Bill Text: DE HB247 | 2015-2016 | 148th General Assembly | Draft
Bill Title: An Act To Amend Title 15 Of The Delaware Code Relating To Campaign Finances.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-03-03 - Amendment HA 2 - Introduced and Placed With Bill [HB247 Detail]
Download: Delaware-2015-HB247-Draft.html
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SPONSOR: |
Rep. Jaques & Sen. Henry |
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Rep. Matthews |
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 148th GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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HOUSE BILL NO. 247 |
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AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 15 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO CAMPAIGN FINANCES. |
Section 1. Amend § 8010(b), Title 15 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:
(b) No political party shall make, and no candidate, treasurer or anyone acting on behalf of any candidate or candidate committee shall accept, any contribution which will cause the total amount of contributions from any political party to or in support of a candidate in an election period of such candidate to exceed, for the following offices:
(1) Governor: $75,000;
(2) All other State-wide offices: $25,000;
(3) N.C.C. Executives: $25,000;
(4) N.C.C. President: $15,000;
(5) All other county offices: $5,000;
(6) State Senate: $5,000;
(7) State
House of Representatives: $3,000 $5,000;
(8) All other offices: $3,000.
Section 2. Amend § 8011, Title 15 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:
§8011 Contribution limits for parties.
No person shall make any contributions
which will cause the total amount of such person's contributions to a political
party to exceed $20,000 $30,000 during an election period. No treasurer or
other person acting on behalf of any political party shall accept any
contribution which such person knows will cause the total amount of the donor's
contributions to a political party to exceed $20,000 $30,000 during an election period. The
contribution limits set forth in this chapter shall not be applicable to any
contributions received by a political party from or on behalf of any national
political party, any organization subordinate to such national political party
or any other national political organization established for the purpose of
supporting elections to national, state and local offices including, but not
limited to, the Republican and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committees, the
Republican and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committees, the Republican and
Democratic Victory Funds, the Republican and Democratic Governors'
Associations.
Section 3. Amend §8030(b), Title 15 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:
(b) A reporting period shall begin on the day after the previous reporting period (except that for a newly-formed committee, the reporting period begins on the date the first contribution is received or expenditure made by or on behalf of such committee) and shall end on the following dates:
(1) March 30, June 30, September 30, and December 31 of every year, before or after an election, from the time the committee receives its first contribution or makes its first expenditure, until and including the year in which contributions and expenditures are balanced and the political committee terminates;
(2) 30 days before any election (except
for committees of candidates not on the ballot at such election);
(3) 8 days before any election (except for committees
of candidates not on the ballot at such election).
Section 4. Amend Title 15, §8031(a) of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:
§8031 Special reports — Third-party advertisements.
(a) Any person other than a candidate committee or political party who makes an expenditure for any third-party advertisement that causes the aggregate amount of expenditures for third-party advertisements made by such person to exceed $500 during (i) an election period, or (ii) the 2 years preceding the date of such expenditure, whichever is shorter, shall file a third-party advertisement report with the Commissioner.
Section 5.This Act shall take effect on the January 1st following its enactment into law.
SYNOPSIS
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Sections 1 and 2 of this bill raise campaign contribution limits. Specifically, the bill raises the limit of contributions from a party to a House of Representatives candidate from $3,000 to $5,000, equal to the State Senate. The bill also raises the individual contribution to a party from $20,000 to $30,000. Sections 3 and 4 of this bill bring Delaware law more in line with Federal Election Commission reporting requirements.Specifically, the reporting periods would be January 1 through March 30, April 1 through June 30, July 1 through September 30, and October 1 through December 31.This bill retains the 8-day pre-elections reports and eliminates the 30-day pre-elections report. This bill also adds a 2-year period for third-party advertiser reporting for any election period longer than 2 years. |
