SB 392 Summary

• Requires candidate committee treasurers to refund non-qualifying contributions to contributors (rather than transmitting them to the Citizens' Election Fund), including contributions from state contractor principals, amounts under $5, contributions lacking full donor information, excess out-of-state contributions, and contributions from children under 12 years old.

• Establishes that the State Elections Enforcement Commission must advise applicants of rejected contributions, cite the specific reason for rejection, and return such contributions to candidate committees when reviewing Citizens' Election Program grant applications.

• Permits candidate committee treasurers to accept contributions through mobile application electronic payment services if the source is the contributor's personal checking or credit card account, and requires anonymous contributions to be remitted immediately to the Commission for deposit in the General Fund.

• Clarifies that individual contributions over $100 to candidates or candidate committees must be made by personal check or credit card (including mobile payment services), and requires the same payment method for contributions over $100 to other committees.

• Establishes expedited timelines for State Elections Enforcement Commission complaint processing, requiring decisions or dismissals within 60 days (or one year for complaints after January 1, 2018), with mandatory resolution prior to election day for complaints filed within 90 days before an election.