§ 4A-108 — Internet-based systems of filing

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act or any other law, the Secretary of State and county clerks are authorized to institute an Internet-based system for the filing of statements of economic interests in their offices. With respect to county clerk systems, the determination to institute such a system shall be in the sole discretion of the county clerk and shall meet the requirements set out in this Section. With respect to a Secretary of State system, the determination to institute such a system shall be in the sole discretion of the Secretary of State and shall meet the requirements set out in this Section and those Sections of the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act requiring ethics officer review prior to filing. The system shall be capable of allowing an ethics officer to approve a statement of economic interests and shall include a means to amend a statement of economic interests. When this Section does not modify or remove the requirements set forth elsewhere in this Article, those requirements shall apply to any system of Internet-based filing authorized by this Section. When this Section does modify or remove the requirements set forth elsewhere in this Article, the provisions of this Section shall apply to any system of Internet-based filing authorized by this Section. (b) In any system of Internet-based filing of statements of economic interests instituted by the Secretary of State or a county clerk: (1) Any filing of an Internet-based statement of economic interests shall be the equivalent of the filing of a verified, written statement of economic interests as required by Section 4A-101 or 4A-101.5 and the equivalent of the filing of a verified, dated, and signed statement of economic interests as required by Section 4A-103. (2) The Secretary of State and county clerks who institute a system of Internet-based filing of statements of economic interests shall establish a password-protected website to receive the filings of such statements. A website established under this Section shall set forth and provide a means of responding to the items set forth in Section 4A-103 that are required of a person who files a statement of economic interests with that officer. A website established under this Section shall set forth and provide a means of generating a printable receipt page acknowledging filing. (3) The times for the filing of statements of economic interests set forth in Section 4A-105 shall be followed in any system of Internet-based filing of statements of economic interests; provided that a candidate for elective office who is required to file a statement of economic interests in relation to his or her candidacy pursuant to Section 4A-105(a) shall receive a written or printed receipt for his or her filing. A candidate filing for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Comptroller, State Senate, State House of Representatives, Supreme Court Justice, appellate court judge, circuit court judge, or judicial retention shall not use the Internet to file his or her statement of economic interests, but shall file his or her statement of economic interests in a written or printed form and shall receive a written or printed receipt for his or her filing. Annually, the duly appointed ethics officer for each legislative caucus shall certify to the Secretary of State whether his or her caucus members will file their statements of economic interests electronically or in a written or printed format for that year. If the ethics officer for a caucus certifies that the statements of economic interests shall be written or printed, then members of the General Assembly of that caucus shall not use the Internet to file his or her statement of economic interests, but shall file his or her statement of economic interests in a written or printed form and shall receive a written or printed receipt for his or her filing. If no certification is made by an ethics officer for a legislative caucus, or if a member of the General Assembly is not affiliated with a legislative caucus, then the affected member or members of the General Assembly may file their statements of economic interests using the Internet. (4) In the first year of the implementation of a system of Internet-based filing of statements of economic interests, each person required to file such a statement is to be notified in writing of his or her obligation to file his or her statement of economic interests by way of the Internet-based system. If access to the website requires a code or password, this information shall be included in the notice prescribed by this paragraph. (5) When a person required to file a statement of economic interests has supplied the Secretary of State or a county clerk, as applicable, with an email address for the purpose of receiving notices under this Article by email, a notice sent by email to the supplied email address shall be the equivalent of a notice sent by first class mail, as set forth in Section 4A-106 or 4A-106.5. A person who has supplied such an email address shall notify the Secretary of State or county clerk, as applicable, when his or her email address changes or if he or she no longer wishes to receive notices by email. (6) If any person who is required to file a statement of economic interests and who has chosen to receive notices by email fails to file his or her statement by May 10, then the Secretary of State or county clerk, as applicable, shall send an additional email notice on that date, informing the person that he or she has not filed and describing the penalties for late filing and failing to file. This notice shall be in addition to other notices provided for in this Article. (7) The Secretary of State and each county clerk who institutes a system of Internet-based filing of statements of economic interests may also institute an Internet-based process for the filing of the list of names and addresses of persons required to file statements of economic interests by the chief administrative officers that must file such information with the Secretary of State or county clerk, as applicable, pursuant to Section 4A-106 or 4A-106.5. Whenever the Secretary of State or a county clerk institutes such a system under this paragraph, every chief administrative officer must use the system to file this information. (8) The Secretary of State and any county clerk who institutes a system of Internet-based filing of statements of economic interests shall post the contents of such statements filed with him or her available for inspection and copying on a publicly accessible website. Such postings shall not include the addresses or signatures of the filers.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 101-221, eff. 8-9-19; 102-558, eff. 8-20-21; 102-664, eff. 1-1-22 .)