Thursday, March 7, 2024 – 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM
And
Tuesday, March 12, 2024 – 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
These meetings will be conducted remotely using an online meeting platform. If you would like to attend, please RSVP to michael.a.canning@sfgov.org and you will be provided with a link to the meeting shortly before the date of the meeting.
Please join staff from the Policy Division of the San Francisco Ethics Commission to share your thoughts on potential amendments to the City’s campaign finance regulations.
Changes to Electronic Signature Processes
San Francisco requires political committees to file their campaign disclosure statements electronically. Per Ethics Commission Regulation 1.112-2, all committee officers responsible for signing such disclosure statements are currently required to have a Signature Verfication Card on file with the Ethics Commission in order for their statements to be accepted. This process requires each committee officer to visit the Ethics Commission’s office, so that the Form SFEC-112a can be signed in the presence of Ethics Commission staff or for the officer to have the form notarized with an original signature and delivered to the Ethics Commission’s office.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ethics Commission’s physical office was closed due to the City’s Public Health Order. During that time, the Commission instituted temporary processes for accepting campaign disclosure statements electronically, which did not require committee officers to physically visit the Commission’s office. Last year, the Commission’s physical office reopened, but the Commission has continued to allow the temporary processes that were enacted when the office was closed.
The Commission is currently considering amendments to Ethics Commission Regulation 1.112-2, which would remove the Signature Verification Card requirement and replace it with a more modern, streamlined approach, that would make the process easier for committee officers, while taking advantage of recent advancements in secure electronic signature technology.
The Ethics Commission would like to hear from those who submit forms to the Commission and members of the public regarding this potential change to the electronic filing process. During these meetings, Ethics Commission staff will review the process that is currently required and present an overview of the new process that is being considered.
Other Amendments Being Considered
The Commission is also considering adding a new regulation, which specifies that for the purposes of Section 1.108, “an office of a bank located in the City and County of San Francisco” includes the office of any bank that is authorized to do business in the City. The Commission is also considering an amendment to Ethics Commission Regulation 1.126-7, which would specify that contributors must certify their statements “under penalty of perjury.”
The Commission looks forward to hearing from the public on these matters. The two meetings will each have the same agenda, and participants are welcome to join one or both meetings.
Staff also welcomes written comments, which can be sent via email to michael.a.canning@sfgov.org, or via U.S. mail to San Francisco Ethics Commission, 25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 220, San Francisco, CA 94102.
The meetings will be conducted remotely via Webex. The week of the meetings, Staff will distribute links to the meetings via email to all attendees who RSVP.
For questions about the upcoming interested persons meetings, or to RSVP, please contact Michael Canning at michael.a.canning@sfgov.org. We welcome your input and hope to see you at one of our upcoming online meetings.