PART II. COMMITTEES

§1491.1. Registration of committees

            A. Each committee, including a subsidiary committee, which knows or anticipates that it will receive contributions or loans, make expenditures or loans, or make a transfer of funds to or receive a transfer of funds from another committee during a calendar year in the aggregate amount exceeding one thousand dollars shall file a statement of organization with the supervisory committee annually after January first and no later than January thirty-first of each calendar year. Any such committee organized after January thirty-first shall file the required statement of organization no later than the tenth day after its organization. Any committee which, after January thirty-first, knows or anticipates that it will receive contributions, loans, or transfers of funds or make expenditures, loans, or transfers of funds in the aggregate in excess of one thousand dollars during the calendar year shall file the required statement of organization within ten days after the date on which it has information which causes it to know or anticipate that it will receive such contributions, loans, or transfers of funds or make such expenditures, loans, or transfers of funds. If a committee which knows or anticipates that it will receive contributions, loans, or transfers of funds or make expenditures, loans, or transfers of funds in the aggregate in excess of one thousand dollars during a calendar year, is organized within ten days prior to any election, it shall file the statement of organization required by this Section no later than the third day after such organizing. Any committee required to file supplemental reports under the provisions of R.S. 18:1491.6 shall file the annual statement of organization. The supervisory committee shall issue a certificate of registration to each committee which submits the statement required by this Subsection.

            B. The statement of organization shall include:

            (1) The name of the committee, and the address of the committee, or of its chairman if the committee has no address.

            (2) The names, addresses, and relationships of affiliated organizations.

            (3) The name and address of the treasurer of the committee, if any, and of any deputy treasurers of the committee.

            (4) The name and address of the committee chairman and the name, address, and position of other principal officers and directors of the committee, if any.

            (5)(a) A statement, if applicable, that the committee is a principal campaign committee and the candidate by whom it is designated as a principal campaign committee, if any, or a statement, if applicable, that the committee is a subsidiary committee and the committee or candidate by whom it is designated as a subsidiary committee.

            (b) A statement, if the committee is organized to support a single candidate and if applicable, that the committee is not the principal or subsidiary committee of the candidate and a certification by the committee that the committee is not working and will not work in coordination, consultation, or cooperation with the candidate.

            (c) A statement, if applicable, that the committee is organized solely to make independent expenditures and a certification by the committee that the committee is not and will not make contributions, whether direct or in-kind as defined in R.S. 18:1483, in contravention of provisions of this Chapter.

            (d) A statement, if applicable, that the committee is organized as a leadership committee, an identification of the elected official with whom the committee is affiliated, and a certification by the committee that the committee is not making and will not make contributions, whether direct or in-kind, to the principal campaign committee of the elected official with which it is affiliated, or any subsidiary committee thereof, or expenditures for the purpose of supporting the election to public office of the elected official with which it is affiliated, or opposing the election to public office of any opponent of the elected official with which it is affiliated.

            (e) A statement, if applicable, that the committee is organized as a joint fundraising committee pursuant to R.S. 18:1491.9 and the name and mailing address of each committee and organization participating in the joint fundraising agreement that designates the committee as the joint fundraising committee.

            (6) A listing of all banks, safety deposit boxes, or other depositories used for committee funds.

            (7) The estimated number of members of the committee.

            (8) Certification of membership as required by R.S. 18:1505.2(H)(2)(b), if applicable.

            (9) A statement, if applicable, that the committee has elected to file monthly reports pursuant to R.S. 18:1491.6(I).

            C. Any change in information previously submitted in the annual statement of organization shall be reported to the supervisory committee within ten days following the change.

            D. No committee shall receive contributions or loans, make expenditures or loans or make a transfer of funds to or receive a transfer of funds from another committee in the aggregate in excess of one thousand dollars in any calendar year until it has filed the annual statement of organization required by this Section. Any committee which violates the provisions of this Subsection shall be subject to the penalties provided in R.S. 18:1505.5 and 1505.6.

            E.(1) The supervisory committee may impose a fee not to exceed the amount of one hundred dollars for each statement required to be filed under this Section to be remitted to the supervisory committee together with the statement on or before the time that the statement is required to be filed. Any statement submitted without the proper fee shall be deemed as not being properly submitted to the supervisory committee. All fees collected hereunder shall be used solely by the supervisory committee for the enforcement of the provisions of this Chapter, as appropriated by the legislature.

            (2) The supervisory committee shall accept payment via electronic funds transfer for filing fees associated with filing a statement of organization. The supervisory committee may charge an electronic processing fee not to exceed five percent of the filing fee.

            F. If the supervisory committee receives a statement pursuant to Subparagraph (B)(5)(b) of this Section, the supervisory committee shall immediately notify the affected candidate of his obligations pursuant to R.S. 18:1491.3(C).

            G. Statements of organization and other documents required to be filed with the supervisory committee pursuant to this Section, including electronic filing affidavits, may be filed electronically by facsimile or through the Board of Ethics Computerized Data Management System as provided in R.S. 18:1485 and R.S. 42:1158. Documents may be notarized as provided by R.S. 35:621 et seq.

            Acts 1980, No. 786, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1981. Acts 1988, No. 994, §2, eff. July 27, 1988; Acts 2003, No. 935, §1, eff. July 1, 2003; Acts 2022, No. 728, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2023; Acts 2024, No. 664, §2, eff. Jan. 1, 2025; Acts 2025, No. 398, §1, eff. June 20, 2025.