Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
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State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1694 3
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By: Representative Hawk 5
By: Senator Crowell 6
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING ALTERNATIVES TO 9
ELECTRONIC FILING FOR CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS; AND 10
FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 11
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Subtitle 14
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING ALTERNATIVES 15
TO ELECTRONIC FILING FOR CAMPAIGN 16
FINANCE REPORTS. 17
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 19
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SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 7 -6-230 is amended to read as follows: 21
7-6-230. Alternative to electronic Electronic filing of reports. 22
(a)(1) A candidate required to file campaign contribution and 23
expenditure reports in electronic form under § 7 -6-207 may file reports in 24
paper form under this section. 25
(2)(A) A candidate filing reports in paper form under 26
subdivision (a)(1) of this section shall submit with his or her first paper 27
report in an election cycle a notarized affidavit on a form prepared by the 28
Secretary of State. 29
(B) The Secretary of State shall: 30
(i) Not accept a report in paper form under 31
subdivision (a)(1) of this section if a notarized affidavit was not submitted 32
with the first paper report in the election cycle; 33
(ii) Provide written notice to the candidate within 34
five (5) business days if the report in paper form was not filed or accepted; 35
and 36 HB1694
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(iii) Provide the reason the report in paper form 1
was not filed or accepted. 2
(C)(a) The Secretary of State shall develop electronic 3
reporting forms for campaign contribution and expenditure reports required 4
under § 7-6-207, including without limitation: 5
(i)(1) A cover sheet for a reporting period; 6
(ii)(2) Campaign contribution reports; and 7
(iii)(3) Campaign expenditure reports. 8
(D)(b) The Secretary of State shall develop electronic 9
reporting forms in a manner that allows a candidate to: 10
(i)(1) Fill out an electronic form for each 11
reporting period in an electronic word processing file, portable document 12
format, or equivalent format that may be saved in a read -only format; 13
(ii)(2) Upload the electronic reporting forms 14
electronically by an upload to the internet or delivered by electronic media 15
to the Secretary of State; and 16
(iii)(3) Combine all electronic forms into a single 17
document that is available to the public in an electronically searchable 18
format. 19
(b)(1) The Secretary of State shall make available to candidates 20
wishing to file reports in paper form under this section: 21
(A) Information on the deadlines for filing required 22
reports; and 23
(B)(i) Appropriate forms and instructions for complying 24
with the deadlines. 25
(ii) The Arkansas Ethics Commission shall approve 26
the forms and instructions used by the Secretary of State to ensure that all 27
required information is requested. 28
(2) Reports shall be filed on the forms furnished by the 29
Secretary of State, except that computer -generated contribution and 30
expenditure reports shall be accepted by the Secretary of State and the 31
commission provided that all of the requisite elements are included. 32
(c)(1)(A) A report submitted in paper form under this section other 33
than a preelection report is timely filed if it is either hand delivered or 34
mailed to the Secretary of State, properly addressed, and postage prepaid, 35
bearing a postmark indicating that it was received by the post office or 36 HB1694
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common carrier on the date that the report is due. 1
(B) A preelection report submitted in paper form under 2
this section is timely filed if it is received by the Secretary of State no 3
later than seven (7) days before the election for which it is filed. 4
(2) The Secretary of State shall accept a report via facsimile, 5
provided the original is received by the Secretary of State within ten (10) 6
days of the date of facsimile transmission. 7
(d)(1) The Secretary of State shall make available campaign 8
contribution and expenditure reports submitted in paper form, carryover fund 9
reports submitted in paper form, and affidavits accompanying reports filed in 10
paper form, on a portion of the official website of the Secretary of State. 11
(2) The Secretary of State shall comply with the requirements of 12
§ 7-6-214(c) regarding the “paper filer” designation and publication 13
requirements for all reports submitted in paper form. 14
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