FINAL BILL REPORT

SB 5167

                              C 280 L 89

BYSenators Pullen, Talmadge, Rasmussen, Newhouse and Vognild; by request of Public Disclosure Commission

Revising campaign finance reporting.

Senate Committee on Law & Justice

House Committe on State Government

SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

BACKGROUND:

The Public Disclosure Commission has identified provisions in the campaign finance reporting sections of the Public Disclosure Act that are in need of revision.  These pertain to contributor thresholds, pre-election and post-election reporting dates, fund-raising activities, earmarked contributions, and several other areas of concern.  In addition, some technical improvements to the language are suggested.

SUMMARY:

The campaign finance provisions of the Public Disclosure Act are revised in a number of areas.

Thresholds:  The threshold for campaign contributions that may be deposited without identifying the contributor is raised from less than $25 to no more than $25 or $100 depending on the nature of the contribution.  The expenditure reporting threshold is increased to an amount in excess of $50, and the reporting threshold for unpaid orders and debts is increased from $50 to $250.

Reporting Dates:  The 21-day post-election report is changed to the tenth of the month after the election.  The time periods for the closing of pre-election and post-election reports are included:  for the 21-day pre-election report, books are closed five days before filing; for the seven-day pre-election report, one day before filing.  The tenth of the month reports are closed the last day of the preceding month.

Fund-Raising Activities:  A simplified report concerning a fund raiser is established and is to be filed at the same time other reports of candidates or committees are filed.  Included among the fund-raising activities that may be reported on the special form are events where the ticket price is no more than $25, and auctions where no item value is more than $50.  A candidate or committee may not knowingly accept more than $50 in payments from any one person at or for such an event without reporting the name and address of the person and the amount accepted as part of the reports filed for other campaign contributions and expenditures.

Earmarked Contribution:  The intermediary who receives an earmarked contribution must send a special report regarding the contribution to the commission and to the person for whom it is earmarked.  The latter person is no longer required to record the receipt of such an earmarked contribution in a special category in the reports that are routinely filed with the commission.

Expenditures:  A reportable expenditure by a candidate for state executive or state legislative office must be reported under one of the following categories in reports filed with the commission:  expenditures for the election of the candidate; expenditures for nonreimbursed public office related expenses; transfers of funds; or expenditures of surplus funds or other expenditures.

Other Revisions:  Additional changes include deleting the special report for candidate-to-candidate transfers of funds; requiring a political action committee rather than the recipient to file a report of out-of-state contributions; requiring political committees formed within three weeks before an election to register within three days; and redefining "volunteer services" to mean those services for which a person is not paid.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

     Senate   48    0

     House 93  4 (House amended)

     Senate   44    0 (Senate concurred)

EFFECTIVE:January 1, 1990