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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fifth Legislature, Second Regular Session
email; prohibition; political campaigns
Purpose
Prohibits a candidate committee, political action committee or political party (committee) from sending a campaign email to an email address that ends in .edu or .gov. Deems a person who sends a campaign email to an email address that ends in .edu or .gov, liable to the email recipient for $100 per email in any action for damages.
Background
A candidate for election or retention must register as a candidate committee if the candidate receives contributions or makes expenditures, in any combination, of at least $1,000 in connection with that candidacy. An entity must register as a political action committee if the entity is organized for the primary purpose of influencing the result of an election and receives contributions or makes expenditures (A.R.S. § 16-905).
On receipt of a complaint from a third party, a filing officer is the sole public officer who is authorized to initiate an investigation into alleged violations within the filing officer's jurisdiction (A.R.S. § 16-938). A filing officer is defined as the Secretary of State or a county, city or town officer in charge of elections for the jurisdiction who accepts statements and reports for those elections (A.R.S. § 16-901).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Prohibits a committee from sending a campaign email to an email address that ends in .edu or .gov.
2. Deems a person who sends a campaign email to an email address that ends in .edu or .gov, liable to the email recipient for $100 per email in any action for damages.
3. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 9, 2022
MH/MF/slp