(a) A committee that is a committee by virtue of subdivision (a) of Section 82013 shall file a statement of organization. The committee shall file the original of the statement of organization online or electronically with the Secretary of State and shall also file a copy of the statement of organization with the local filing officer, if any, with whom the committee is required to file the originals of its campaign reports pursuant to Section 84215. The original and copy of the statement of organization shall be filed within 10 days after the committee has qualified as a committee. The Secretary of State shall assign a number to each committee that files a statement of organization and shall notify the committee of the number. The Secretary of State shall email or send a copy of statements filed pursuant to this section to the county elections official of each county that the Secretary of State deems appropriate. A county elections official who receives a copy of a statement of organization from the Secretary of State pursuant to this section shall email or send a copy of the statement to the clerk of each city in the county that the county elections official deems appropriate.

(b) In addition to filing the statement of organization as required by subdivision (a), if a committee qualifies as a committee under subdivision (a) of Section 82013 within 16 days before the date of an election in connection with which the committee is required to file preelection statements, the committee shall file, within 24 hours of qualifying as a committee, the original of its statement of organization online or electronically with the Secretary of State, and a copy with the local filing officer, if any, with whom the committee is required to file the originals of its campaign reports pursuant to Section 84215 by email, fax, online transmission, guaranteed overnight delivery, or personal delivery.

(c) If an independent expenditure committee qualifies as a committee pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 82013 during the time period described in Section 82036.5 and makes independent expenditures of one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more to support or oppose a candidate or candidates for office, the committee shall file, within 24 hours of qualifying as a committee, the original of its statement of organization online or electronically with the Secretary of State. The committee shall also file a copy of its statement with the filing officer with whom the committee is required to file the original of its campaign reports pursuant to Section 84215, and at all locations required for the candidate or candidates supported or opposed by the independent expenditures, by email, facsimile transmission, guaranteed overnight delivery, or personal delivery. The filings required by this section are in addition to filings that may be required by Section 84204.

(d) For purposes of this section, in calculating whether two thousand dollars ($2,000) in contributions has been received, payments for a filing fee or for a statement of qualifications to appear in a sample ballot shall not be included if these payments have been made from the candidate’s personal funds.

(Amended (as amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 662, Sec. 8) by Stats. 2021, Ch. 50, Sec. 159. (AB 378) Effective January 1, 2022. Conditionally operative on date prescribed by Stats. 2018, Ch. 662, Sec. 44. Note: This section was added on June 4, 1974, by initiative Prop. 9.)