| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to political advertisements; requiring the |
| 3 | Division of Elections of the Department of State to create |
| 4 | and maintain the "Florida Campaign Sunshine" website; |
| 5 | providing for certain links to the website; requiring that |
| 6 | all contents of the website be made available to the |
| 7 | public; defining the term "political advertisement"; |
| 8 | requiring the division to grant certain candidates access |
| 9 | to the website; requiring certain persons to submit a copy |
| 10 | of political advertisements to the division; providing |
| 11 | deadlines; requiring persons responsible for the creation |
| 12 | or publication of a negative political advertisement to |
| 13 | submit certain materials and information to the division; |
| 14 | requiring the division to post all advertisements on the |
| 15 | website within a specified time; requiring certain persons |
| 16 | to submit specified information relating to the person or |
| 17 | organization paying for a political advertisement; |
| 18 | requiring a link on the website to information regarding |
| 19 | campaign finance for the person paying for each |
| 20 | advertisement; providing an effective date. |
| 21 |
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| 22 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 23 |
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| 24 | Section 1. Florida Campaign Sunshine website.-- |
| 25 | (1) As used in this section, the term "political |
| 26 | advertisement" has the same meaning as in s. 106.011, Florida |
| 27 | Statutes. |
| 28 | (2) The Division of Elections of the Department of State |
| 29 | shall create and maintain a website known as "Florida Campaign |
| 30 | Sunshine," a link to which shall be placed on both the |
| 31 | department's and the division's respective homepages using a |
| 32 | clearly marked and conspicuous hyperlink containing the words |
| 33 | "Florida Campaign Sunshine." The website and all of its contents |
| 34 | shall be made available for viewing by the public. |
| 35 | (3) The division shall issue each candidate running for |
| 36 | any elected office and any person or organization responsible |
| 37 | for the creation or publication of any political advertisement a |
| 38 | unique username and password that will provide the candidate or |
| 39 | organization with private access to the website. |
| 40 | (4) Any person or organization responsible for the |
| 41 | creation or publication of any political advertisement must |
| 42 | submit to the division a copy of the advertisement, in the form |
| 43 | in which such advertisement will appear, no less than 3 days |
| 44 | before such advertisement is used. During the final week of a |
| 45 | campaign, the division must receive a copy of an advertisement |
| 46 | not less than 24 hours before such advertisement is used. |
| 47 | (5) Any person or organization responsible for the |
| 48 | creation or publication of a negative political advertisement |
| 49 | against any candidate must also submit to the division a |
| 50 | complete copy of any documents or other materials referenced, |
| 51 | used, or footnoted in the advertisement, along with a statement |
| 52 | of the source of each document or other material, not less than |
| 53 | 3 days before such advertisement is used, and, during the final |
| 54 | week of a campaign, not less than 24 hours before the |
| 55 | corresponding advertisement is used. |
| 56 | (6) The division shall post all political advertisements |
| 57 | on the Florida Campaign Sunshine website within 24 hours after |
| 58 | the division's receipt thereof. |
| 59 | (7) At the time of the submission of an advertisement to |
| 60 | the division, the person or organization responsible for the |
| 61 | creation or publication of such advertisement must include the |
| 62 | name of the person or organization paying for the advertisement, |
| 63 | as well as that person or organization's contact information. |
| 64 | The division shall include a link on the Florida Campaign |
| 65 | Sunshine website to the appropriate section of the department's |
| 66 | website regarding campaign finance for the person or |
| 67 | organization paying for each advertisement. |
| 68 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007. |