Arkansas Code of 1987 (2023) › Title 7 - ELECTIONS (§§ 7-1-101 — 7-11-303) › Chapter 9 - INITIATIVES, REFERENDA, AND CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS (§§ 7-9-101 — 7-9-704) › Subchapter 4 - DISCLOSURE FOR MATTERS REFERRED TO VOTERS (§§ 7-9-401 — 7-9-415) › Section 7-9-404 - Filing deadlines

(a)
(1)
(A)
A ballot question committee or a legislative question committee shall file a statement of organization with the Arkansas Ethics Commission within five (5) days of receiving contributions or making expenditures in excess of five hundred dollars ($500) for the purpose of expressly advocating the qualification, disqualification, passage, or defeat of a ballot question or the passage or defeat of a legislative question.
(B)
The commission shall maintain the statement of organization until notified of the committee's dissolution.
(2)
A ballot question committee or legislative question committee failing to file a statement of organization required by this section shall be subject to a late filing fee not exceeding fifty dollars ($50.00) for each day the statement remains not filed.
(b)
The statement of organization for a ballot question committee as defined in §
7-9-402(2)(A)
or a legislative question committee as defined in §
7-9-402(10)(A)
shall include the following information:
(1)
The name, the street address, and where available, the telephone number of the committee. A committee address and telephone number may be that of the residence of an officer or a director of the committee;
(2)
The name, street address, and if available, the telephone number of the treasurer and other principal officers and directors of the committee;
(3)
The name and address of each financial institution in which the committee deposits money or anything else of monetary value;
(4)
The name of each person who is a member of the committee. A person that is not an individual may be listed by its name without also listing its own members, if any; and
(5)
A brief statement identifying the substance of each ballot question, the qualification, disqualification, passage, or defeat of which the committee seeks to influence or of each legislative question, the passage or defeat of which the committee seeks to influence, and if known, the date each ballot or legislative question shall be presented to a popular vote at an election.
(c)
The statement of organization for a ballot question committee as defined in §
7-9-402(2)(B)
or a legislative question committee as defined in §
7-9-402(10)(B)
shall include:
(1)
(A)
The name, the street address, and if available, the telephone number of the committee.
(B)
The address and telephone number of a committee in subdivision (c)(1)(A) of this section may be that of the residence of an officer or a director of the committee;
(2)
The name, street address, and if available, the telephone number of the treasurer and the other principal officers and directors of the committee;
(3)
The name and address of each financial institution in which the committee deposits money or anything else of monetary value;
(4)
(A)
The name of each person who is a member of the committee.
(B)
A person that is not an individual may be listed by its name without also listing its own members, if any; and
(5)
A brief statement identifying the substance of each ballot question, the qualification, disqualification, passage, or defeat of which the committee seeks to influence, and if known, the date each ballot or legislative question shall be presented to a popular vote at an election.
(d)
When any of the information required in a statement of organization is changed, an amendment shall be filed within ten (10) days to reflect the change, except that changes in individual membership may be filed when the next financial report is required. A committee failing to file a change as required shall be subject to a late filing fee not exceeding twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for each day the change remains not filed.
(e)
Upon dissolution, a ballot question committee or a legislative question committee shall notify the commission in writing. Any remaining funds on hand at the time of dissolution shall be turned over to either:
(1)
The Treasurer of State for the benefit of the General Revenue Fund Account of the State Apportionment Fund;
(2)
An organized political party as defined in §
7-1-101
or a political party caucus of the General Assembly, the Senate, or House of Representatives;
(3)
A nonprofit organization that is exempt from taxation under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986;
(4)
Cities of the first class, cities of the second class, or incorporated towns; or
(5)
The contributors to the ballot or legislative question committee.
Amended by Act 2017, No. 721,§ 6, eff. 8/1/2017.
Amended by Act 2015, No. 226,§ 7, eff. 7/22/2015.
Acts 1989, No. 261, § 4; 1989, No. 634, § 4; 1993, No. 1114, § 3; 1999, No. 553, § 24; 2001, No. 1839, § 18; 2005, No. 1284, §§ 9, 10; 2005, No. 1765, § 2; 2007, No. 221, § 13; 2007, No. 1001, § 1.