1. If the Secretary of State receives information that a candidate, person, organization, committee, political party or nonprofit corporation that is subject to the provisions of NRS 294A.120, 294A.128, 294A.140, 294A.150, 294A.200, 294A.210, 294A.220, 294A.230, 294A.250, 294A.270, 294A.280 or 294A.286 has not filed a report or form for registration pursuant to the applicable provisions of those sections, the Secretary of State may, after giving notice to that candidate, person, organization, committee, political party or nonprofit corporation, cause the appropriate proceedings to be instituted in the First Judicial District Court.
2. Except as otherwise provided in this section, a candidate, person, organization, committee, political party or nonprofit corporation that violates an applicable provision of this chapter is subject to a civil penalty of not more than $10,000 for each violation and payment of court costs and attorney’s fees. The civil penalty must be recovered in a civil action brought in the name of the State of Nevada by the Secretary of State in the First Judicial District Court and deposited by the Secretary of State for credit to the State General Fund in the bank designated by the State Treasurer.
3. If a civil penalty is imposed because a candidate, person, organization, committee, political party or nonprofit corporation has reported its contributions, campaign expenses, independent expenditures or other expenditures after the date the report is due, except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the amount of the civil penalty is:
(a) If the report is not more than 7 days late, $25 for each day the report is late.
(b) If the report is more than 7 days late but not more than 15 days late, $50 for each day the report is late.
(c) If the report is more than 15 days late, $100 for each day the report is late.
A civil penalty imposed pursuant to this subsection against a public officer who by law is not entitled to receive compensation for his or her office or a candidate for such an office must not exceed a total of $100 if the public officer or candidate received no contributions and made no expenditures during the relevant reporting periods.
4. For good cause shown, the Secretary of State may waive a civil penalty that would otherwise be imposed pursuant to this section.
5. When considering whether to waive, pursuant to subsection 4, a civil penalty that would otherwise be imposed pursuant to subsection 3, the Secretary of State may consider, without limitation:
(a) The seriousness of the violation, including, without limitation, the nature, circumstances and extent of the violation;
(b) Any history of violations committed by the candidate, person, organization, committee, political party or nonprofit corporation against whom the civil penalty would otherwise be imposed;
(c) Any mitigating factor, including, without limitation, whether the candidate, person, organization, committee, political party or nonprofit corporation against whom the civil penalty would otherwise be imposed reported the violation, corrected the violation in a timely manner, attempted to correct the violation or cooperated with the Secretary of State in resolving the situation that led to the violation;
(d) Whether the violation was inadvertent;
(e) Any knowledge or experience the candidate, person, organization, committee, political party or nonprofit corporation has with the provisions of this chapter; and
(f) Any other factor that the Secretary of State deems to be relevant.
6. If the Secretary of State waives a civil penalty pursuant to subsection 4, the Secretary of State shall:
(a) Create a record which sets forth that the civil penalty has been waived and describes the circumstances that constitute the good cause shown; and
(b) Ensure that the record created pursuant to paragraph (a) is available for review by the general public.
7. The remedies and penalties provided by this chapter are cumulative, do not abrogate and are in addition to any other remedies and penalties that may exist at law or in equity, including, without limitation, any criminal penalty that may be imposed pursuant to this chapter or NRS 199.120, 199.145 or 239.330.
(Added to NRS by 1997, 236; A 1999, 2749; 2001, 1430, 2924, 2931; 2003, 1712, 3017; 2005, 2301; 2007, 980, 2542, 2739, 3371; 2011, 2122, 3306; 2013, 1365, 1467, 2414, 3836; 2019, 3957)
Structure Nevada Revised Statutes
Chapter 294A - Campaign Practices
NRS 294A.0025 - "Advocates expressly" or "expressly advocates" defined.
NRS 294A.0035 - "Campaign expenses" defined.
NRS 294A.005 - "Candidate" defined.
NRS 294A.0055 - "Committee for political action" defined.
NRS 294A.006 - "Committee for the recall of a public officer" defined.
NRS 294A.0065 - "Committee sponsored by a political party" defined.
NRS 294A.007 - "Contribution" defined.
NRS 294A.0074 - "Election year" defined.
NRS 294A.0075 - "Expenditures" defined.
NRS 294A.0076 - "General election" defined.
NRS 294A.0077 - "Independent expenditure" defined.
NRS 294A.0078 - "Legal defense fund" defined.
NRS 294A.0087 - "Organization" defined.
NRS 294A.009 - "Person" defined.
NRS 294A.011 - "Personal use" defined.
NRS 294A.014 - "Primary election" defined.
NRS 294A.130 - Deposit of contributions received in separate account; closing of separate account.
NRS 294A.223 - Filing reports when special election held on same day as primary or general election.
NRS 294A.225 - Registration; publication of information relating to registration.
NRS 294A.240 - Registered agent.
NRS 294A.260 - Registered agent.
NRS 294A.287 - Limitation on contributions or commitments to make contributions; penalty.
NRS 294A.290 - Code of Fair Campaign Practices.
NRS 294A.330 - Use of term "reelect" in campaign.
NRS 294A.340 - Creating implication that candidate is incumbent.
NRS 294A.343 - Persuasive poll concerning candidate: Penalty for violation.
NRS 294A.349 - Exceptions to certain disclosure requirements.
NRS 294A.370 - Media to make certain information available.
NRS 294A.3733 - Candidate not required to file reports electronically in certain circumstances.
NRS 294A.390 - Distribution of forms and regulations.
NRS 294A.400 - Compilation by Secretary of State of reported information; public inspection.