(a) The Commission may develop and operate an online system for filing statements of economic interests required by Article 2 (commencing with Section 87200) and Article 3 (commencing with Section 87300). Consistent with Section 87500.4, the online system shall enable a filer to comply with the requirements of this chapter relating to the filing of statements of economic interests and shall include, but not be limited to, both of the following:

(1) A means or method whereby a filer may electronically file, free of charge, a statement of economic interests that includes an electronic transmission that is submitted under penalty of perjury in conformity with Section 81004 of this code and subdivision (b) of Section 1633.11 of the Civil Code.

(2) Security safeguards that include firewalls, data encryption, secure authentication, and all necessary hardware and software and industry best practices to ensure that the security and integrity of the data and information contained in each statement of economic interests are not jeopardized or compromised.

(b) (1) A system developed pursuant to subdivision (a) shall issue to a person who electronically files his or her statement of economic interests, or an amendment to a statement of economic interests, an electronic confirmation that notifies the filer that his or her statement of economic interests or amendment was received. The confirmation shall include the date and the time that the statement of economic interests or amendment was received and the method by which the filer may view and print the data received.

(2) A paper copy retained by the filer of a statement of economic interests or amendment that was electronically filed and the confirmation issued pursuant to paragraph (1) that shows that the filer timely filed his or her statement of economic interests or amendment shall create a rebuttable presumption that the filer filed his or her statement of economic interests or amendment on time.

(c) If the Commission develops an online system pursuant to subdivision (a), it shall conduct public hearings to receive input on the implementation of that system, maintain ongoing coordination among affected state and local agencies as necessary, and develop training and assistance programs for state and local filing officers and filers regarding use of the online system for filing statements of economic interests.

(d) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Commission may make all the data filed on a system developed pursuant to subdivision (a) available on the Commission’s Internet Web site in an easily understood format that provides the greatest public access, and shall provide assistance to those seeking public access to the information.

(2) The Commission shall redact private information, including, but not limited to, the signatures of filers, from the data that is made available on the Internet pursuant to this subdivision. The Commission shall develop and implement a policy regarding redaction of private information for the purposes of this paragraph, and shall conduct one or more public hearings to receive input on the development of that policy.

(Added by Stats. 2013, Ch. 643, Sec. 1. (AB 409) Effective October 8, 2013.)