Bill Text: PA HB125 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Further defining "expenditure" and "political action committee"; further providing for reporting by candidate and political committees and other persons and for annual reports; providing for limitations on certain contributions; and further providing for late contributions and independent expenditures, for late filing fee and certificate of filing and for additional powers and duties of the Secretary of the Commonwealth.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 15-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-02-04 - Referred to STATE GOVERNMENT [HB125 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2011-HB125-Introduced.html

  

 

    

PRINTER'S NO.  408

  

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

  

HOUSE BILL

 

No.

125

Session of

2011

  

  

INTRODUCED BY JOSEPHS, FRANKEL, WAGNER, GOODMAN, HORNAMAN, SANTARSIERO, GIBBONS, CARROLL, KULA, D. COSTA, DePASQUALE, BRADFORD, FREEMAN AND BRIGGS, FEBRUARY 4, 2011

  

  

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 4, 2011  

  

  

  

AN ACT

  

1

Amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), entitled

2

"An act concerning elections, including general, municipal,

3

special and primary elections, the nomination of candidates,

4

primary and election expenses and election contests; creating

5

and defining membership of county boards of elections;

6

imposing duties upon the Secretary of the Commonwealth,

7

courts, county boards of elections, county commissioners;

8

imposing penalties for violation of the act, and codifying,

9

revising and consolidating the laws relating thereto; and

10

repealing certain acts and parts of acts relating to

11

elections," further defining "expenditure" and "political

12

action committee"; further providing for reporting by

13

candidate and political committees and other persons and for

14

annual reports; providing for limitations on certain

15

contributions; and further providing for late contributions

16

and independent expenditures, for late filing fee and

17

certificate of filing and for additional powers and duties of

18

the Secretary of the Commonwealth.

19

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

20

hereby enacts as follows:

21

Section 1.  Section 1621(d)(1) and (l) of the act of June 3,

22

1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election

23

Code, amended or added October 4, 1978 (P.L.893, No.171) and

24

July 21, 1979 (P.L.189, No.63), are amended to read:

25

Section 1621.  Definitions.--As used in this article, the

 


1

following words have the following meanings:

2

* * *

3

(d)  The word "expenditure" shall mean:

4

(1)  The payment, distribution, loan or advancement of money

5

or any valuable thing by a candidate, political committee or

6

other person for the purpose of influencing the outcome of an

7

election; however, the payment, distribution, loan or

8

advancement of money or any valuable thing must be made only for

9

legitimate and verifiable campaign expenses and not for any

10

inherently personal purpose. "Inherently personal purpose" means

11

a purpose that, by its nature, confers a personal benefit,

12

including a home mortgage, rent, utility payment, clothing

13

purchase, noncampaign automobile expense, country club

14

membership, vacation or a trip of a noncampaign nature,

15

household food items, tuition payments, admission to a sporting

16

event, concert, theater or other form of entertainment;

17

* * *

18

(l)  The words "Political Action Committee" shall mean any

19

political committee as defined in subsection (h) which receives

20

contributions and makes expenditures to, or on behalf of, any

21

candidate other than a candidate's own authorized political

22

[committees] committee or the political committees of any State,

23

county, city, borough, township, ward or other regularly

24

constituted party committee of any political party or political

25

body. A political action committee which is established,

26

maintained or controlled by a sponsoring organization, such as a

27

corporation, labor organization, membership association or trade

28

association, shall include in its registered name the full name

29

of its sponsoring organization.

30

* * *

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1

Section 2.  Section 1626(a), (d) and (e) of the act, amended

2

or added October 4, 1978 (P.L.893, No.171), July 11, 1980

3

(P.L.600, No.128) and July 10, 1981 (P.L.256, No.84), are

4

amended and the section is amended by adding a subsection to

5

read:

6

Section 1626.  Reporting by Candidate and Political

7

Committees and other Persons.--

8

(a)  Each treasurer of a political committee and each

9

candidate for election to public office shall file with the

10

appropriate supervisor reports of receipts and expenditures on

11

forms, designed by the Secretary of the Commonwealth, if the

12

amount received or expended or liabilities incurred shall exceed

13

the sum of two hundred fifty dollars ($250). Should such an

14

amount not exceed two hundred fifty dollars ($250), then the

15

candidate or, in the case of a political committee, the

16

treasurer of the committee shall file a sworn statement to that

17

effect with the appropriate supervisor rather than the report

18

required by this section: Provided, however, That if the amount

19

received or expended by a candidate does not exceed two hundred

20

fifty dollars ($250) the candidate may comply with this section

21

by signing an affidavit to that effect on the candidate's

22

political committee's report or statement.

23

* * *

24

(d)  Pre-election reports by candidates for offices to be

25

voted for by the electors of the State at large, candidates for

26

the office of Senator in the General Assembly, candidates for

27

the office of Representatives in the General Assembly and all

28

political committees, which have expended money for the purpose

29

of influencing the election of such [candidate] candidates,

30

shall be filed not later than the sixth Tuesday before and the

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1

second Friday before an election, provided that the initial pre-

2

election report shall be complete as of fifty (50) days prior to

3

the election and the subsequent pre-election report shall be

4

complete as of fifteen (15) days prior to the election. Pre-

5

election reports by all other candidates and political

6

committees which have received contributions or made

7

expenditures for the purpose of influencing an election shall be

8

filed not later than the second Friday before an election,

9

provided that such report be complete as of fifteen (15) days

10

prior to the election.

11

(e)  All candidates or political committees, required to file

12

under this section, shall also file [a] an initial post-election

13

report not later than thirty (30) days after an election which

14

shall be complete as of twenty (20) days after the election and

15

a subsequent post-election report on January 31 of the year

16

after the election, which shall be complete as of December 31 of

17

the prior year. Candidates defeated in the primary election must

18

file the initial post-election report by the deadline specified

19

in this subsection and continue to file reports in accordance

20

with section 1627. In the case of a special election the initial 

21

post-election report shall be complete as of ten (10) days after

22

such special election.

23

* * *

24

(k)  All reports filed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth

25

shall be filed electronically in the manner prescribed by the

26

Secretary of the Commonwealth. All reports shall be accompanied

27

by the affidavit prescribed by section 1629. The Secretary of

28

the Commonwealth may require electronic submission of the

29

affidavit. Any candidate or political committee not able to file

30

the report or statement required by this section electronically

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1

shall request an exemption from the Secretary of the

2

Commonwealth. The candidate or political committee upon approval

3

of the Secretary of the Commonwealth shall file reports and

4

statements on forms developed by the Secretary of the

5

Commonwealth.

6

Section 3.  Section 1627 of the act, amended July 11, 1980

7

(P.L.591, No.127) and July 11, 1980 (P.L.625, No.129), is

8

amended to read:

9

Section 1627.  [Annual Reports] Quarterly Reports;

10

Termination of Committees.--

11

(a)  All political committees and candidates[, including

12

those committees and candidates] not filing reports under

13

section 1626 (d) and (e)[,] shall file [a report on January 31

14

of each year which shall be complete as of December 31 of the

15

prior year. Such reports shall be filed annually at this time

16

until there is no balance or debt in the report of the candidate

17

or political committee. Such reports shall be cumulative.

18

However, if there has been no change in the account, then the

19

candidate or political committee shall file a statement to that

20

effect with the appropriate supervisor. Each form designated by

21

the Secretary of the Commonwealth for filing a report or

22

statement required by section 1626(e) shall contain a block

23

which may be marked by the candidate or political committee

24

designating it a termination report or statement. If such report

25

or statement is so designated, or if an authorized candidate

26

elects to file no report or statement pursuant to section

27

1626.1, no annual report need be filed under this section unless

28

contributions were received or expenditures made subsequent to

29

the time period for filing of such termination report. However,

30

no candidate or political committee may terminate by way of a

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statement where the unpaid balance indicated in the previous

2

report was greater than two hundred fifty dollars ($250). In the

3

case of annual reports said report shall cover the campaign

4

activity of a candidate or political committee from the last

5

prior report or statement.] quarterly reports. The reports shall

6

be filed on the fifteenth day following the last day of the

7

third, sixth, ninth and twelfth months of the year and shall be

8

complete as of the end of such months. Reports must be filed

9

until such time that there is no balance or debt in the report

10

of the candidate or political committee. The reports shall be

11

cumulative. A report must be filed even if there was no change

12

in the account since the last filing.

13

(a.1)  Each form designated by the Secretary of the

14

Commonwealth for filing a report required by section 1626 shall

15

contain a block which may be marked by the candidate or

16

political committee designating it a termination report or

17

statement. No candidate or political committee may terminate

18

unless the candidate or political committee has a zero balance.

19

No candidate or political committee may terminate by way of a

20

statement. In the case of quarterly reports, the report shall

21

cover the campaign activity of a candidate or political

22

committee from the last prior report or statement. Once

23

terminated, a political committee must comply with sections 1623

24

and 1624 before receiving contributions or making expenditures.

25

[(b)  Any political committee required to be registered under

26

this act and not reporting under section 1626 shall file an

27

annual report under this section. However, if a political

28

committee makes aggregate expenditures as defined in section

29

1621 in an amount less than two hundred fifty dollars ($250) or

30

incurs aggregate debt in an amount less than two hundred fifty

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1

dollars ($250) during the calendar year to influence an

2

election, it need not file an annual report; provided that this

3

exception shall not be applicable to a candidate's political

4

committee or to a State or county committee of a political party

5

or political body or to a political action committee of a

6

corporation or unincorporated association.]

7

Section 4.  The act is amended by adding a section to read:

8

Section 1627.1.  Limitations on Certain Contributions.--

9

(a)  Aggregate contributions, including in-kind

10

contributions, from any person to any candidate for the office

11

of Senator or Representative in the General Assembly, court of

12

common pleas or a county or local office, or the candidate's

13

authorized political committee or agent, shall not exceed two

14

thousand dollars ($2,000) for each election. Furthermore, for

15

each election, no such candidate, or the candidate's authorized

16

political committee or agent, shall accept or receive more than

17

two thousand dollars ($2,000) in aggregate contributions,

18

including in-kind contributions from any person.

19

(b)  Aggregate contributions, including in-kind

20

contributions, from any person to any candidate for Statewide

21

office, or the candidate's authorized political committee or

22

agent, shall not exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) for each

23

election. Furthermore, for each election no candidate, or the

24

candidate's authorized political committee or agent, shall

25

accept or receive more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) in

26

aggregate contributions, including in-kind contributions from

27

any person.

28

(c)  Aggregate contributions, including in-kind

29

contributions, from a single political action committee, its

30

affiliate or agent or candidate's political committee, its

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1

affiliate or agent, to any candidate for the office of Senator

2

or Representative in the General Assembly, court of common pleas

3

or a county or local office, or the candidate's authorized

4

political committee or agent, shall not exceed two thousand

5

dollars ($2,000) for each election. Furthermore, for each

6

election no candidate for such office, or the candidate's

7

authorized political committee or agent, shall accept or receive

8

more than two thousand dollars ($2,000) in aggregate

9

contributions, including in-kind contributions, from a single

10

political action committee or agent or candidate's political

11

committee.

12

(d)  Aggregate contributions, including in-kind

13

contributions, from a single political action committee, its

14

affiliate or agent or candidate's political committee to any

15

candidate for Statewide office, or the candidate's authorized

16

political committee or agent, shall not exceed ten thousand

17

dollars ($10,000) for each election. Furthermore, for each

18

election, no candidate, or the candidate's authorized political

19

committee or agent, shall accept or receive more than ten

20

thousand dollars ($10,000) in aggregate contributions, including

21

in-kind contributions, from a single political action committee,

22

its affiliate or agent or candidate's political committee.

23

(e)  Aggregate contributions, including in-kind

24

contributions, from a single political party committee, its

25

affiliate or agent to any candidate for the office of Senator or

26

Representative in the General Assembly, court of common pleas or

27

a county or local office, or the candidate's authorized

28

political committee or agent, shall not exceed five thousand

29

dollars ($5,000) per election. Furthermore, no candidate for the

30

office of Senator or Representative in the General Assembly,

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1

court of common pleas or a county or local office, or the

2

candidate's authorized political committee or agent, shall

3

accept or receive more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) in

4

aggregate contributions from any single political party

5

committee, its affiliate or agent.

6

(f)  Aggregate contributions, including in-kind

7

contributions, from a single political party committee, its

8

affiliate or agent to any candidate for Statewide office, or the

9

candidate's authorized political committee or agent, shall not

10

exceed one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) per election.

11

Furthermore, no candidate for Statewide office, or the

12

candidate's authorized political committee or agent, shall

13

accept or receive more than one hundred thousand dollars

14

($100,000) in aggregate contributions from any single political

15

party committee, its affiliate or agent.

16

(g)  Aggregate contributions, including in-kind

17

contributions, from a single political party committee, its

18

affiliate or agent to any political action committee, its

19

affiliate or agent or political party committee, its affiliate

20

or agent, or any other political committee, its affiliate or

21

agent, shall not exceed twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) per

22

election. Furthermore, no political action committee or

23

political committee shall accept or receive more than twenty

24

thousand dollars ($20,000) in aggregate contributions from any

25

single political party committee, its affiliate or agent.

26

(h)  Aggregate contributions, including in-kind

27

contributions, from any person or a single political action

28

committee, its affiliate or agent or any single candidate's

29

political committee, its affiliate or agent to a single

30

political action committee, its affiliate or agent shall not

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1

exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) during any calendar year.

2

Furthermore, for each election, no political action committee,

3

its affiliate or agent shall accept or receive more than five

4

thousand dollars ($5,000) in aggregate contributions, including

5

in-kind contributions, from a single political action committee,

6

its affiliate or agent during any calendar year.

7

(i)  Aggregate contributions, including in-kind

8

contributions, from any person, a single candidate's political

9

committee, its affiliate or agent or a single political action

10

committee, its affiliate or agent or any other political

11

committee to a single political party committee shall not exceed

12

twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) for each election.

13

Furthermore, no single political party committee shall accept or

14

receive more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) in aggregate

15

contributions from any single candidate's political committee or

16

agent or a single political action committee, its affiliate or

17

agent or any political committee.

18

(j)  No person shall make contributions, including in-kind

19

contributions, in accordance with this section aggregating more

20

than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) for each election.

21

(k)  For the purposes of subsections (a), (b), (c), (d), (e),

22

(f), (g), (h), (i) and (j), a contribution given to a

23

candidate's authorized political committee is the same as

24

contributing to the candidate.

25

(l)  For purposes of this section, any contribution made to a

26

candidate in a year other than the calendar year in which the

27

election is held with respect to which such contribution is made

28

is considered to be made for the next election to be held.

29

(m)  The provisions of this section shall be applicable to a

30

contribution made for the purpose of influencing any election to

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1

all public offices of this Commonwealth except Federal offices.

2

(n)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all

3

contributions made by political committees established or

4

financed or maintained or controlled by any corporation, labor

5

organization or any other person, including any parent,

6

subsidiary, branch, division, department or local unit of the

7

corporation, labor organization, or any person, or by any group

8

of persons, shall be considered to have been made by a single

9

political committee, except that nothing in this subsection

10

shall prohibit transfers between political committees of funds

11

raised through joint fundraising efforts.

12

(o)  Nothing in this section shall prohibit a municipality,

13

including a city of the first class, from instituting lower

14

limitations on contributions to candidates for local offices.

15

(p)  The dollar limits provided under this section shall be

16

adjusted annually at a rate equal to the average percentage

17

change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for

18

the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland area as

19

published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States

20

Department of Labor, or any successor agency, occurring in the

21

prior calendar year. The base year shall be 2011. The average

22

shall be calculated and certified annually by the Secretary of

23

the Commonwealth by adding the percentage increase in each of

24

the three areas and dividing by three. The calculation and

25

resulting new figures shall be submitted for publication in a

26

March issue of the Pennsylvania Bulletin.

27

Section 5.  Section 1628 of the act, amended February 13,

28

1998 (P.L.72, No.18), is amended to read:

29

Section 1628.  Late Contributions and Independent

30

Expenditures.--Any candidate or political committee, authorized

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by a candidate and created solely for the purpose of influencing

2

an election on behalf of that candidate, which receives any

3

contribution or pledge of five hundred dollars ($500) or more,

4

and any person making an independent expenditure, as defined by

5

this act, of five hundred dollars ($500) or more after the final

6

pre-election report has been deemed completed shall report such

7

contribution, pledge or expenditure to the appropriate

8

supervisor. Such report shall be sent by the candidate, chairman

9

or treasurer of the political committee within twenty-four (24)

10

hours of receipt of the contribution. It shall be the duty of

11

the supervisor to confirm the substance of such report. The

12

report shall be made by telegram, mailgram, overnight mail or

13

facsimile transmission, except that if such report is to be

14

filed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth it shall be filed

15

electronically in a manner prescribed by the Secretary of the

16

Commonwealth. Any candidate in his own behalf, or chairman,

17

treasurer or candidate in behalf of the political committee may

18

also comply with this section by appearing personally before

19

such supervisor and reporting such late contributions or

20

pledges.

21

Section 6.  Section 1632(a) and (b) of the act, amended or

22

added October 4, 1978 (P.L.893, No.171) and July 11, 1980

23

(P.L.591, No.127), are amended to read:

24

Section 1632.  Late Filing Fee; Certificate of Filing.--

25

(a)  A late filing fee for each report or statement of

26

expenditures and contributions which is not filed within the

27

prescribed period shall be imposed as follows. Such fee shall be

28

[ten dollars ($10)] twenty dollars ($20) for each day or part of

29

a day excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays that a report is

30

overdue for the first ten (10) days. An additional fee of [ten

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1

dollars ($10)] fifty dollars ($50) is due for each [of the first

2

six (6) days] additional day that a report is overdue after the

3

initial ten-day period. The maximum fee payable with respect to

4

a single report is [two hundred fifty dollars ($250)] one

5

thousand dollars ($1,000). A supervisor shall receive an overdue

6

report or statement even if any late filing fee due has not been

7

paid but the report or statement shall not be considered filed

8

until all fees have been paid upon the receipt by the supervisor

9

of an overdue report. No further late filing fees shall be

10

incurred notwithstanding the fact that the report or statement

11

is not considered filed. The late filing fee is the personal

12

liability of the candidate or treasurer of a political committee

13

and cannot be paid from contributions to the candidate or

14

committee, nor may such fee be considered an expenditure. A

15

report or statement of expenditures and contributions shall be

16

deemed to have been filed within the prescribed time if the

17

letter transmitting the report or statement which is received by

18

the supervisor is transmitted by first class mail and is

19

postmarked by the United States Postal Service on the day prior

20

to the final day on which the report or statement is to be

21

received: Provided, That this sentence shall not be applicable

22

to the reporting requirements contained in section 1628.

23

(b)  No person may be a candidate for a public office until

24

all reports and statements of contributions and expenditures

25

required to be filed by such person if the person was previously

26

a candidate for public office and any treasurer of any committee

27

authorized by such person for the previous candidacy have been

28

filed and all fines paid. No person shall be deemed elected to a

29

public office under the laws of this Commonwealth or enter upon

30

the duties thereof, or receive any salary or emoluments

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1

therefrom until all of the reports and statements of

2

contributions and expenditures required to be filed by any

3

candidate and treasurers of committees authorized by such

4

candidate and due before the person may take office, have been

5

filed. No candidate may be sworn in until the appropriate

6

supervisor certifies that all required reports have been filed,

7

and no official of the Commonwealth or any of its political

8

subdivisions may issue a commission or administer an oath of

9

office until that official has received this certification. No

10

certification shall be issued until the supervisor has received

11

post election reports of any candidate and treasurer of

12

committees authorized by such candidate.

13

* * *

14

Section 7.  Section 1640 of the act, added October 4, 1978

15

(P.L.893, No.171), is amended to read:

16

Section 1640.  Additional Powers and Duties of the Secretary

17

of the Commonwealth.--

18

(a)  The Secretary of the Commonwealth shall have the

19

following additional powers and duties:

20

(1)  To serve as the State clearing house for information

21

concerning the administration of this act.

22

(2)  To prescribe suitable rules and regulations to carry out

23

the provisions of this act.

24

(3)  To develop the prescribed forms required by the

25

provisions of this article for the making of the reports and

26

statements required to be filed with the supervisor.

27

(4)  To prepare a manual setting forth recommended uniform

28

methods of bookkeeping and reporting which shall be furnished by

29

the supervisor to the person required to file such reports and

30

statements as required by this article.

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1

(5)  To examine the contributions to State legislative and

2

Statewide candidates and publish a list of all those political

3

committees who have contributed to candidates and who have

4

failed to file reports as required by this act within six (6)

5

days of their failure to comply.

6

(6)  To develop a computer database and electronic reporting

7

system that shall contain all information necessary for the

8

proper administration of this article, including information on

9

contributions and expenditures by all candidates and all

10

political committees and distribution of moneys, and including

11

direct access through personal computer and the Internet. The

12

database shall be designed with an emergency recovery system to

13

ensure that campaign expense records are not lost in the case of

14

an emergency, natural disaster or other such event that could

15

cause the system to malfunction.

16

(7)  To establish a training program on the electronic

17

reporting system and make it available to any candidate or

18

committee.

19

(8)  To make the electronic reporting process available to a

20

candidate or committee that is required to file reports and

21

statements in accordance with this act on self-executing

22

computer diskettes and make available materials to facilitate

23

the task of compliance with the disclosure and recordkeeping

24

requirements of this article.

25

(b)  The Secretary of the Commonwealth may not require the

26

public to provide any information or identification as a

27

condition to access the database on the Internet unless the

28

public access is in the office of the Secretary of the

29

Commonwealth.

30

Section 8.  This act shall take effect January 1, 2012.

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