FOR the purpose of specifying that certain campaign finance reports required to be
filed with the State Board of Elections be submitted on a diskette; allowing
those campaign finance reports, beginning with a certain date, to be filed with
the State Board of Elections using any electronic medium approved by the State
Board; and generally relating to the submission of campaign finance reports.

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article 33 - Election Code
Section 13-402(d), (e), and (f)
Annotated Code of Maryland

(1997 Replacement Volume and 1998 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article 33 - Election Code

13-402.

(d) (1) (I) Beginning with the campaign finance report due in November
1999, all campaign finance reports ALL CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS DUE BEFORE
NOVEMBER 1, 2000, AS required under § 13-401 of this subtitle which must, SHALL be
filed with the State Board shall be submitted ON A DISKETTE and maintained by the
State Board in an electronic storage format.

(II) BEGINNING WITH THE CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORT DUE IN
NOVEMBER 2000, ALL CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS REQUIRED UNDER § 13-401 OF
THIS SUBTITLE WHICH MUST BE FILED WITH THE STATE BOARD MAY BE SUBMITTED
USING ANY ELECTRONIC MEDIUM APPROVED BY THE STATE BOARD.

(2) Beginning in November 1999, upon request, the State Board shall
supply to a person who is required to file reports [in an electronic storage format]
USING AN ELECTRONIC MEDIUM the computer software and the disks or other media
on which the campaign finance information is to be entered.

(3) Beginning in November 1999, the State Board shall make the
campaign finance information that is filed with and maintained by the State Board in
an electronic storage format widely and easily accessible to the public, utilizing any
existing public or private systems for data dissemination, and on terms that the State
Board considers consistent with the purposes and requirements of this article.

(e) The State Board may:

(1) Refuse to accept or process any campaign finance report that is
incomplete or not submitted in accordance with the requirements of this section; and

(2) Exempt candidates, personal treasurer accounts, and political
committees with de minimis financial activity from submitting campaign finance
reports [in an electronic storage format] USING AN ELECTRONIC MEDIUM.

(f) The State Board shall: