Commission-approved electronic filing software must meet formatting, transmission, usability, confirmation, and import/export requirements; the commission must hold a public hearing, accept comments, may distribute software online, and must keep certain pre-filing data confidential.
Sec. 571.0671. REQUIREMENTS FOR ELECTRONIC FILING SOFTWARE. (a) Computer software provided or approved by the commission for use under Section 254.036(b), Election Code, or Section 302.013 or 305.0064 must: (1) use a standardized format for the entry of names, addresses, and zip codes; (2) provide for secure and encoded transmission of data from the computer of a person filing a report to the computers used by the commission; (3) be capable of being used by a person with basic computing skills; (4) provide confirmation to a person filing a report that the report was properly received; and (5) permit a person using a computer to prepare a report or to retrieve information from a report to import information to the report from a variety of computer software applications that meet commission specifications for a standard file format or export information from the report to a variety of computer software applications that meet commission specifications for a standard file format without the need to reenter information. (b) Before determining the specifications for computer software developed, purchased, or licensed for use under Section 254.036, Election Code, or Section 302.013 or 305.0064, the commission shall conduct at least one public hearing to discuss the specifications. For at least 10 days following the hearing, the commission shall accept public comments concerning the software specifications. (c) The commission may provide software for use under Section 254.036(b), Election Code, or Section 302.013 or 305.0064 by making the software available on the Internet. If the commission makes the software available on the Internet, the commission is not required to provide the software on computer diskettes, CD-ROMs, or other storage media without charge to persons required to file reports under that section, but may charge a fee for providing the software on storage media. A fee under this subsection may not exceed the cost to the commission of providing the software. (d) Electronic report or financial statement data saved in a commission temporary storage location for later retrieval and editing before the report or financial statement is filed is confidential and may not be disclosed. After the report or financial statement is filed with the commission, the information disclosed in the filed report or financial statement is public information to the extent provided by the law requiring the filing of the report or financial statement. Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1434, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1999. Renumbered from Election Code Sec. 254.0361 and amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 249, Sec. 1.08, eff. Sept. 1, 2003. Amended by: Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 584 (H.B. 3680), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2015.