The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Bradley H. Jones, Jr.

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
                Court assembled:

                The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the passage of the accompanying bill:

An Act changing the campaign finance reporting cycle.

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PETITION OF:

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand and Nine

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An Act changing the campaign finance reporting cycle.

                Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Chapter 55 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking section 7A, as appearing in the 2006 Official Edition inserting in place thereof the following:

Section 7A.  (a)(1) An individual may make campaign contributions to candidates or candidates’ committees; provided, however, that the aggregate of all such contributions for the benefit of any one candidate and that candidate's committee shall not exceed the sum of $750 per election.

(2) An individual may in addition make campaign contributions for the benefit of elected political committees or non-elected political committees organized on behalf of a political party; provided, however, that the aggregate of such campaign contributions for the benefit of the political committees of any one political party shall not exceed the sum of $7,350 per election.
(3) An individual may in addition make campaign contributions to any political committee not specified in paragraph (1), (2) or (4); provided, however, that the aggregate of such campaign contributions to any one such political committee shall not exceed in the sum of $750 per election.
(4) An individual may in addition make contributions without limitation to ballot question committees.
(5) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection, the aggregate of all contributions from any one individual to all candidates and candidate's committees shall not exceed the sum of $18,400 per election;
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the aggregate of all contributions by a legislative or executive agent for the benefit of any one candidate and such candidate's committee shall not exceed the sum of $200 per election. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the aggregate of all contributions by a legislative or executive agent to any other political committee, other than a ballot question committee, shall not exceed the sum of $200 per election.

(c) The contribution and aggregate amount limits referred to in this section shall be indexed biennially for inflation by the director, who, not later than December thirty-first of each even numbered year beginning with 2010, shall calculate and publish such indexed amount, using the federal consumer price index for the Boston statistical area.  Such limits, after being calculated as above, shall be rounded to the nearest $50; provided, that, if such resulting amount is less than $50, the director shall retain a record of the resulting amount, when added to the resulting amount calculated in each even numbered year since the last adjustment was made equals or exceeds $50.

(d) For purposes of the limitations on contributions, a contribution to a designated contribution committee which is forwarded to the designated recipient shall be treated in all respects as a direct contribution from the original contributor to the designated recipient.