SECOND REGULAR SESSION

SENATE BILL NO. 1386

92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

INTRODUCED BY SENATOR SCOTT.

Read 1st time March 1, 2004, and ordered printed.

TERRY L. SPIELER, Secretary.

4827S.01I

AN ACT

To repeal sections 105.466, 105.473, 105.485, 105.487, 105.492, 105.957, 105.961, 105.963, 105.973, 130.011, 130.021, 130.026, 130.036, 130.046, 130.049, 130.050, and 130.057, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof eighteen new section relating to ethics, with penalty provisions.

Section A. Sections 105.466, 105.473, 105.485, 105.487, 105.492, 105.957, 105.961, 105.963, 105.973, 130.011, 130.021, 130.026, 130.036, 130.046, 130.049, 130.050, and 130.057, RSMo, are repealed and eighteen new sections enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 105.466, 105.473, 105.485, 105.487, 105.492, 105.497, 105.957, 105.961, 105.963, 130.011, 130.021, 130.026, 130.036, 130.046, 130.049, 130.050, 130.057, and 130.062, to read as follows:

105.466. 1. No provision of sections 105.450 to 105.458, 105.462 to [105.468] 105.467, and 105.472 to 105.482 shall be construed to prohibit any person from performing any ministerial act or any act required by order of a court or by law to be performed.

2. No provision of sections 105.450 to 105.458, 105.462 to [105.468] 105.467, and 105.472 to 105.482 shall be construed to prohibit any person from communicating with the office of the attorney general or any prosecuting attorney or any attorney for any political subdivision concerning any prospective claim or complaint then under consideration not otherwise prohibited by law.

3. No provision of sections 105.450 to 105.458, 105.462 to [105.468] 105.467, and 105.472 to 105.482 shall be construed to prohibit any person, firm or corporation from receiving compensation for property taken by the state or any political subdivision thereof under the power of eminent domain in accordance with the provisions of the constitution and the laws of the state.

105.473. 1. Each lobbyist shall, not later than January fifth of each year, or five days after beginning any activities as a lobbyist, file standardized registration forms, verified by a written declaration that it is made under the penalties of perjury, along with a filing fee of ten dollars, with the commission. The forms shall include the lobbyist's name and business address, the name and address of all persons such lobbyist employs for lobbying purposes, the name and address of each lobbyist principal by whom such lobbyist is employed or in whose interest such lobbyist appears or works. The commission shall maintain files on all lobbyists' filings, which shall be open to the public. Each lobbyist shall file an updating statement under oath within one week of any addition, deletion, or change in the lobbyist's employment or representation. The filing fee shall be deposited to the general revenue fund of the state. The lobbyist principal or a lobbyist employing another person for lobbying purposes may notify the commission that a judicial, executive or legislative lobbyist is no longer authorized to lobby for the principal or the lobbyist and should be removed from the commission's files.

2. Each person shall, before giving testimony before any committee of the general assembly, give to the secretary of such committee such person's name and address and the identity of any lobbyist or organization, if any, on whose behalf such person appears. A person who is not a lobbyist as defined in section 105.470 shall not be required to give such person's address if the committee determines that the giving of such address would endanger the person's physical health.

3. (1) During any period of time in which a lobbyist continues to act as an executive lobbyist, judicial lobbyist or a legislative lobbyist, the lobbyist shall file with the commission on standardized forms prescribed by the commission monthly reports which shall be due at the close of business on the tenth day of the following month;

(2) Each report filed pursuant to this subsection shall include a statement, verified by a written declaration that it is made under the penalties of perjury, setting forth the following:

(a) The total of all expenditures by the lobbyist or his or her lobbyist principals made on behalf of all public officials, their staffs and employees, and their spouses and dependent children, which expenditures shall be separated into at least the following categories by the executive branch, judicial branch and legislative branch of government: printing and publication expenses; media and other advertising expenses; travel; entertainment; honoraria; meals, food and beverages; and gifts;

(b) An itemized listing of the name of the recipient and the nature and amount of each expenditure by the lobbyist or his or her lobbyist principal, including a service or anything of value, for all expenditures made during any reporting period, paid or provided to or for a public official, such official's staff, employees, spouse or dependent children;

(c) The total of all expenditures made by a lobbyist or lobbyist principal for occasions and the identity of the group invited, the date and description of the occasion and the amount of the expenditure for each occasion when any of the following are invited in writing:

a. All members of the senate;

b. All members of the house of representatives;

c. All members of a joint committee of the general assembly or a standing committee of either the house of representatives or senate; or

d. All members of a caucus of the general assembly if the caucus consists of at least ten members, a list of the members of the caucus has been previously filed with the ethics committee of the house or the senate, and such list has been approved by either of such ethics committees;

(d) Any expenditure made on behalf of a public official, or the public official's staff, employees, spouse or dependent children, if such expenditure is solicited by such public official, the public official's staff, employees, or spouse or dependent children, from the lobbyist or his or her lobbyist principals and the name of such person or persons, except any expenditures made to any not-for-profit corporation, charitable, fraternal or civic organization or other association formed to provide for good in the order of benevolence;

(e) A statement detailing any direct business relationship or association or partnership the lobbyist has with any public official.

The reports required by this subdivision shall cover the time periods since the filing of the last report or since the lobbyist's employment or representation began, whichever is most recent.

4. No expenditure reported pursuant to this section shall include any amount expended by a lobbyist or lobbyist principal on himself or herself. All expenditures disclosed pursuant to this section shall be valued on the report at the actual amount of the payment made, or the charge, expense, cost, or obligation, debt or bill incurred by the lobbyist or the person the lobbyist represents. Whenever a lobbyist principal employs more than one lobbyist, expenditures of the lobbyist principal shall not be reported by each lobbyist, but shall be reported by one of such lobbyists.

5. Any lobbyist principal shall provide in a timely fashion whatever information is reasonably requested by the lobbyist principal's lobbyist for use in filing the reports required by this section.

6. All information required to be filed pursuant to the provisions of this section with the commission shall be kept available by the executive director of the commission at all times open to the public for inspection and copying for a reasonable fee for a period of five years from the date when such information was filed.

7. No person shall knowingly employ any person who is required to register as a registered lobbyist but is not registered pursuant to this section. Any person who knowingly violates this subsection shall be subject to a civil penalty in an amount of not more than ten thousand dollars for each violation. Such civil penalties shall be collected by action filed by the commission.

8. No lobbyist shall knowingly omit, conceal, or falsify in any manner information required pursuant to this section.

9. The prosecuting attorney of Cole County shall be reimbursed only out of funds specifically appropriated by the general assembly for investigations and prosecutions for violations of this section.

10. Any public official or other person whose name appears in any lobbyist report filed pursuant to this section who contests the accuracy of the portion of the report applicable to such person may petition the commission for an audit of such report and shall state in writing in such petition the specific disagreement with the contents of such report. The commission shall investigate such allegations in the manner described in section 105.959. If the commission determines that the contents of such report are incorrect, incomplete or erroneous, it shall enter an order requiring filing of an amended or corrected report.

11. The commission shall provide a report listing the total spent by a lobbyist for the month and year to any member or member-elect of the general assembly, judge or judicial officer, or any other person holding an elective office of state government on or before the twentieth day of each month. For the purpose of providing accurate information to the public, the commission shall not publish information in either written or electronic form for ten working days after providing the report pursuant to this subsection. The commission shall not release any portion of the lobbyist report if the accuracy of the report has been questioned pursuant to subsection 10 of this section unless it is conspicuously marked "Under Review".

12. Each lobbyist or lobbyist principal by whom the lobbyist was employed, or in whose behalf the lobbyist acted, shall provide a general description of the proposed legislation or action by the executive branch or judicial branch which the lobbyist or lobbyist principal supported or opposed.

This information shall be supplied to the commission on March fifteenth and May thirtieth of each year.

105.485. 1. Each financial interest statement required by sections 105.483 to 105.492 shall be [on a form prescribed by the commission and shall be signed and verified by a written declaration that it is made] filed electronically as prescribed by the commission, under [penalties] the penalty of perjury; provided, however, the [form] statement shall not seek information which is not specifically required by sections 105.483 to 105.492.

2. Each person required to file a financial interest statement pursuant to [subdivisions (1) to (12) of] section 105.483 shall file the following information for [himself, his] such person, the person's spouse and dependent children at any time during the period covered by the statement, whether singularly or collectively; provided, however, that said person, if [he] the person does not know and [his] the person's spouse will not divulge any information required to be reported by this section concerning the financial interest of [his] the person's spouse, shall state on [his] the financial interest statement that [he] the person has disclosed that information known to [him] the person and that [his] the person's spouse has refused or failed to provide other information upon [his] the person's bona fide request, and such statement shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements of this section for such financial interest of [his] the person's spouse; and provided further if the spouse of any person required to file a financial interest statement is also required by section 105.483 to file a financial interest statement, the financial interest statement filed by each need not disclose the financial interest of the other, provided that each financial interest statement shall state that the spouse of the person has filed a separate financial interest statement and the name under which the statement was filed:

(1) The name and address of each of the employers of such person from whom income of one thousand dollars or more was received during the year covered by the statement;

(2) The name and address of each sole proprietorship [which he] the person owned; the name, address and the general nature of the business conducted of each general partnership and joint venture in which [he] the person was a partner or participant; the name and address of each partner or coparticipant for each partnership or joint venture unless such names and addresses are filed by the partnership or joint venture with the secretary of state; the name, address and general nature of the business conducted of any closely held corporation or limited partnership in which the person owned ten percent or more of any class of the outstanding stock or limited partners' units; and the name of any publicly traded corporation or limited partnership which is listed on a regulated stock exchange or automated quotation system in which the person owned two percent or more of any class of outstanding stock, limited partnership units or other equity interests;

(3) The name and address of any other source not reported pursuant to subdivisions (1) and (2) and subdivisions (4) to (9) of this subsection from which such person received one thousand dollars or more of income during the year covered by the statement, including, but not limited to, any income otherwise required to be reported on any tax return such person is required by law to file; except that only the name of any publicly traded corporation or limited partnership which is listed on a regulated stock exchange or automated quotation system need be reported pursuant to this subdivision;

(4) The location by county, the subclassification for property tax assessment purposes, the approximate size and a description of the major improvements and use for each parcel of real property in the state, other than the individual's personal residence, having a fair market value of ten thousand dollars or more in which such person held a vested interest including a leasehold for a term of ten years or longer, and, if the property was transferred during the year covered by the statement, the name and address of the persons furnishing or receiving consideration for such transfer;

(5) The name and address of each entity in which such person owned stock, bonds or other equity interest with a value in excess of ten thousand dollars; except that, if the entity is a corporation listed on a regulated stock exchange, only the name of the corporation need be listed; and provided that any member of any board or commission of the state or any political subdivision who does not receive any compensation for [his] the member's services to the state or political subdivision other than reimbursement for [his] actual expenses or a per diem allowance as prescribed by law for each day of such service, need not report interests in publicly traded corporations or limited partnerships which are listed on a regulated stock exchange or automated quotation system pursuant to this subdivision; and provided further that the provisions of this subdivision shall not require reporting of any interest in any qualified plan or annuity pursuant to the Employees' Retirement Income Security Act;

(6) The name and address of each corporation for which such person served in the capacity of a director, officer or receiver;

(7) The name and address of each not-for-profit corporation and each association, organization, or union, whether incorporated or not, except not-for-profit corporations formed to provide church services, fraternal organizations or service clubs from which the officer or employee draws no remuneration, in which such person was an officer, director, employee or trustee at any time during the year covered by the statement, and for each such organization, a general description of the nature and purpose of the organization;

(8) The name and address of each source from which such person received a gift or gifts, or honorarium or honoraria in excess of two hundred dollars in value per source during the year covered by the statement other than gifts from persons within the third degree of consanguinity or affinity of the person filing the financial interest statement. For the purposes of this section, a gift shall not be construed to mean political contributions otherwise required to be reported by law or hospitality such as food, beverages or admissions to social, art, or sporting events or the like, or informational material. For the purposes of this section, a gift shall include gifts to or by creditors of the individual for the purpose of canceling, reducing or otherwise forgiving the indebtedness of the individual to that creditor;

(9) The lodging and travel expenses provided by any third person for expenses incurred outside the state of Missouri whether by gift or in relation to the duties of office of such official, except that such statement shall not include travel or lodging expenses:

(a) Paid in the ordinary course of business for businesses described in subdivisions (1), (2), (5) and (6) of this subsection which are related to the duties of office of such official; or

(b) For which the official may be reimbursed as provided by law; or

(c) Paid by persons related by the third degree of consanguinity or affinity to the person filing the statement; or

(d) Expenses which are reported by the campaign committee or candidate committee of the person filing the statement pursuant to the provisions of chapter 130, RSMo; or

(e) Paid for purely personal purposes which are not related to the person's official duties by a third person who is not a lobbyist, a lobbyist principal or member, or officer or director of a member, of any association or entity which employs a lobbyist. The statement shall include the name and address of such person who paid the expenses, the date such expenses were incurred, the amount incurred, the location of the travel and lodging, and the nature of the services rendered or reason for the expenses;

(10) The assets in any revocable trust of which the individual is the settlor if such assets would otherwise be required to be reported under this section;

(11) The name, position and relationship of any relative within the first degree of consanguinity or affinity to any other person who:

(a) Is employed by the state of Missouri, by a political subdivision of the state or special district, as defined in section 115.013, RSMo, of the state of Missouri;

(b) Is a lobbyist; or

(c) Is a fee agent of the department of revenue.

3. For the purposes of subdivisions (1), (2) and (3) of subsection 2 of this section, an individual shall be deemed to have received a salary from [his] the individual's employer or income from any source at the time when [he] the individual shall receive a negotiable instrument whether or not payable at a later date and at the time when under the practice of [his] the individual's employer or the terms of an agreement, [he] the individual has earned or is entitled to anything of actual value whether or not delivery of the value is deferred or right to it has vested. The term "income" as used in this section shall have the same meaning as provided in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and amendments thereto, as the same may be or becomes effective, at any time or from time to time for the taxable year, provided that income shall not be considered received or earned for purposes of this section from a partnership or sole proprietorship until such income is converted from business to personal use.

4. Each official, officer or employee or candidate of any political subdivision described in subdivision (11) of section 105.483 shall be required to file a financial interest statement as required by subsection 2 of this section, unless the political subdivision biennially adopts an ordinance, order or resolution at an open meeting by September fifteenth of the preceding year, which establishes and makes public its own method of disclosing potential conflicts of interest and substantial interests and therefore excludes the political subdivision or district and its officers and employees from the requirements of subsection 2 of this section. A certified copy of the ordinance, order or resolution shall be sent to the commission within ten days of its adoption. The commission shall assist any political subdivision in developing forms to complete the requirements of this subsection. The ordinance, order or resolution shall contain, at a minimum, the following requirements with respect to disclosure of substantial interests:

(1) Disclosure in writing of the following described transactions, if any such transactions were engaged in during the calendar year:

(a) For such person, and all persons within the first degree of consanguinity or affinity of such person, the date and the identities of the parties to each transaction with a total value in excess of five hundred dollars, if any, that such person had with the political subdivision, other than compensation received as an employee or payment of any tax, fee or penalty due to the political subdivision, and other than transfers for no consideration to the political subdivision;

(b) The date and the identities of the parties to each transaction known to the person with a total value in excess of five hundred dollars, if any, that any business entity in which such person had a substantial interest, had with the political subdivision, other than payment of any tax, fee or penalty due to the political subdivision or transactions involving payment for providing utility service to the political subdivision, and other than transfers for no consideration to the political subdivision;

(2) The chief administrative officer and chief purchasing officer of such political subdivision shall disclose in writing the information described in subdivisions (1), (2) and (6) of subsection 2 of this section;

(3) Disclosure of such other financial interests applicable to officials, officers and employees of the political subdivision, as may be required by the ordinance or resolution;

(4) Duplicate disclosure reports made pursuant to this subsection shall be filed with the commission and the governing body of the political subdivision. The clerk of such governing body shall maintain such disclosure reports available for public inspection and copying during normal business hours.

105.487. The financial interest statements shall be filed at the following times, but no person is required to file more than one financial interest statement in any calendar year:

(1) Each candidate for elective office, except those candidates for county committee of a political party pursuant to section 115.609, RSMo, or section 115.611, RSMo, who is required to file a personal financial disclosure statement shall file a financial interest statement no later than [fourteen days after the close of filing at which the candidate seeks nomination or election, and the statement shall be for the twelve months prior to the closing date, except that in the event an individual does not become a candidate until after the date of certification for candidates, the statement shall be filed within fourteen days of the individual's nomination by caucus. An individual required to file a financial interest statement because of the individual's candidacy for office prior to a primary election in accordance with this section is also required to amend such statement no later than the close of business on Monday prior to the general election to reflect any changes in financial interest during the interim] the thirty-first day of March or within ten days of filing for office, whichever is later, except any candidate for elective office who is required to file a financial interest statement when the election is held in April, shall file the statement no later than the thirty-first day of January or within ten days of filing for office, whichever is later. Each statement filed shall cover the calendar year ending the immediately preceding December thirty-first, provided that the governor, lieutenant governor, any member of the general assembly, or any member of the governing body of a political subdivision may supplement such person's financial interest statement to report additional interests acquired after December thirty-first of the covered year until the date of filing of the financial interest statement. The appropriate election authority shall provide to the candidate at the time of filing for [election] office written notice of the candidate's obligation to file pursuant to sections 105.483 to 105.492 and the candidate shall sign a statement acknowledging receipt of such notice;

(2) Each person appointed to office, except any person elected for county committee of a political party pursuant to section 115.617, RSMo, and each official or employee described in section 105.483 who is not otherwise covered in this subsection shall file the statement within thirty days of such appointment or employment. This statement shall cover the time period described in subsection (1) of this section;

(3) Every other person required by sections 105.483 to 105.492 to file a financial interest statement shall file the statement annually not later than the [first] thirty-first day of [May] March and the statement shall cover the calendar year ending the immediately preceding December thirty-first; provided that the governor, lieutenant governor, any member of the general assembly or any member of the governing body of a political subdivision may supplement such person's financial interest statement to report additional interests acquired after December thirty-first of the covered year until the date of filing of the financial interest statement. If an individual becomes a candidate for office by nomination of a political caucus, the individual shall file a financial interest statement within ten days of the nomination. Such statement shall cover the time period described in subdivision (1) of this section;

(4) The deadline for filing any statement required by sections 105.483 to 105.492 shall be 5:00 p.m. of the last day designated for filing the statement. When the last day of filing falls on a Saturday or Sunday or on an official state holiday, the deadline for filing is extended to 5:00 p.m. on the next day which is not a Saturday or Sunday or official holiday. Any statement required within a specified time shall be deemed to be timely filed if it is postmarked not later than midnight of the day previous to the last day designated for filing the statement.

105.492. 1. Any person required in sections 105.483 to 105.492 to file a financial interest statement who fails to file such statement by the times required in section 105.487 shall, if such person receives any compensation or other remuneration from public funds for the person's services, not be paid such compensation or receive such remuneration until the person has filed a financial interest statement as required by sections 105.483 to 105.492. Any person required in sections 105.483 to 105.492 to file a financial statement who fails to file such statement by the time required in section 105.487 and continues to fail to file the required financial interest statement for thirty or more days after receiving notice from the commission shall be subject to suspension from office in the manner otherwise provided by law or the constitution. The attorney general or prosecuting or circuit attorney, at the request of the commission, may take appropriate legal action to enforce the provisions of this section.

2. If a candidate for office does not file a financial interest statement by the close of business on the twenty-first day after the last day for filing for election for which the person is a candidate, the commission shall notify the official who accepted such candidate's declaration of candidacy that the candidate is disqualified. Such election official shall remove the candidate's name from the ballot.

3. Failure of any elected official or judge to file a financial interest statement thirty days after notice from the appropriate filing officer shall be grounds for removal from office as may be otherwise provided by law or the constitution.

4. Any person who knowingly misrepresents or omits any facts required to be contained in any financial interest statement filed as required by sections 105.483 to 105.496 is guilty of a class B misdemeanor. Venue for any criminal proceeding brought pursuant to this section shall be the county in which the defendant resided at the time the defendant filed the financial interest statement.

5. Any lobbyist who fails to timely file a lobbying disclosure report as required by section 105.473 shall be assessed a late filing fee of ten dollars for every day such report is late. Any lobbyist who is assessed such a late fee may appeal this assessment as provided in subsection 7 of section 105.963.

105.497. 1. Any member of the general assembly who seeks election only to the office of president pro tempore of the Missouri senate, speaker of the Missouri house of representatives, or speaker pro tempore of the Missouri house of representatives may establish a committee for such purpose. This committee may be in addition to any committee established by the member pursuant to chapter 130, RSMo.

2. Each committee so established shall file disclosure reports setting forth the same content as provided for by section 130.041, RSMo, at the following times and for the following periods:

(1) Not later than the fifteenth day following the close of each calendar quarter;

(2) Not later than the eighth day before the general election for a period closing on the twelfth day before the general election;

(3) Such disclosure reports shall be filed with the Missouri ethics commission.

3. Candidates for the office of president pro tempore of the Missouri senate, speaker of the Missouri house of representatives, and speaker pro tempore of the Missouri house of representatives may accept a contribution equal to the contribution set out in subdivision (1) of subsection 1 of section 130.032, RSMo, as increased by subsection 2 of section 130.032, RSMo.

4. A committee established pursuant to this section shall neither make any political contributions to the candidate committee of the candidate who controls the committee, nor purchase any political advertising for such individual.

105.957. 1. The commission shall receive any complaints alleging violation of the provisions of:

(1) The requirements imposed on lobbyists by sections 105.470 to 105.478;

(2) The financial interest disclosure requirements contained in sections 105.483 to 105.492;

(3) The campaign finance disclosure requirements contained in chapter 130, RSMo;

(4) Any code of conduct promulgated by any department, division or agency of state government, or by state institutions of higher education, or by executive order;

(5) The conflict of interest laws contained in sections 105.450 to [105.468] 105.467, section 105.497, and section 171.181, RSMo; and

(6) The provisions of the constitution or state statute or order, ordinance or resolution of any political subdivision relating to the official conduct of officials or employees of the state and political subdivisions.

2. Complaints filed with the commission shall be in writing and filed only by a natural person. The complaint shall contain all facts known by the complainant that have given rise to the complaint and the complaint shall be sworn to, under penalty of perjury, by the complainant. No complaint shall be investigated unless the complaint alleges facts which, if true, fall within the jurisdiction of the commission.

3. No complaint shall be investigated which concerns alleged criminal conduct which allegedly occurred previous to the period of time allowed by law for criminal prosecution for such conduct. The commission may refuse to investigate any conduct which is the subject of civil or criminal litigation. The commission, its executive director or an investigator shall not investigate any complaint concerning conduct which is not criminal in nature which occurred more than two years prior to the date of the complaint. A complaint alleging misconduct on the part of a candidate for public office, other than those alleging failure to file the appropriate financial interest statements or campaign finance disclosure reports, shall not be accepted by the commission within sixty days prior to the primary election at which such candidate is running for office, and until after the general election.

4. Complaints which allege violations as described in this section which are filed with the commission shall be handled as provided by section 105.961.

105.961. 1. Upon receipt of a complaint as described by section 105.957, the commission shall assign the complaint to a special investigator, who may be a commission employee, who shall investigate and determine the merits of the complaint. Within ten days of such assignment, the special investigator shall review such complaint and disclose, in writing, to the commission any conflict of interest which the special investigator has or might have with respect to the investigation and subject thereof. Within one hundred twenty days of receipt of the complaint from the commission, the special investigator shall submit the special investigator's report to the commission. The commission, after review of such report, shall determine:

(1) That there is reasonable grounds for belief that a violation has occurred; or

(2) That there are no reasonable grounds for belief that a violation exists and the complaint should be dismissed; or

(3) That additional time is necessary to complete the investigation, and the status and progress of the investigation to date. The commission, in its discretion, may allow the investigation to proceed for additional successive periods of one hundred twenty days each, pending reports regarding the status and progress of the investigation at the end of each such period.

2. When the commission concludes, based on the report from the special investigator, or based on an audit conducted pursuant to section 105.959, that there are reasonable grounds to believe that a violation of any criminal law has occurred, and if the commission believes that criminal prosecution would be appropriate upon a vote of four members of the commission, the commission shall refer the report to the Missouri office of prosecution services, prosecutors coordinators training council established in section 56.760, RSMo, which shall submit a panel of five attorneys for recommendation to the court having criminal jurisdiction, for appointment of an attorney to serve as a special prosecutor; except that, the attorney general of Missouri or any assistant attorney general shall not act as such special prosecutor. The court shall then appoint from such panel a special prosecutor pursuant to section 56.110, RSMo, who shall have all the powers provided by section 56.130, RSMo. The court shall allow a reasonable and necessary attorney's fee for the services of the special prosecutor. Such fee shall be assessed as costs if a case is filed, or ordered by the court if no case is filed, and paid together with all other costs in the proceeding by the state, in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the state courts administrator, subject to funds appropriated to the office of administration for such purposes. If the commission does not have sufficient funds to pay a special prosecutor, the commission shall refer the case to the prosecutor or prosecutors having criminal jurisdiction. If the prosecutor having criminal jurisdiction is not able to prosecute the case due to a conflict of interest, the court may appoint a special prosecutor, paid from county funds, upon appropriation by the county or the attorney general to investigate and, if appropriate, prosecute the case. The special prosecutor or prosecutor shall commence an action based on the report by the filing of an information or seeking an indictment within sixty days of the date of such prosecutor's appointment, or shall file a written statement with the commission explaining why criminal charges should not be sought. If the special prosecutor or prosecutor fails to take either action required by this subsection, upon request of the commission, a new special prosecutor, who may be the attorney general, shall be appointed. The report may also be referred to the appropriate disciplinary authority over the person who is the subject of the report.

3. When the commission concludes, based on the report from the special investigator or based on an audit conducted pursuant to section 105.959, that there are reasonable grounds to believe that a violation of any law has occurred which is not a violation of criminal law or that criminal prosecution is not appropriate, the commission shall conduct a hearing which shall be a closed meeting and not open to the public. The hearing shall be conducted pursuant to the procedures provided by sections 536.063 to 536.090, RSMo, and shall be considered to be a contested case for purposes of such sections. The commission shall determine, in its discretion, whether or not that there is probable cause that a violation has occurred. If the commission determines, by a vote of at least four members of the commission, that probable cause exists that a violation has occurred, the commission may refer its findings and conclusions to the appropriate disciplinary authority over the person who is the subject of the report, as described in subsection 7 of this section. After the commission determines by a vote of at least four members of the commission that probable cause exists that a violation has occurred, and the commission has referred the findings and conclusions to the appropriate disciplinary authority over the person subject of the report, the subject of the report may appeal the determination of the commission to the administrative hearing commission. Such appeal shall stay the action of the Missouri ethics commission. Such appeal shall be filed not later than the fourteenth day after the subject of the commission's action receives [actual] notice of the commission's action.

4. If the appropriate disciplinary authority receiving a report from the commission pursuant to subsection 3 of this section fails to follow, within sixty days of the receipt of the report, the recommendations contained in the report, or if the commission determines, by a vote of at least four members of the commission that some action other than referral for criminal prosecution or for action by the appropriate disciplinary authority would be appropriate, the commission shall take any one or more of the following actions:

(1) Notify the person to cease and desist violation of any provision of law which the report concludes was violated and that the commission may seek judicial enforcement of its decision pursuant to subsection 5 of this section;

(2) Notify the person of the requirement to file, amend or correct any report, statement, or other document or information required by sections 105.473, 105.483 to 105.492, or chapter 130, RSMo, and that the commission may seek judicial enforcement of its decision pursuant to subsection 5 of this section; and

(3) File the report with the executive director to be maintained as a public document; or

(4) Issue a letter of concern or letter of reprimand to the person, which would be maintained as a public document; or

(5) Issue a letter that no further action shall be taken, which would be maintained as a public document; or

(6) Through reconciliation agreements or civil action, the power to seek fees for violations in an amount not greater than one thousand dollars or double the amount involved in the violation.

5. Upon vote of at least four members, the commission may initiate formal judicial proceedings seeking to obtain any of the following orders:

(1) Cease and desist violation of any provision of sections 105.450 to 105.496, or chapter 130, RSMo, or sections 105.955 to 105.963;

(2) Pay any civil penalties required by sections 105.450 to 105.496 or chapter 130, RSMo;

(3) File any reports, statements, or other documents or information required by sections 105.450 to 105.496, or chapter 130, RSMo; or

(4) Pay restitution for any unjust enrichment the violator obtained as a result of any violation of any criminal statute as described in subsection 6 of this section.

The Missouri ethics commission shall give [actual] notice to the subject of the complaint of the proposed action as set out in this section. The subject of the complaint may appeal the action of the Missouri ethics commission, other than a referral for criminal prosecution, to the [administrative hearing commission] circuit court of Cole County. Such appeal shall stay the action of the Missouri ethics commission. Such appeal shall be filed no later than fourteen days after the subject of the commission's actions receives actual notice of the commission's actions.

6. In the proceeding in circuit court, the commission may seek restitution against any person who has obtained unjust enrichment as a result of violation of any provision of sections 105.450 to 105.496, or chapter 130, RSMo, and may recover on behalf of the state or political subdivision with which the alleged violator is associated, damages in the amount of any unjust enrichment obtained and costs and attorney's fees as ordered by the court.

7. The appropriate disciplinary authority to whom a report shall be sent pursuant to subsection 2 or 3 of this section shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

(1) In the case of a member of the general assembly, the ethics committee of the house of which the subject of the report is a member;

(2) In the case of a person holding an elective office or an appointive office of the state, if the alleged violation is an impeachable offense, the report shall be referred to the ethics committee of the house of representatives;

(3) In the case of a person holding an elective office of a political subdivision, the report shall be referred to the governing body of the political subdivision;

(4) In the case of any officer or employee of the state or of a political subdivision, the report shall be referred to the person who has immediate supervisory authority over the employment by the state or by the political subdivision of the subject of the report;

(5) In the case of a judge of a court of law, the report shall be referred to the commission on retirement, removal and discipline, or if the inquiry involves an employee of the judiciary to the applicable presiding judge;

(6) In the case of a person holding an appointive office of the state, if the alleged violation is not an impeachable offense, the report shall be referred to the governor;

(7) In the case of a statewide elected official, the report shall be referred to the attorney general;

(8) In a case involving the attorney general, the report shall be referred to the prosecuting attorney of Cole County.

8. The special investigator having a complaint referred to the special investigator by the commission shall have the following powers:

(1) To request and shall be given access to information in the possession of any person or agency which the special investigator deems necessary for the discharge of the special investigator's responsibilities;

(2) To examine the records and documents of any person or agency, unless such examination would violate state or federal law providing for confidentiality;

(3) To administer oaths and affirmations;

(4) Upon refusal by any person to comply with a request for information relevant to an investigation, an investigator may issue a subpoena for any person to appear and give testimony, or for a subpoena duces tecum to produce documentary or other evidence which the investigator deems relevant to a matter under the investigator's inquiry. The subpoenas and subpoenas duces tecum may be enforced by applying to a judge of the circuit court of Cole County or any county where the person or entity that has been subpoenaed resides or may be found, for an order to show cause why the subpoena or subpoena duces tecum should not be enforced. The order and a copy of the application therefor shall be served in the same manner as a summons in a civil action, and if, after hearing, the court determines that the subpoena or subpoena duces tecum should be sustained and enforced, the court shall enforce the subpoena or subpoena duces tecum in the same manner as if it had been issued by the court in a civil action; and

(5) To request from the commission such investigative, clerical or other staff assistance or advancement of other expenses which are necessary and convenient for the proper completion of an investigation. Within the limits of appropriations to the commission, the commission may provide such assistance, whether by contract to obtain such assistance or from staff employed by the commission, or may advance such expenses.

9. (1) Any retired judge may request in writing to have the judge's name removed from the list of special investigators subject to appointment by the commission or may request to disqualify himself or herself from any investigation. Such request shall include the reasons for seeking removal;

(2) By vote of four members of the commission, the commission may disqualify a judge from a particular investigation or may permanently remove the name of any retired judge from the list of special investigators subject to appointment by the commission.

10. Any person who is the subject of any investigation pursuant to this section shall be entitled to be represented by counsel at any proceeding before the special investigator or the commission.

11. The provisions of sections 105.957, 105.959 and 105.961 are in addition to other provisions of law under which any remedy or right of appeal or objection is provided for any person, or any procedure provided for inquiry or investigation concerning any matter. The provisions of this section shall not be construed to limit or affect any other remedy or right of appeal or objection.

12. No person shall be required to make or file a complaint to the commission as a prerequisite for exhausting the person's administrative remedies before pursuing any civil cause of action allowed by law.

13. If, in the opinion of the commission, the complaining party was motivated by malice or reason contrary to the spirit of any law on which such complaint was based, in filing the complaint without just cause, this finding shall be reported to appropriate law enforcement authorities. Any person who knowingly files a complaint without just cause, or with malice, is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.

14. A respondent party who prevails in a formal judicial action brought by the commission shall be awarded those reasonable fees and expenses incurred by that party in the formal judicial action, unless the court finds that the position of the commission was substantially justified or that special circumstances make such an award unjust.

15. The special investigator and members and staff of the commission shall maintain confidentiality with respect to all matters concerning a complaint until and if a report is filed with the commission, with the exception of communications with any person which are necessary to the investigation. The report filed with the commission resulting from a complaint acted upon under the provisions of this section shall not contain the name of the complainant or other person providing information to the investigator, if so requested in writing by the complainant or such other person. Any person who violates the confidentiality requirements imposed by this section or subsection 17 of section 105.955 required to be confidential is guilty of a class A misdemeanor and shall be subject to removal from or termination of employment by the commission.

16. Any judge of the court of appeals or circuit court who ceases to hold such office by reason of the judge's retirement and who serves as a special investigator pursuant to this section shall receive annual compensation, salary or retirement for such services at the rates of compensation provided for senior judges by subsections 1, 2 and 4 of section 476.682, RSMo. Such retired judges shall by the tenth day of each month following any month in which the judge provided services pursuant to this section certify to the commission and to the state courts administrator the amount of time engaged in such services by hour or fraction thereof, the dates thereof, and the expenses incurred and allowable pursuant to this section. The commission shall then issue a warrant to the state treasurer for the payment of the salary and expenses to the extent, and within limitations, provided for in this section. The state treasurer upon receipt of such warrant shall pay the same out of any appropriations made for this purpose on the last day of the month during which the warrant was received by the state treasurer.

105.963. 1. The executive director shall assess every candidate for state or local office failing to file with a filing officer other than a local election authority as provided by section 130.026, RSMo, a campaign disclosure report as required by chapter 130, RSMo, other than the report required pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection 1 of section 130.046, RSMo, a late filing fee of ten dollars for each day after such report is due to the commission. The executive director shall mail a notice[, by registered mail,] to any candidate [and candidate committee treasurer and deputy treasurer] who fails to file such report informing such person of such failure and the fees provided by this section. If the candidate persists in such failure for a period in excess of thirty days beyond receipt of such notice, the amount of the late filing fee shall increase to one hundred dollars for each day that the report is not filed, provided that the total amount of such fees assessed pursuant to this subsection per report shall not exceed three thousand dollars.

2. (1) Any candidate for state or local office who fails to file a campaign disclosure report required pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection 1 of section 130.046, RSMo, other than a report required to be filed with a local election authority as provided by section 130.026, RSMo, shall be assessed by the executive director a late filing fee of one hundred dollars for each day that the report is not filed, until the first day after the date of the election. After such election date, the amount of such late filing fee shall accrue at the rate of ten dollars per day that such report remains unfiled, except as provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection.

(2) The executive director shall mail a notice[, by certified mail or other means to give actual notice,] to any candidate [and candidate committee treasurer and deputy treasurer] who fails to file the report described in subdivision (1) of this subsection informing such person of such failure and the fees provided by this section. If the candidate persists in such failure for a period in excess of thirty days beyond receipt of such notice, the amount of the late filing fee shall increase to one hundred dollars for each day that the report is not filed, provided that the total amount of such fees assessed pursuant to this subsection per report shall not exceed six thousand dollars.

3. The executive director shall assess every person required to file a financial interest statement pursuant to sections 105.483 to 105.492 failing to file such a financial interest statement with the commission a late filing fee of ten dollars for each day after such statement is due to the commission. The executive director shall mail a notice[, by certified mail,] to any person who fails to file such statement informing the individual required to file of such failure and the fees provided by this section. If the person persists in such failure for a period in excess of thirty days beyond receipt of such notice, the amount of the late filing fee shall increase to one hundred dollars for each day thereafter that the statement is late, provided that the total amount of such fees assessed pursuant to this subsection per statement shall not exceed six thousand dollars.

4. Any person assessed a late filing fee may seek review of such assessment or the amount of late filing fees assessed, at the person's option, by filing a petition within fourteen days after receiving [actual] notice of assessment with [the administrative hearing commission, or without exhausting the person's administrative remedies may seek review of such issues with] the circuit court of Cole County.

5. The executive director of the Missouri ethics commission shall collect such late filing fees as are provided for in this section. Unpaid late filing fees shall be collected by action filed by the commission. The commission shall contract with the appropriate entity to collect such late filing fees after a thirty-day delinquency. If not collected within one hundred twenty days, the Missouri ethics commission shall file a petition in Cole County circuit court to seek a judgment on said fees. All late filing fees collected pursuant to this section shall be transmitted to the state treasurer and deposited to the general revenue fund.

6. The late filing fees provided by this section shall be in addition to any penalty provided by law for violations of sections 105.483 to 105.492 or chapter 130, RSMo.

7. If any lobbyist fails to file a lobbyist report in a timely manner and that lobbyist is assessed a late fee, or if any individual who is required to file a personal financial disclosure statement fails to file such disclosure statement in a timely manner and is assessed a late fee, or if any candidate fails to file a campaign disclosure report in a timely manner and that candidate is assessed a late filing fee, the candidate[, candidate committee treasurer or assistant treasurer] may file an appeal of the assessment of the late filing fee with the commission. The commission may forgive the assessment of the late filing fee upon a showing of good cause. Such appeal shall be filed within ten days of the receipt of notice of the assessment of the late filing fee.

130.011. As used in this chapter, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the following terms mean:

(1) "Appropriate officer" or "appropriate officers", the person or persons designated in section 130.026 to receive certain required statements and reports;

(2) "Ballot measure" or "measure", any proposal submitted or intended to be submitted to qualified voters for their approval or rejection, including any proposal submitted by initiative petition, referendum petition, or by the general assembly or any local governmental body having authority to refer proposals to the voter;

(3) "Candidate", an individual who seeks nomination or election to public office. The term "candidate" includes an elected officeholder who is the subject of a recall election, an individual who seeks nomination by the individual's political party for election to public office, an individual standing for retention in an election to an office to which the individual was previously appointed, an individual who seeks nomination or election whether or not the specific elective public office to be sought has been finally determined by such individual at the time the individual meets the conditions described in paragraph (a) or (b) of this subdivision, and an individual who is a "write-in candidate" as defined in subdivision (28) of this section. A candidate shall be deemed to seek nomination or election when the person first:

(a) Receives contributions or makes expenditures or reserves space or facilities with intent to promote the person's candidacy for office; or

(b) Knows or has reason to know that contributions are being received or expenditures are being made or space or facilities are being reserved with the intent to promote the person's candidacy for office; except that, such individual shall not be deemed a candidate if the person files a statement with the appropriate officer within five days after learning of the receipt of contributions, the making of expenditures, or the reservation of space or facilities disavowing the candidacy and stating that the person will not accept nomination or take office if elected; provided that, if the election at which such individual is supported as a candidate is to take place within five days after the person's learning of the above-specified activities, the individual shall file the statement disavowing the candidacy within one day; or

(c) Announces or files a declaration of candidacy for office;

(4) "Cash", currency, coin, United States postage stamps, or any negotiable instrument which can be transferred from one person to another person without the signature or endorsement of the transferor;

(5) "Check", a check drawn on a state or federal bank, or a draft on a negotiable order of withdrawal account in a savings and loan association or a share draft account in a credit union;

(6) "Closing date", the date through which a statement or report is required to be complete;

(7) "Committee", a person or any combination of persons, who accepts contributions or makes expenditures for the primary or incidental purpose of influencing or attempting to influence the action of voters for or against the nomination or election to public office of one or more candidates or the qualification, passage or defeat of any ballot measure or for the purpose of paying a previously incurred campaign debt or obligation of a candidate or the debts or obligations of a committee or for the purpose of contributing funds to another committee:

(a) "Committee", does not include:

a. A person or combination of persons, if neither the aggregate of expenditures made nor the aggregate of contributions received during a calendar year exceeds five hundred dollars and if no single contributor has contributed more than [two hundred fifty dollars] the amount set out in subdivision (3) of subsection 1 of section 130.032, as increased by subsection 2 of section 130.032, of such aggregate contributions;

b. An individual, other than a candidate, who accepts no contributions and who deals only with the individual's own funds or property;

c. A corporation, cooperative association, partnership, proprietorship, or joint venture organized or operated for a primary or principal purpose other than that of influencing or attempting to influence the action of voters for or against the nomination or election to public office of one or more candidates or the qualification, passage or defeat of any ballot measure, and it accepts no contributions, and all expenditures it makes are from its own funds or property obtained in the usual course of business or in any commercial or other transaction and which are not contributions as defined by subdivision (12) of this section;

d. A labor organization organized or operated for a primary or principal purpose other than that of influencing or attempting to influence the action of voters for or against the nomination or election to public office of one or more candidates, or the qualification, passage, or defeat of any ballot measure, and it accepts no contributions, and expenditures made by the organization are from its own funds or property received from membership dues or membership fees which were given or solicited for the purpose of supporting the normal and usual activities and functions of the organization and which are not contributions as defined by subdivision (12) of this section;

e. A person who acts as an authorized agent for a committee in soliciting or receiving contributions or in making expenditures or incurring indebtedness on behalf of the committee if such person renders to the committee treasurer or deputy treasurer or candidate, if applicable, an accurate account of each receipt or other transaction in the detail required by the treasurer to comply with all record keeping and reporting requirements of this chapter;

f. Any department, agency, board, institution or other entity of the state or any of its subdivisions or any officer or employee thereof, acting in the person's official capacity;

(b) The term "committee" includes, but is not limited to, each of the following committees: campaign committee, candidate committee, continuing committee and political party committee;

(8) "Campaign committee", a committee, other than a candidate committee, which shall be formed by an individual or group of individuals to receive contributions or make expenditures and whose sole purpose is to support or oppose the qualification and passage of one or more particular ballot measures in an election or the retention of judges under the nonpartisan court plan, such committee shall be formed no later than thirty days prior to the election for which the committee receives contributions or makes expenditures, and which shall terminate the later of either thirty days after the general election or upon the satisfaction of all committee debt after the general election, except that no committee retiring debt shall engage in any other activities in support of a measure for which the committee was formed;

(9) "Candidate committee", a committee which shall be formed by a candidate to receive contributions or make expenditures in behalf of the person's candidacy and which shall continue in existence for use by an elected candidate or which shall terminate the later of either thirty days after the general election for a candidate who was not elected or upon the satisfaction of all committee debt after the election, except that no committee retiring debt shall engage in any other activities in support of the candidate for which the committee was formed. Any candidate for elective office shall have only one candidate committee for the elective office sought, which is controlled directly by the candidate for the purpose of making expenditures. A candidate committee is presumed to be under the control and direction of the candidate unless the candidate files an affidavit with the appropriate officer stating that the committee is acting without control or direction on the candidate's part;

(10) "Continuing committee", a committee of continuing existence which is not formed, controlled or directed by a candidate, and is a committee other than a candidate committee or campaign committee, whose primary or incidental purpose is to receive contributions or make expenditures to influence or attempt to influence the action of voters whether or not a particular candidate or candidates or a particular ballot measure or measures to be supported or opposed has been determined at the time the committee is required to file any statement or report pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. "Continuing committee" includes, but is not limited to, any committee organized or sponsored by a business entity, a labor organization, a professional association, a trade or business association, a club or other organization and whose primary purpose is to solicit, accept and use contributions from the members, employees or stockholders of such entity and any individual or group of individuals who accept and use contributions to influence or attempt to influence the action of voters. Such committee shall be formed no later than thirty days prior to the election for which the committee receives contributions or makes expenditures;

(11) "Connected organization", any organization such as a corporation, a labor organization, a membership organization, a cooperative, or trade or professional association which expends funds or provides services or facilities to establish, administer or maintain a committee or to solicit contributions to a committee from its members, officers, directors, employees or security holders. An organization shall be deemed to be the connected organization if more than fifty percent of the persons making contributions to the committee during the current calendar year are members, officers, directors, employees or security holders of such organization or their spouses;

(12) "Contribution", a payment, gift, loan, advance, deposit, or donation of money or anything of value for the purpose of supporting or opposing the nomination or election of any candidate for public office or the qualification, passage or defeat of any ballot measure, or for the support of any committee supporting or opposing candidates or ballot measures or for paying debts or obligations of any candidate or committee previously incurred for the above purposes. A contribution of anything of value shall be deemed to have a money value equivalent to the fair market value. "Contribution" includes, but is not limited to:

(a) A candidate's own money or property used in support of the person's candidacy other than expense of the candidate's food, lodging, travel, and payment of any fee necessary to the filing for public office;

(b) Payment by any person, other than a candidate or committee, to compensate another person for services rendered to that candidate or committee;

(c) Receipts from the sale of goods and services, including the sale of advertising space in a brochure, booklet, program or pamphlet of a candidate or committee and the sale of tickets or political merchandise;

(d) Receipts from fund-raising events including testimonial affairs;

(e) Any loan, guarantee of a loan, cancellation or forgiveness of a loan or debt or other obligation by a third party, or payment of a loan or debt or other obligation by a third party if the loan or debt or other obligation was contracted, used, or intended, in whole or in part, for use in an election campaign or used or intended for the payment of such debts or obligations of a candidate or committee previously incurred, or which was made or received by a committee;

(f) Funds received by a committee which are transferred to such committee from another committee or other source, except funds received by a candidate committee as a transfer of funds from another candidate committee controlled by the same candidate but such transfer shall be included in the disclosure reports;

(g) Facilities, office space or equipment supplied by any person to a candidate or committee without charge or at reduced charges, except gratuitous space for meeting purposes which is made available regularly to the public, including other candidates or committees, on an equal basis for similar purposes on the same conditions;

(h) The direct or indirect payment by any person, other than a connected organization, of the costs of establishing, administering, or maintaining a committee, including legal, accounting and computer services, fund raising and solicitation of contributions for a committee;

(i) "Contribution" does not include:

a. Ordinary home hospitality or services provided without compensation by individuals volunteering their time in support of or in opposition to a candidate, committee or ballot measure, nor the necessary and ordinary personal expenses of such volunteers incidental to the performance of voluntary activities, so long as no compensation is directly or indirectly asked or given;

b. An offer or tender of a contribution which is expressly and unconditionally rejected and returned to the donor within ten business days after receipt or transmitted to the state treasurer;

c. Interest earned on deposit of committee funds;

d. The costs incurred by any connected organization listed pursuant to subdivision [(4)] (5) of subsection 5 of section 130.021 for establishing, administering or maintaining a committee, or for the solicitation of contributions to a committee which solicitation is solely directed or related to the members, officers, directors, employees or security holders of the connected organization;

(13) "County", any one of the several counties of this state or the city of St. Louis;

(14) "Disclosure report", an itemized report of receipts, expenditures and incurred indebtedness which is prepared on forms approved by the Missouri ethics commission and filed at the times and places prescribed;

(15) "Election", any primary, general or special election held to nominate or elect an individual to public office, to retain or recall an elected officeholder or to submit a ballot measure to the voters, and any caucus or other meeting of a political party or a political party committee at which that party's candidate or candidates for public office are officially selected. A primary election and the succeeding general election shall be considered separate elections;

(16) "Expenditure", a payment, advance, conveyance, deposit, donation or contribution of money or anything of value for the purpose of supporting or opposing the nomination or election of any candidate for public office or the qualification or passage of any ballot measure or for the support of any committee which in turn supports or opposes any candidate or ballot measure or for the purpose of paying a previously incurred campaign debt or obligation of a candidate or the debts or obligations of a committee; a payment, or an agreement or promise to pay, money or anything of value, including a candidate's own money or property, for the purchase of goods, services, property, facilities or anything of value for the purpose of supporting or opposing the nomination or election of any candidate for public office or the qualification or passage of any ballot measure or for the support of any committee which in turn supports or opposes any candidate or ballot measure or for the purpose of paying a previously incurred campaign debt or obligation of a candidate or the debts or obligations of a committee. An expenditure of anything of value shall be deemed to have a money value equivalent to the fair market value. "Expenditure" includes, but is not limited to:

(a) Payment by anyone other than a committee for services of another person rendered to such committee;

(b) The purchase of tickets, goods, services or political merchandise in connection with any testimonial affair or fund-raising event of or for candidates or committees, or the purchase of advertising in a brochure, booklet, program or pamphlet of a candidate or committee;

(c) The transfer of funds by one committee to another committee;

(d) The direct or indirect payment by any person, other than a connected organization for a committee, of the costs of establishing, administering or maintaining a committee, including legal, accounting and computer services, fund raising and solicitation of contributions for a committee; but

(e) "Expenditure" does not include:

a. Any news story, commentary or editorial which is broadcast or published by any broadcasting station, newspaper, magazine or other periodical without charge to the candidate or to any person supporting or opposing a candidate or ballot measure;

b. The internal dissemination by any membership organization, proprietorship, labor organization, corporation, association or other entity of information advocating the election or defeat of a candidate or candidates or the passage or defeat of a ballot measure or measures to its directors, officers, members, employees or security holders, provided that the cost incurred is reported pursuant to [subsection 2 of section 130.051] section 130.048;

c. Repayment of a loan, but such repayment shall be indicated in required reports;

d. The rendering of voluntary personal services by an individual of the sort commonly performed by volunteer campaign workers and the payment by such individual of the individual's necessary and ordinary personal expenses incidental to such volunteer activity, provided no compensation is, directly or indirectly, asked or given;

e. The costs incurred by any connected organization listed pursuant to subdivision [(4)] (5) of subsection 5 of section 130.021 for establishing, administering or maintaining a committee, or for the solicitation of contributions to a committee which solicitation is solely directed or related to the members, officers, directors, employees or security holders of the connected organization;

f. The use of a candidate's own money or property for expense of the candidate's personal food, lodging, travel, and payment of any fee necessary to the filing for public office, if such expense is not reimbursed to the candidate from any source;

(17) "Exploratory committees", a committee which shall be formed by an individual to receive contributions and make expenditures on behalf of this individual in determining whether or not the individual seeks elective office. Such committee shall terminate no later than December thirty-first of the year prior to the general election for the possible office;

(18) "Fund-raising event", an event such as a dinner, luncheon, reception, coffee, testimonial, rally, auction or similar affair through which contributions are solicited or received by such means as the purchase of tickets, payment of attendance fees, donations for prizes or through the purchase of goods, services or political merchandise;

(19) "In-kind contribution" or "in-kind expenditure", a contribution or expenditure in a form other than money;

(20) "Labor organization", any organization of any kind, or any agency or employee representation committee or plan, in which employees participate and which exists for the purpose, in whole or in part, of dealing with employers concerning grievances, labor disputes, wages, rates of pay, hours of employment, or conditions of work;

(21) "Loan", a transfer of money, property or anything of ascertainable monetary value in exchange for an obligation, conditional or not, to repay in whole or in part and which was contracted, used, or intended for use in an election campaign, or which was made or received by a committee or which was contracted, used, or intended to pay previously incurred campaign debts or obligations of a candidate or the debts or obligations of a committee;

(22) "Person", an individual, group of individuals, corporation, partnership, committee, proprietorship, joint venture, any department, agency, board, institution or other entity of the state or any of its political subdivisions, union, labor organization, trade or professional or business association, association, political party or any executive committee thereof, or any other club or organization however constituted or any officer or employee of such entity acting in the person's official capacity;

(23) "Political merchandise", goods such as bumper stickers, pins, hats, ties, jewelry, literature, or other items sold or distributed at a fund-raising event or to the general public for publicity or for the purpose of raising funds to be used in supporting or opposing a candidate for nomination or election or in supporting or opposing the qualification, passage or defeat of a ballot measure;

(24) "Political party", a political party which has the right under law to have the names of its candidates listed on the ballot in a general election;

(25) "Political party committee", a state, district, county, city, or area committee of a political party, as defined in section 115.603, RSMo, which may be organized as a not-for-profit corporation under Missouri law, and which committee is of continuing existence, and has the primary or incidental purpose of receiving contributions and making expenditures to influence or attempt to influence the action of voters on behalf of the political party;

(26) "Public office" or "office", any state, judicial, county, municipal, school or other district, ward, township, or other political subdivision office or any political party office which is filled by a vote of registered voters. "Public office" or "office" shall not include the office of president pro tempore of the Missouri senate, speaker of the Missouri house of representatives, or speaker pro tempore of the Missouri house of representatives;

(27) "Regular session", includes that period beginning on the first Wednesday after the first Monday in January and ending following the first Friday after the second Monday in May;

(28) "Write-in candidate", an individual whose name is not printed on the ballot but who otherwise meets the definition of "candidate" in subdivision (3) of this section.

130.021. 1. Every committee shall have a treasurer who, except as provided in subsection 10 of this section, shall be a resident of this state. A committee may also have a deputy treasurer who, except as provided in subsection 10 of this section, shall be a resident of this state, to serve in the capacity of committee treasurer in the event the committee treasurer is unable for any reason to perform the treasurer's duties.

2. Every candidate for offices listed in subsection 1 of section 130.016 who has not filed a statement of exemption pursuant to that subsection and every candidate for offices listed in subsection 6 of section 130.016 who is not excluded from filing a statement of organization and disclosure reports pursuant to subsection 6 shall form a candidate committee and appoint a treasurer. Thereafter, all contributions on hand and all further contributions received by such candidate and any of the candidate's own funds to be used in support of the person's candidacy shall be deposited in a candidate committee depository account established pursuant to the provisions of subsection 4 of this section, and all expenditures shall be made through the candidate, treasurer or deputy treasurer of the person's candidate committee. Nothing in this chapter shall prevent a candidate from appointing himself or herself as a committee of one and serving as the person's own treasurer, maintaining the candidate's own records and filing all the reports and statements required to be filed by the treasurer of a candidate committee.

3. A candidate who has more than one candidate committee supporting the person's candidacy shall designate one of those candidate committees as the committee responsible for consolidating the aggregate contributions to all such committees under the candidate's control and direction as required by section 130.041.

4. (1) Every committee shall have a single official fund depository within this state which shall be a federally or state-chartered bank, a federally or state-chartered savings and loan association, or a federally or state-chartered credit union in which the committee shall open and thereafter maintain at least one official depository account in its own name. An "official depository account" shall be a checking account or some type of negotiable draft or negotiable order of withdrawal account, and the official fund depository shall, regarding an official depository account, be a type of financial institution which provides a record of deposits, canceled checks or other canceled instruments of withdrawal evidencing each transaction by maintaining copies within this state of such instruments and other transactions. All contributions which the committee receives in money, checks and other negotiable instruments shall be deposited in a committee's official depository account. Contributions shall not be accepted and expenditures shall not be made by a committee except by or through an official depository account and the committee treasurer, deputy treasurer or candidate. Contributions received by a committee shall not be commingled with any funds of an agent of the committee, a candidate or any other person, except that contributions from a candidate of the candidate's own funds to the person's candidate committee shall be deposited to an official depository account of the person's candidate committee. No expenditure shall be made by a committee when the office of committee treasurer is vacant except that when the office of a candidate committee treasurer is vacant, the candidate shall be the treasurer until the candidate appoints a new treasurer.

(2) A committee treasurer, deputy treasurer or candidate may withdraw funds from a committee's official depository account and deposit such funds in one or more savings accounts in the committee's name in any bank, savings and loan association or credit union within this state, and may also withdraw funds from an official depository account for investment in the committee's name in any certificate of deposit, bond or security. Proceeds from interest or dividends from a savings account or other investment or proceeds from withdrawals from a savings account or from the sale of an investment shall not be expended or reinvested, except in the case of renewals of certificates of deposit, without first redepositing such proceeds in an official depository account. Investments, other than savings accounts, held outside the committee's official depository account at any time during a reporting period shall be disclosed by description, amount, any identifying numbers and the name and address of any institution or person in which or through which it is held in an attachment to disclosure reports the committee is required to file. Proceeds from an investment such as interest or dividends or proceeds from its sale, shall be reported by date and amount. In the case of the sale of an investment, the names and addresses of the persons involved in the transaction shall also be stated. Funds held in savings accounts and investments, including interest earned, shall be included in the report of money on hand as required by section 130.041.

5. The treasurer or deputy treasurer acting on behalf of any person or organization or group of persons which is a committee by virtue of the definitions of "committee" in section 130.011 and any candidate who is not excluded from forming a committee in accordance with the provisions of section 130.016 shall file a statement of organization with the appropriate officer within twenty days after the person or organization becomes a committee but no later than the date for filing the first report required pursuant to the provisions of section 130.046. The statement of organization shall contain the following information:

(1) The name, mailing address and telephone number, if any, of the committee filing the statement of organization. If the committee is deemed to be affiliated with a connected organization as provided in subdivision (11) of section 130.011, the name of the connected organization, or a legally registered fictitious name which reasonably identifies the connected organization, shall appear in the name of the committee. If the committee is a candidate committee, the name of the candidate shall be a part of the committee's name;

(2) The name, mailing address and telephone number of the candidate;

(3) The name, mailing address and telephone number of the committee treasurer, and the name, mailing address and telephone number of its deputy treasurer if the committee has named a deputy treasurer;

(4) The names, mailing addresses and titles of its officers, if any;

(5) The name and mailing address of any connected organizations with which the committee is affiliated;

(6) The name and mailing address of its depository, and the name and account number of each account the committee has in the depository, except that when the report is required to be filed with an appropriate officer, as defined in section 130.021, other than the Missouri ethics commission, the account number of each account may be omitted;

(7) Identification of the major nature of the committee such as a candidate committee, campaign committee, continuing committee, political party committee, incumbent committee, or any other committee according to the definition of "committee" in section 130.011;

(8) In the case of the candidate committee designated in subsection 3 of this section, the full name and address of each other candidate committee which is under the control and direction of the same candidate, together with the name, address and telephone number of the treasurer of each such other committee;

(9) The name and office sought of each candidate supported or opposed by the committee;

(10) The ballot measure concerned, if any, and whether the committee is in favor of or opposed to such measure.

6. A committee may omit the information required in subdivisions (9) and (10) of subsection 5 of this section if, on the date on which it is required to file a statement of organization, the committee has not yet determined the particular candidates or particular ballot measures it will support or oppose. Any contribution received over the allowable contribution limits described in section 130.032 shall be returned to the contributor by the committee within five business days of the declaration of candidacy or position on a candidate or a particular ballot measure of the committee.

7. A committee which has filed a statement of organization and has not terminated shall not be required to file another statement of organization, except that when there is a change in any of the information previously reported as required by subdivisions (1) to (8) of subsection 5 of this section an amended statement of organization shall be filed within twenty days after the change occurs, but no later than the date of the filing of the next report required to be filed by that committee by section 130.046.

8. Upon termination of a committee, a termination statement indicating dissolution shall be filed not later than ten days after the date of dissolution with the appropriate officer or officers with whom the committee's statement of organization was filed. The termination statement shall include: the distribution made of any remaining surplus funds and the disposition of any deficits; and the name, mailing address and telephone number of the individual responsible for preserving the committee's records and accounts as required in section 130.036.

9. Any statement required by this section shall be signed and attested by the committee treasurer or deputy treasurer, and by the candidate in the case of a candidate committee.

10. A committee domiciled outside this state shall be required to file a statement of organization and appoint a treasurer residing in this state and open an account in a depository within this state; provided that either of the following conditions prevails:

(1) The aggregate of all contributions received from persons domiciled in this state exceeds twenty percent in total dollar amount of all funds received by the committee in the preceding twelve months; or

(2) The aggregate of all contributions and expenditures made to support or oppose candidates and ballot measures in this state exceeds one thousand five hundred dollars in the current calendar year.

11. If a committee domiciled in this state receives a contribution of one thousand five hundred dollars or more from any committee domiciled outside of this state, the committee domiciled in this state shall file a disclosure report with the commission. The report shall disclose the full name, mailing address, telephone numbers and domicile of the contributing committee and the date and amount of the contribution. The report shall be filed within forty-eight hours of the receipt of such contribution if the contribution is received after the last reporting date before the election.

130.026. 1. For the purpose of this section, the term "election authority" or "local election authority" means the county clerk, except that in a city or county having a board of election commissioners the board of election commissioners shall be the election authority. For any political subdivision or other district which is situated within the jurisdiction of more than one election authority, as defined herein, the election authority is the one in whose jurisdiction the candidate resides or, in the case of ballot measures, the one in whose jurisdiction the most populous portion of the political subdivision or district for which an election is held is situated, except that a county clerk or a county board of election commissioners shall be the election authority for all candidates for elective county offices other than county clerk and for any countywide ballot measures.

2. The appropriate officer or officers for candidates and ballot measures shall be as follows:

(1) In the case of candidates for the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, state auditor, attorney general, judges of the supreme court and appellate court judges, the appropriate officer shall be the Missouri ethics commission;

(2) [Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection 1 of this section,] In the case of candidates for the offices of state senator, state representative, county clerk, and associate circuit court judges and circuit court judges, the appropriate [officers] officer shall be the Missouri ethics commission [and the election authority for the place of residence of the candidate];

(3) In the case of candidates for elective municipal offices in municipalities of more than one hundred thousand inhabitants and elective county offices in counties of more than one hundred thousand inhabitants, the appropriate [officers] officer shall be the Missouri ethics commission [and the election authority of the municipality or county in which the candidate seeks office];

(4) In the case of all other offices, the appropriate officer shall be the election authority of the district or political subdivision for which the candidate seeks office;

(5) In the case of ballot measures, the appropriate officer or officers shall be:

(a) The Missouri ethics commission for a statewide measure;

(b) The local election authority for any political subdivision or district as determined by the provisions of subsection 1 of this section for any measure, other than a statewide measure, to be voted on in that political subdivision or district.

3. The appropriate officer or officers for candidate committees and campaign committees shall be the same as designated in subsection 2 of this section for the candidates or ballot measures supported or opposed as indicated in the statement of organization required to be filed by any such committee.

4. The appropriate officer for political party committees shall be as follows:

(1) In the case of state party committees, the appropriate officer shall be the Missouri ethics commission;

(2) In the case of any district, county or city political party committee, the appropriate officer shall be the Missouri ethics commission [and the election authority for that district, county or city].

5. The appropriate officers for a continuing committee and for any other committee not named in subsections 3, 4 and 5 of this section shall be as follows:

(1) The Missouri ethics commission [and the election authority for the county in which the committee is domiciled]; and

(2) If the committee makes or anticipates making expenditures other than direct contributions which aggregate more than five hundred dollars to support or oppose one or more candidates or ballot measures in [the same] a political subdivision [or district for which the appropriate officer is an election authority other than the one for the county in which the committee is domiciled], the appropriate officers for that committee shall include such other election authority or authorities, except that committees covered by this subsection need not file statements required by section 130.021 and reports required by subsections 6, 7 and 8 of section 130.046 with any appropriate officer other than those set forth in subdivision (1) of this subsection.

6. The term "domicile" or "domiciled" means the address of the committee listed on the statement of organization required to be filed by that committee in accordance with the provisions of section 130.021.

130.036. 1. The candidate, treasurer or deputy treasurer of a committee shall maintain accurate records and accounts on a current basis. The records and accounts shall be maintained in accordance with accepted normal bookkeeping procedures and shall contain the bills, receipts, deposit records, canceled checks and other detailed information necessary to prepare and substantiate any statement or report required to be filed pursuant to this chapter. Every person who acts as an agent for a committee in receiving contributions, making expenditures or incurring indebtedness for the committee shall, on request of that committee's treasurer, deputy treasurer or candidate, but in any event within five days after any such action, render to the candidate, committee treasurer or deputy treasurer a detailed account thereof, including names, addresses, dates, exact amounts and any other details required by the candidate, treasurer or deputy treasurer to comply with this chapter. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection 4 of section 130.021 prohibiting commingling of funds, an individual, trade or professional association, business entity, or labor organization which acts as an agent for a committee in receiving contributions may deposit contributions received on behalf of the committee to the agent's account within a financial institution within this state, for purposes of facilitating transmittal of the contributions to the candidate, committee treasurer or deputy treasurer. Such contributions shall not be held in the agent's account for more than five days after the date the contribution was received by the agent, and shall not be transferred to the account of any other agent or person, other than the committee treasurer.

2. Unless a contribution is rejected by the candidate or committee and returned to the donor or transmitted to the state treasurer within ten business days after its receipt, it shall be considered received and accepted on the date received, notwithstanding the fact that it was not deposited by the closing date of a reporting period.

3. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 130.041 that only contributors of more than one hundred dollars shall be reported by name and address for all committees, the committee's records shall contain a listing of each contribution received by the committee, including those accepted and those which are rejected and either returned to the donor or transmitted to the state treasurer. Each contribution, regardless of the amount, shall be recorded by date received, name and address of the contributor and the amount of the contribution, except that any contributions from unidentifiable persons which are received through fund-raising activities and events as permitted in subsection 6 of section 130.031 shall be recorded to show the dates and amounts of all such contributions received together with information contained in statements required by subsection 6 of section 130.031. The procedure for recording contributions shall be of a type which enables the candidate, committee treasurer or deputy treasurer to maintain a continuing total of all contributions received from any one contributor.

4. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 130.041 that certain expenditures need not be identified in reports by name and address of the payee, the committee's records shall include a listing of each expenditure made and each contract, promise or agreement to make an expenditure, showing the date and amount of each transaction, the name and address of the person to whom the expenditure was made or promised, and the purpose of each expenditure made or promised.

5. In the case of a committee which makes expenditures for both the support or opposition of any candidate and the passage or defeat of a ballot measure, the committee treasurer shall maintain records segregated according to each candidate or measure for which the expenditures were made.

6. Records shall indicate which transactions, either contributions received or expenditures made, were cash transactions or in-kind transactions.

7. Any candidate who, pursuant to section 130.016, is exempt from the requirements to form a committee shall maintain records of each contribution received or expenditure made in support of his candidacy. Any other person or combination of persons who, although not deemed to be a committee according to the definition of the term "committee" in section 130.011, accepts contributions or makes expenditures, other than direct contributions from the person's own funds, for the purpose of supporting or opposing the election or defeat of any candidate or for the purpose of supporting or opposing the qualifications, passage or defeat of any ballot measure shall maintain records of each contribution received or expenditure made. The records shall include name, address and amount pertaining to each contribution received or expenditure made and any bills, receipts, canceled checks or other documents relating to each transaction.

8. All records and accounts of receipts and expenditures shall be preserved for at least three years after the date of the election to which the records pertain. Records and accounts regarding supplemental disclosure reports or reports not required pursuant to an election shall be preserved for at least three years after the date of the report to which the records pertain. Such records shall be available for inspection by the [campaign finance review board] Missouri ethics commission and its duly authorized representatives.

130.046. 1. The disclosure reports required by section 130.041 for all committees shall be filed at the following times and for the following periods:

(1) Not later than the eighth day before an election for the period closing on the twelfth day before the election if the committee has made any contribution or expenditure either in support or opposition to any candidate or ballot measure;

(2) Not later than the thirtieth day after an election for a period closing on the twenty-fifth day after the election, if the committee has made any contribution or expenditure either in support of or opposition to any candidate or ballot measure; except that, a successful candidate who takes office prior to the twenty-fifth day after the election shall have complied with the report requirement of this subdivision if a disclosure report is filed by such candidate and any candidate committee under the candidate's control before such candidate takes office, and such report shall be for the period closing on the day before taking office; and

(3) Not later than the fifteenth day following the close of each calendar quarter.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, if any committee accepts contributions or makes expenditures in support of or in opposition to a ballot measure or a candidate, and the report required by this subsection for the most recent calendar quarter is filed prior to the fortieth day before the election on the measure or candidate, the committee shall file an additional disclosure report not later than the fortieth day before the election for the period closing on the forty-fifth day before the election.

2. In the case of a ballot measure to be qualified to be on the ballot by initiative petition or referendum petition, or a recall petition seeking to remove an incumbent from office, disclosure reports relating to the time for filing such petitions shall be made as follows:

(1) In addition to the disclosure reports required to be filed pursuant to subsection 1 of this section the treasurer of a committee, other than a continuing committee, supporting or opposing a petition effort to qualify a measure to appear on the ballot or to remove an incumbent from office shall file an initial disclosure report fifteen days after the committee begins the process of raising or spending money. After such initial report, the committee shall file quarterly disclosure reports as required by subdivision (3) of subsection 1 of this section until such time as the reports required by subdivisions (1) and (2) of subsection 1 of this section are to be filed. In addition the committee shall file a second disclosure report no later than the fifteenth day after the deadline date for submitting such petition. The period covered in the initial report shall begin on the day the committee first accepted contributions or made expenditures to support or oppose the petition effort for qualification of the measure and shall close on the fifth day prior to the date of the report;

(2) If the measure has qualified to be on the ballot in an election and if a committee subject to the requirements of subdivision (1) of this subsection is also required to file a preelection disclosure report for such election any time within thirty days after the date on which disclosure reports are required to be filed in accordance with subdivision (1) of this subsection, the treasurer of such committee shall not be required to file the report required by subdivision (1) of this subsection, but shall include in the committee's preelection report all information which would otherwise have been required by subdivision (1) of this subsection.

3. The candidate, if applicable, treasurer or deputy treasurer of a committee shall file disclosure reports pursuant to this section, except for any calendar quarter in which the contributions received by the committee or the expenditures or contributions made by the committee do not exceed five hundred dollars. The reporting dates and periods covered for such quarterly reports shall not be later than the fifteenth day of January, April, July and October for periods closing on the thirty-first day of December, the thirty-first day of March, the thirtieth day of June and the thirtieth day of September. No candidate, treasurer or deputy treasurer shall be required to file the quarterly disclosure report required not later than the fifteenth day of any January immediately following a November election, provided that such candidate, treasurer or deputy treasurer shall file the information required on such quarterly report on the quarterly report to be filed not later than the fifteenth day of April immediately following such November election. Each report by such committee shall be cumulative from the date of the last report. In the case of the continuing committee's first report, the report shall be cumulative from the date of the continuing committee's organization. Every candidate, treasurer or deputy treasurer shall file, at a minimum, the campaign disclosure reports covering the quarter immediately preceding the date of the election and those required by subdivisions (1) and (2) of subsection 1 of this section. A continuing committee shall submit additional reports if it makes aggregate expenditures, other than contributions to a committee, of five hundred dollars or more, within the reporting period at the following times for the following periods:

(1) Not later than the eighth day before an election for the period closing on the twelfth day before the election;

(2) Not later than forty-eight hours after aggregate expenditures of five hundred dollars or more are made after the twelfth day before the election; and

(3) Not later than the thirtieth day after an election for a period closing on the twenty-fifth day after the election.

4. The reports required to be filed no later than the thirtieth day after an election and any subsequently required report shall be cumulative so as to reflect the total receipts and disbursements of the reporting committee for the entire election campaign in question. The period covered by each disclosure report shall begin on the day after the closing date of the most recent disclosure report filed and end on the closing date for the period covered. If the committee has not previously filed a disclosure report, the period covered begins on the date the committee was formed; except that in the case of a candidate committee, the period covered begins on the date the candidate became a candidate according to the definition of the term candidate in section 130.011.

5. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter to the contrary:

(1) Certain disclosure reports pertaining to any candidate who receives nomination in a primary election and thereby seeks election in the immediately succeeding general election shall not be required in the following cases:

(a) If there are less than fifty days between a primary election and the immediately succeeding general election, the disclosure report required to be filed quarterly; provided that, any other report required to be filed prior to the primary election and all other reports required to be filed not later than the eighth day before the general election are filed no later than the final dates for filing such reports;

(b) If there are less than eighty-five days between a primary election and the immediately succeeding general election, the disclosure report required to be filed not later than the thirtieth day after the primary election need not be filed; provided that any report required to be filed prior to the primary election and any other report required to be filed prior to the general election are filed no later than the final dates for filing such reports; and

(2) No disclosure report needs to be filed for any reporting period if during that reporting period the committee has neither received contributions aggregating more than five hundred dollars nor made expenditure aggregating more than five hundred dollars and has not received contributions aggregating more than [three hundred dollars] the amount set out in subdivision (3) of subsection 1 of section 130.032, as increased by subsection 2 of section 130.032, from any single contributor and if the committee's treasurer files a statement with the appropriate officer that the committee has not exceeded the identified thresholds in the reporting period. Any contributions received or expenditures made which are not reported because this statement is filed in lieu of a disclosure report shall be included in the next disclosure report filed by the committee. This statement shall not be filed in lieu of the report for two or more consecutive disclosure periods if either the contributions received or expenditures made in the aggregate during those reporting periods exceed five hundred dollars. This statement shall not be filed, in lieu of the report, later than the thirtieth day after an election if that report would show a deficit of more than one thousand dollars.

6. (1) If the disclosure report required to be filed by a committee not later than the thirtieth day after an election shows a deficit of unpaid loans and other outstanding obligations in excess of five thousand dollars, semiannual supplemental disclosure reports shall be filed with the appropriate officer for each succeeding semiannual period until the deficit is reported in a disclosure report as being reduced to five thousand dollars or less; except that, a supplemental semiannual report shall not be required for any semiannual period which includes the closing date for the reporting period covered in any regular disclosure report which the committee is required to file in connection with an election. The reporting dates and periods covered for semiannual reports shall be not later than the fifteenth day of January and July for periods closing on the thirty-first day of December and the thirtieth day of June;

(2) Committees required to file reports pursuant to subsection 2 or 3 of this section which are not otherwise required to file disclosure reports for an election shall file semiannual reports as required by this subsection if their last required disclosure report shows a total of unpaid loans and other outstanding obligations in excess of five thousand dollars.

7. In the case of a committee which disbands and is required to file a termination statement pursuant to the provisions of section 130.021 with the appropriate officer not later than the tenth day after the committee was dissolved, the candidate, committee treasurer or deputy treasurer shall attach to the termination statement a complete disclosure report for the period closing on the date of dissolution. A committee shall not utilize the provisions of subsection 8 of section 130.021 or the provisions of this subsection to circumvent or otherwise avoid the reporting requirements of subsection 6 or 7 of this section.

8. Disclosure reports shall be filed with the appropriate officer not later than 5:00 p.m. prevailing local time of the day designated for the filing of the report and a report postmarked not later than midnight of the day previous to the day designated for filing the report shall be deemed to have been filed in a timely manner. The appropriate officer may establish a policy whereby disclosure reports may be filed by facsimile transmission.

130.049. 1. An out-of-state committee which according to the provisions of subsection 10 of section 130.021 is not required to file a statement of organization and is not required to file the full disclosure reports required by section 130.041 shall file reports with the Missouri ethics commission according to [the provisions of such sections] this subsection if the committee makes contributions or expenditures in support of or in opposition to candidates or ballot measures in this state in any election covered by this chapter or makes contributions to any committee domiciled in this state. An initial report shall be filed no later than fourteen days prior to the date such out-of-state committee first makes a contribution or expenditure in this state, and thereafter reports shall be filed at the times and for the reporting periods prescribed in subsection 1 of section 130.046. [Such initial report shall state the name and address of the committee receiving such contributions or expenditures.] The contributions or expenditures shall be made no later than thirty days prior to the election. [The out-of-state committee thereafter shall file copies of the campaign disclosure report required to be filed in the domicile of the committee with the Missouri ethics commission as required by subsections 1 to 3 of section 130.046.] No candidate or committee may accept any contribution made by a committee domiciled outside this state unless the provisions of this section are met.

2. Each out-of-state committee report shall contain:

(1) The full name, address, and domicile of the committee making the report and the name, residential and business addresses, domicile, and telephone numbers of the committee's treasurer;

(2) The name and address of any entity such as a labor union, trade or business or professional association, club, or other organization, or any business entity with which the committee is affiliated;

(3) A statement of the total dollar amount of all funds received by the committee in the current calendar year and a statement of the total contributions in the same period from persons domiciled in this state and a list by name, address, date, and amount of each Missouri resident who contributed an aggregate of more than two hundred dollars in the current calendar year;

(4) A list by name, address, date, and amount regarding any contributor to the out-of-state committee, regardless of state of residency, who made a contribution during the reporting period which was restricted or designated in whole or in part for use in supporting or opposing a candidate, ballot measure, or committee in this state or was restricted for use in this state at the committee's discretion, or a statement that no such contributions were received;

(5) A statement as to whether the committee is required to file reports with the Federal Elections Commission, and a listing of agencies in other states with which the committee files reports, if any;

(6) A separate listing showing contributions made in support of or opposition to each candidate or ballot measure in this state, together with the date and amount of each contribution;

(7) A separate listing showing contributions made to any committee domiciled in this state with the date and amount of each contribution.

130.050. [1. An out-of-state committee which, according to the provisions of subsection 10 of section 130.021, is not required to file a statement of organization and is not required to file the full disclosure reports required by section 130.041 shall file reports with the Missouri ethics commission according to the provisions of this subsection if the committee makes contributions or expenditures in support of or in opposition to candidates or ballot measures in this state in any election covered by this chapter or makes contributions to any committee domiciled in this state. An initial report shall be filed on or within fourteen days prior to the date such out-of-state committee first makes a contribution or expenditure in this state, and thereafter reports shall be filed at the times and for the reporting periods prescribed in subsection 1 of section 130.046. Each report shall contain:

(1) The full name, address and domicile of the committee making the report and the name, residential and business addresses, domicile and telephone numbers of the committee's treasurer;

(2) The name and address of any entity such as a labor union, trade or business or professional association, club or other organization or any business entity with which the committee is affiliated;

(3) A statement of the total dollar amount of all funds received by the committee in the current calendar year and a statement of the total contributions in the same period from persons domiciled in this state and a list by name, address, date and amount of each Missouri resident who contributed an aggregate of more than two hundred dollars in the current calendar year;

(4) A list by name, address, date and amount regarding any contributor to the out-of-state committee, regardless of state of residency, who made a contribution during the reporting period which was restricted or designated in whole or in part for use in supporting or opposing a candidate, ballot measure or committee in this state or was restricted for use in this state at the committee's discretion, or a statement that no such contributions were received;

(5) A statement as to whether the committee is required to file reports with the Federal Election Commission, and a listing of agencies in other states with which the committee files reports, if any;

(6) A separate listing showing contributions made in support of or opposition to each candidate or ballot measure in this state, together with the date and amount of each contribution;

(7) A separate listing showing contributions made to any committee domiciled in this state with the date and amount of each contribution.

2. In the case of a political party committee's selection of an individual to be the party's nominee for public office in an election covered by this chapter, any individual who seeks such nomination and who is a candidate according to the definition of the term candidate in section 130.011 shall be required to comply with all requirements of this chapter; except that, for the purposes of this subsection, the reporting dates and reporting periods in section 130.046 shall not apply, and the first reporting date shall be no later than the fifteenth day after the date on which a nomination covered by this subsection was made and for the period beginning on the date the individual became a candidate, as the term candidate is defined in section 130.011, and closing on the tenth day after the date the nomination was made, with subsequent reports being made as closely as practicable to the times required in section 130.046.

3.] The receipt of any late contribution or loan of more than two hundred fifty dollars by a candidate committee supporting a candidate for statewide office or by any other committee shall be reported to the appropriate officer no later than forty-eight hours after receipt. For purposes of this subsection the term "late contribution or loan" means a contribution or loan received after the closing date of the last disclosure report required to be filed before an election but received prior to the date of the election itself. The disclosure report of a late contribution may be made by any written means of communication, setting forth the name and address of the contributor or lender and the amount of the contribution or loan and need not contain the signatures and certification required for a full disclosure report described in section 130.041. A late contribution or loan shall be included in subsequent disclosure reports without regard to any special reports filed pursuant to this subsection.

130.057. 1. In order for candidates for election and public officials to more easily file reports required by law and to access information contained in such reports, and for the Missouri ethics commission to receive and store reports in an efficient and economical method, and for the general public and news media to access information contained in such reports, the commission shall establish and maintain an electronic reporting system pursuant to this section.

2. The ethics commission may establish for elections in 1996 and shall establish for elections and all required reporting beginning in 1998 and maintain thereafter a state campaign finance and financial interest disclosure electronic reporting system pursuant to this section for all candidates required to file. The system may be used for the collection, filing and dissemination of all reports, including monthly lobbying reports filed by law, and all reports filed with the commission pursuant to this chapter and chapter 105, RSMo. The system may be established and used for all reports required to be filed for the primary and general elections in 1996 and all elections thereafter, except that the system may require maintenance of a paper backup system for the primary and general elections in 1996. The reports shall be maintained and secured in the electronic format by the commission.

3. When the commission determines that the electronic reporting system has been properly implemented, the commission shall certify to all candidates and committees required to file pursuant to this chapter that such electronic reporting system has been established and implemented. Beginning with the primary and general elections in 2000, or the next primary or general election in which the commission has made certification pursuant to this subsection, whichever is later, candidates and all other committees shall file reports by using either the electronic format prescribed by the commission or paper forms provided by the commission for that purpose. Continuing committees shall file reports by electronic format prescribed by the commission, except continuing committees, political party committees, or campaign committees which make contributions equal to or less than [fifteen] five thousand dollars in the applicable calendar year. Any continuing [committee which makes] committees, political party committees, or campaign committees which make contributions in support of or opposition to any measure or candidate equal to or less than [fifteen] five thousand dollars in the applicable calendar year shall file reports on paper forms provided by the commission for that purpose or by electronic format prescribed by the commission, whichever reporting method the continuing committee chooses. The commission shall supply a computer program which shall be used for filing by modem or by a common magnetic media chosen by the commission. In the event that filings are performed electronically, the candidate shall file a signed original written copy within five working days; except that, if a means becomes available which will allow a verifiable electronic signature, the commission may also accept this in lieu of a written statement.

4. Beginning January 1, 2000, or on the date the commission makes the certification pursuant to subsection 3 of this section, whichever is later, all reports filed with the commission by any candidate for a statewide office, or such candidate's committee, shall be filed in electronic format as prescribed by the commission; provided however, that if a candidate for statewide office, or such candidate's committee receives or spends five thousand dollars or less for any reporting period, the report for that reporting period shall not be required to be filed electronically.

5. A copy of all reports filed in the state campaign finance electronic reporting system shall be placed on a public electronic access system so that the general public may have open access to the reports filed pursuant to this section. The access system shall be organized and maintained in such a manner to allow an individual to obtain information concerning all contributions made to or on behalf of, and all expenditures made on behalf of, any public official described in subsection 2 of this section in formats that will include both written and electronically readable formats.

6. All records that are in electronic format, not otherwise closed by law, shall be available in electronic format to the public. The commission shall maintain and provide for public inspection, a listing of all reports with a complete description for each field contained on the report, that has been used to extract information from their database files. The commission shall develop a report or reports which contain every field in each database.

7. Annually, the commission shall provide, without cost, a system-wide dump of information contained in the commission's electronic database files to the general assembly. The information is to be copied onto a medium specified by the general assembly. Such information shall not contain records otherwise closed by law. It is the intent of the general assembly to provide open access to the commission's records. The commission shall make every reasonable effort to comply with requests for information and shall take a liberal interpretation when considering such requests.

8. Beginning on a date established by the commission, but no later than January 1, 2005, each candidate for state representative and each candidate for state senate, or such candidate's committee, shall file a campaign disclosure report required to be filed with the commission in electronic format. The commission may determine when candidates are required to file such reports electronically.

9. In any case that challenges the commission's assessment of a late filing fee for any filing that is required to be made electronically, the commission shall bear the burden of proving that its electronic filing system was operable at the time the filing was required to be made.

130.062. In the case of a political party committee's selection of an individual to be the party's nominee for public office in an election covered by this chapter, any individual who seeks such nomination and who is a candidate according to the definition of the term candidate in section 130.011 shall be required to comply with all requirements of this chapter; except that, for the purposes of this section, the reporting dates and reporting periods in section 130.046 shall not apply, and the first reporting date shall be no later than the fifteenth day after the date on which a nomination covered by this section was made and for the period beginning on the date the individual became a candidate, as the term candidate is defined in section 130.011, and closing on the tenth day after the date the nomination was made, with subsequent reports being made as closely as practicable to the times required in section 130.046.

[105.973. 1. The ethics commission shall print and make available a summary of all laws over which the commission has enforcement powers pursuant to chapter 105 and chapter 130, RSMo. The summary shall be in plain English and compiled to put individuals on notice of such laws.

2. A candidate shall sign a statement verifying that such candidate has received the summary when filing for an office.]

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