SB223 Summary

• Prohibits social media websites from deactivating, restricting, cancelling, or discontinuing a candidate's access to or use of their resources during an election, effective with the 2022 election cycle.

• Imposes a daily administrative penalty of $100,000 against any social media website that violates the restriction, with penalties payable to the Secretary of State within 45 days and collected penalties distributed to the State General Fund.

• Requires the Secretary of State to determine the value of any public endorsement or promotion by a social media website of a candidate and notify the campaign committee treasurer that this value must be recorded as a campaign contribution.

• Makes failure by a campaign committee to timely report such endorsement value as a contribution a violation of campaign finance reporting requirements.

• Becomes effective on the first day of the third month following passage and approval by the Governor.