Subdivision 1. First registration. (a) The treasurer of a political committee, political fund, principal campaign committee, or party unit must register with the board by filing a registration statement. The registration statement must be filed by the earliest of the following dates:

(1) no later than 14 days after the committee, fund, or party unit has made a contribution, received contributions, or made expenditures in excess of $750;

(2) no later than the next report of receipts and expenditures filing date applicable to the committee, fund, or party unit if the committee, fund, or party unit reached the threshold in clause (1) before the end of the reporting period covered by that report; or

(3) by the end of the next business day after it has received a loan or contribution that must be reported under section 10A.20, subdivision 5.

(b) This subdivision does not apply to ballot question or independent expenditure political committees or funds, which are subject to subdivision 1a.

Subd. 1a. Independent expenditure or ballot question political committees and funds; first registration; reporting. The treasurer of an independent expenditure or ballot question political committee or fund must register with the board by filing a registration statement. The registration must be filed by the earliest of the following dates:

(1) no later than 14 calendar days after the committee or the association registering the political fund has:

(i) received aggregate contributions for independent expenditures of more than $1,500 in a calendar year;

(ii) received aggregate contributions for expenditures to promote or defeat a ballot question of more than $5,000 in a calendar year;

(iii) made aggregate independent expenditures of more than $1,500 in a calendar year; or

(iv) made aggregate expenditures to promote or defeat a ballot question of more than $5,000 in a calendar year;

(2) no later than the next report of receipts and expenditures filing date applicable to the independent expenditure or ballot question committee or fund if the committee or fund reached the threshold in clause (1) before the end of the reporting period covered by that report; or

(3) by the end of the next business day after it has received a loan or contribution that must be reported under section 10A.20, subdivision 5, and it has met one of the requirements of clause (1).

Subd. 2. Form. The statement of organization must include:

(1) the name, address, and website address if the registrant maintains a website, of the committee, fund, or party unit;

(2) the name, address, and e-mail address of the chair of a political committee, principal campaign committee, or party unit;

(3) the name and address of any supporting association of a political fund;

(4) the name, address, and e-mail address of the treasurer and any deputy treasurers;

(5) the name, address, and e-mail address of the candidate of a principal campaign committee;

(6) a listing of all depositories or safety deposit boxes used; and

(7) for the state committee of a political party only, a list of its party units.

Subd. 3. [Repealed, 1976 c 307 s 35]

Subd. 4. Failure to file; penalty. If an individual fails to file a statement required by this section by the date that the statement was due, the board may impose a late filing fee of $25 per day, not to exceed $1,000, starting on the day after the statement was due.

The board must send notice by certified mail to any individual who fails to file a statement within ten business days after the statement was due that the individual may be subject to a civil penalty for failure to file the statement. An individual who fails to file the statement within seven days after the certified mail notice was sent by the board is subject to a civil penalty imposed by the board of up to $1,000.

Subd. 5. Exemptions. For good cause shown, the board must grant exemptions to the requirement that e-mail addresses be provided.

History: 1974 c 470 s 14; 1975 c 271 s 6; 1976 c 307 s 12; 1978 c 463 s 44-46; 1979 c 59 s 4; 1986 c 444; 1993 c 318 art 2 s 8; 1999 c 220 s 17,50; 2002 c 363 s 14; 2008 c 295 s 4; 2010 c 327 s 11-13; 2013 c 138 art 1 s 24,25; 2015 c 73 s 6-8