TO: MSAEMembersFROM: ShelbyDeMars,MSAEExecutiveDirectorDATE: 07-19-19SUBJECT: CommissionerofPoliticalPractices,SAVAAgendaItemSummaryMSAEMembers,BelowisabriefsummaryoftheagencybillconceptsthatwerepresentedbyCommissionerofPoliticalPractices,JeffMangan,attheStateAdministration&VeteransAffairs(“SAVA”)InterimCommitteeonWednesday,July18th,2018.Pleasenotethattheseareideasforpotentialbillsandarenotyetavailableinbilldraftform,butareideasthattheagencieshopetoputforward.TherewasmuchdiscussionamongtheSAVAcommitteemembersaboutwhethersomeoftheseproposalswereundertheirjurisdictionorwereunderthepurviewofanothercommittee.TheSAVAcommitteewillmeetagainon(mostlikely)September6th.Thisisgenerallythemeetingwheretheyconductfinalactionontheircommitteebills.However,iftheyhaveabillthatisrequestedinSeptember,theycouldreviewandtakeactiononitinNovember.ThefollowingisalistofbillideaspresentedbyCommissionerJeffManganoftheMontanaOfficeofPoliticalPractices:

1. ReviseTimeforFilingReports:Thiswouldrequirethateveryoneuseelectronicfilingandattemptstosimplifythereportingcalendarforbothpoliticalcommitteesandcandidates.TheproposalfromtheCommissionersofficewouldsimplifythereportingcalendarstoreport4timesbeforeeachelectionandtherewouldbetwoseparatecalendars—oneforpoliticalcommitteesandoneforcandidates.Eachcalendarwouldstillrequirethatanycommittee,candidateorotherwise,tofileFormC7orC7(e)whicharethereportsforcontributionsandexpendituresmadeimmediatelypriortoanelection.

2. RevisedEthicsLaws:Thistopicareacoversseveralseparateproposalsfromthe

Commissionersoffice:

o TheCommissionersofficeisproposingastatutorychangethatseekstoupdatethestatutessothattheyareconsistentwitharecentlydecidedcourtcaseontheconfidentialityofethicscomplaints.ThedraftlanguagesubmittedtothecommitteedelineatesthatwhenacomplaintismadetotheCommissionersoffice,thatitwillremainconfidentialuntiladecisionismadebytheCommissioner,unlessitiswaivedbythesubjectofthecomplaint,therecordsarealreadypublic,oriftherecordsaremadepublicinthecourseofahearing.Pleaseseetheattacheddocumentformoredetailsonthisproposal.

o MCA2-2-121liststhatacandidatecannotuseorpermittheuseofstatefundsforanycampaignpurposes.Thestatuteprovidesalistofresourcesthatcandidatesarenotallowedtouse.TheCommissionersproposedchangewouldadd‘internet’tothatlistofstateresourcesthatacandidatecannotuseforanythingrelatedtotheirelection.

3. IndependentExpenditures:Thisproposalseekstoclarifywhatactionsqualifyas

‘electioneeringcommunications’.Thesechangeswouldalsobeaimedatensuringthattheincidentalcommitteefilingformsareclearandeasytounderstandfornon-politicalentitiesthatmayberequiredtoreportelectioneeringactivity.

4. AddaReportingRequirementfor‘DateContributionReceived’:Thisproposalwould

requirethatthedateacontributionwasreceivedbereportedonthefilingswiththeCommissionerofPoliticalPracticesOffice.

5. RepealNamingStatute:Thisproposalwouldrepealthestatutethatdescribesthe

criteriaapoliticalcommitteemustuseintoselectacommitteename.ThecurrentcommitteenamingrequirementsareinMCA13-37-210.

6. DeputizeinHouseCouncil:ThisisverysimilartoSB23fromthe2017

Session.CurrentlytheCommissionerhastogofindoutsidecounselauthorizeasadeputyCommissionerifheisconflicted.Thiswouldallowthemtodeputizestaffthatisalreadyin-houseattheCommissionersofficeincertaincircumstances.

7. UpdateVoteDisclosure:Thiswouldremovelanguagedeemedunconstitutionalthat

requiresprintedelectionmaterialthatincludesinformationaboutacandidatesvotingrecordtoincludeareferencetotheparticularvotetakenandallrelatedvotesonthesamebillorenactment.TheMCAlistedintheattacheddocumentsdistributedbytheCommissioneris13-37-225(3)—ThisisatypoandshouldactuallybeMCA13-35-225.

8. FairNotice:ThissuggestionwouldincludeballotissuecommitteesintheexistingFair

Noticestatutes(MCA13-35-402)

9. RepealPettyCash:Currentlypettycashcanbeusedonacandidatecampaignorbyapoliticalcommittee,butitisdifficulttoreportandisrarelyused.(MCA13-37-335)

10. LobbyistStatutes:DependingonwhatisdecidedbytheLegislativeCouncil,theCommissionersofficeisconsideringpotentiallyputtinginplacearequirementthat,inordertobecomearegisteredlobbyist,youmustcompleteanethics/sexualharassmenttrainingconsistentwiththeprioritiessetforthbytheLegislativeCouncil.TherewasalsosomediscussionaboutpassingaCodeofConductforregisteredlobbyists(ThiswouldpotentiallybeplacedunderMCA5-7-103)

11. ClarifyLocalCandidateReporting:Thisproposalwouldseektoprovideclaritytolocal

candidatesonwhetherornottheircandidatefilingfeethatispaidtotheSecretaryofStatesofficecountstowardstheir$500expenditurethresholdthattriggersreporting.

Respectfully,ShelbyDeMarsMSAEExecutiveDirector**Note:DocumentsdistributedbyCommissionerMangantotheSAVAInterimCommitteeareattachedtotheemailsentwiththisreport**