(a) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the Tennessee ethics commission shall:

(1) Develop, with the advice, assistance and approval of the office of information resources, an Internet-based electronic filing process for use by all persons that are required to electronically register or file statements and reports with the commission pursuant to this chapter, §§ 2-10-115 and 2-10-122 — 2-10-130, and title 8, chapter 50, part 5;

(2) Develop, with the advice, assistance and approval of the office of information resources, a system that provides each person required to register or file statements and reports with the commission secure access to the electronic registration and filing system. The system shall provide adequate safeguards to prevent unauthorized persons from inappropriately tampering with or changing the data and shall provide for secure authentication safeguards for documents such as electronic signatures and electronic notarization;

(3) Provide training to each person required to register or file statements and reports with the commission on the use of the electronic filing system;

(4) Make, with the advice, assistance and approval of the office of information resources, electronically filed reports and statements available for viewing on the commission's web site in a format that is searchable and that may be downloaded and managed by a user with appropriate software; provided, that this subdivision (a)(4) does not apply to those documents required to be confidential pursuant to § 3-6-202. In addition to any other method of information management developed by the commission, conflict of interest disclosures shall be indexed and searchable by county; and

(5) Beginning on October 1, 2006, with the advice, assistance and approval of the office of information resources, provide the public access to lists compiled from the registrations and other documents filed by employers of lobbyists, lobbyists, and persons required to file conflict of interest disclosures. In addition, the commission shall provide assistance to anyone seeking to access this information on the Internet.

(b) The commission, once the development of the electronic filing system is completed and tested, shall provide public notice that the system is operational and available for filers to commence use.

(c) The commission shall, with the advice, assistance and approval of the office of information resources, implement the electronic filing system for use by October 1, 2006. Any person required to electronically file statements and reports with the commission shall file required statements and reports electronically on or after October 1, 2006. Any required statements and reports filed with the registry of election finance prior to October 1, 2006, shall continue to be filed with the registry until such date.

(d) All information entered by any person required to file statements and reports electronically with the commission shall remain confidential until the information is submitted to the commission.

(e) The commission shall strive to establish electronic filing for all documents required to be filed with the commission; provided, however, that no candidate or appointee to a local public office, as defined in § 2-10-102, shall be required to electronically file documents with the commission.

(1) Except as provided in this subsection (e), the commission, unless otherwise required by law to provide for electronic filing, shall have the discretion to determine when electronic filing is financially feasible and will be an accessible and efficient method of filing.

(2) The commission shall establish rules specifying the manner in which a report, statement or other documents shall be filed. The rules shall be published and posted conspicuously on the commission's web site at least sixty (60) days prior to the due date of any document affected by the rules.