117
division (C) of that section or under division (B) of section	4118
3517.1010 of the Revised Code in the manner required by division	4119
(C) of that section shall give to the treasurer of state for	4120
deposit into the Ohio elections commission fund created under	4121
division (I) of section 3517.152 of the Revised Code all funds not	4122
disposed of pursuant to those divisions.	4123

(Z) Any individual, campaign committee, political action	4124
committee, political contributing entity, legislative campaign	4125
fund, political party, or other entity that violates any provision	4126
of sections 3517.09 to 3517.12 of the Revised Code for which no	4127
penalty is provided for under any other division of this section	4128
shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars.	4129

(AA)(1) Whoever knowingly violates division (W)(1) of section	4130
3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to	4131
three times the amount contributed, expended, or promised in	4132
violation of that division or ten thousand dollars, whichever	4133
amount is greater.	4134

(2) Whoever knowingly violates division (W)(2) of section	4135
3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be fined an amount equal to	4136
three times the amount solicited or accepted in violation of that	4137
division or ten thousand dollars, whichever amount is greater.	4138

(BB) Whoever knowingly violates division (C) or (D) of	4139
section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code shall be fined not more than	4140
ten thousand dollars plus not more than one thousand dollars for	4141
each day of violation.	4142

(CC)(1) Subject to division (CC)(2) of this section, whoever	4143
violates division (H) of section 3517.1011 of the Revised Code	4144
shall be fined an amount up to three times the amount disbursed	4145
for the direct costs of airing the communication made in violation	4146
of that division.	4147

(2) Whoever has been ordered by the Ohio elections commission	4148
or by a court of competent jurisdiction to cease making	4149
communications in violation of division (H) of section 3517.1011	4150
of the Revised Code who again violates that division shall be	4151
fined an amount equal to three times the amount disbursed for the	4152
direct costs of airing the communication made in violation of that	4153
division.	4154

(DD)(1) Any corporation or labor organization that violates	4155
division (X)(3)(a) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be	4156
fined an amount equal to three times the amount given in excess of	4157
the amount permitted by that division.	4158

(2) Any state or county political party that violates	4159
division (X)(3)(b) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code shall be	4160
fined an amount equal to three times the amount accepted in excess	4161
of the amount permitted by that division.	4162

Section 2. That existing sections 102.03, 2921.01, 2921.43,	4163
3517.01, 3517.08, 3517.09, 3517.092, 3517.10, 3517.102, 3517.105,	4164
3517.106, 3517.108, 3517.109, 3517.11, 3517.13, 3517.152,	4165
3517.155, 3517.20, 3517.23, and 3517.992 of the Revised Code are	4166
hereby repealed.	4167

Section 3. This act is hereby declared to be an emergency	4168
measure necessary for the immediate preservation of the public	4169
peace, health, and safety. The reason for the necessity is that	4170
the Court of Common Pleas of Franklin County has issued a	4171
preliminary injunction prohibiting the enforcement of section	4172
3599.03 of the Revised Code, as enacted by Am. Sub. H.B. 1 of the	4173
125th General Assembly, Special Session, in United Auto Workers	4174
Local Union 1112 v. Blackwell (March 30, 2005), Case No.	4175
O5CVH-03-2553. Therefore, this act shall go into immediate effect.	4176