Bill Text: PA HB1666 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Providing for limitations on certain contributions.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 37-6)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-06-10 - Referred to STATE GOVERNMENT [HB1666 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2011-HB1666-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 2076
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1666 Session of2011
INTRODUCED BY GOODMAN, SHAPIRO, SANTARSIERO, BRIGGS, CALTAGIRONE, CARROLL, D. COSTA, DALEY, DEASY, DELISSIO, DePASQUALE, FABRIZIO, GERBER, GERGELY, GIBBONS, HARHAI, HARKINS, HENNESSEY, HORNAMAN, JOSEPHS, KAVULICH, KORTZ, KULA, MAHONEY, MARSHALL, MATZIE, McGEEHAN, MIRABITO, MOUL, MUNDY, MURPHY, M. O'BRIEN, PASHINSKI, PAYTON, RAVENSTAHL, READSHAW, SAMUELSON, K. SMITH, STEPHENS, SWANGER, WAGNER, WATSON AND WHITE, JUNE 10, 2011
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, JUNE 10, 2011
AN ACT
Amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), entitled
"An act concerning elections, including general, municipal,
special and primary elections, the nomination of candidates,
primary and election expenses and election contests; creating
and defining membership of county boards of elections;
imposing duties upon the Secretary of the Commonwealth,
courts, county boards of elections, county commissioners;
imposing penalties for violation of the act, and codifying,
revising and consolidating the laws relating thereto; and
repealing certain acts and parts of acts relating to
elections," providing for limitations on certain
contributions.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known
as the Pennsylvania Election Code, is amended by adding a
section to read:
Section 1627.1. Limitations on Certain Contributions.--
(a) No individual shall make contributions:
(1) To a candidate, or the candidate's political committee,
which, in the aggregate, exceed two thousand five hundred
dollars ($2,500) per election.
(2) To a single political action committee which, in the
aggregate, exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) per calendar
year.
(3) To a single political party committee which, in the
aggregate, exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000) per calendar
year.
(4) Aggregating more than forty-six thousand two hundred
dollars ($46,200) to all candidates for public office of the
Commonwealth combined in a two-year period beginning with the
first day of an odd-numbered year and ending on the last day of
the next even-numbered year.
(5) Aggregating more than seventy thousand eight hundred
dollars ($70,800) in all other contributions, excluding
contributions for Federal office, in a two-year period beginning
with the first day of an odd-numbered year and ending on the
last day of the next even-numbered year.
(b) No political action committee with more than 50
contributors and which has made contributions to five or more
candidates for public office of this Commonwealth shall make
contributions:
(1) To a candidate, or the candidate's political committee,
which, in the aggregate, exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000)
per election.
(2) To a single political action committee which, in the
aggregate, exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) per calendar
year.
(3) To a single political party committee which, in the
aggregate, exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) per calendar
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year.
(c) Except for political action committees under subsection
(b), no political action committee shall make contributions:
(1) To a candidate, or the candidate's political committee,
which, in the aggregate, exceed two thousand five hundred
dollars ($2,500) per election.
(2) To a single political action committee which, in the
aggregate, exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) per calendar
year.
(3) To a single political party committee which, in the
aggregate, exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000) per calendar
year.
(d) No political party committee shall make contributions:
(1) To a candidate, or the candidate's political committee,
which, in the aggregate, exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000)
per election.
(2) To a single political action committee which, in the
aggregate, exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) per calendar
year.
(e) No candidate, or the candidate's political committee,
shall make contributions:
(1) To another candidate which, in the aggregate, exceed two
thousand dollars ($2,000) per election.
(2) To a single political action committee which, in the
aggregate, exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) per calendar
year.
(f) No candidate, political action committee, or political
party committee shall knowingly accept contributions in
violation of any limitation imposed on contributions under this
section.
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(g) The provisions of this section shall be applicable to a
contribution made for the purpose of influencing any election to
all public offices of the Commonwealth except Federal offices.
(h) Aggregate contributions shall include the value of in-
kind contributions.
(i) For purposes of this section, any contribution made to a
candidate in a year other than the calendar year in which the
election is held with respect to which the contribution is made
shall be considered to be made for the next election to be held.
(j) (1) The Secretary of the Commonwealth shall adjust the
limitation on contributions under subsection (a)(1), (4) and (5)
and (c)(1) for inflation in each odd-numbered year beginning
with the first odd-numbered year after the end of the year
during which this section takes effect. The adjustment shall be
equal to the adjustment process applicable to contributions made
by individuals to candidates for Federal office under section
315(c) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (Public Law
92-225, 2 U.S.C. § 441a(c)) on the effective date of this
section.
(2) Each adjustment shall remain in effect for the two-year
period beginning the first day following the date of the general
election in the even-numbered year preceding the adjustment and
ending on the date of the general election in the even-numbered
year following the adjustment.
(3) The Secretary of the Commonwealth shall publish the
adjustment as a notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
(k) Whenever at least one of the candidates for a particular
public office makes a contribution or expenditure of his or her
own funds to finance his or her campaign that exceeds three
hundred fifty thousand dollars ($350,000), the contribution
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limit for that particular public office under subsection (a)(1)
shall be tripled.
(l) For the purpose of this section, the term "political
party committee" shall mean a political committee of any State,
county, city, borough, township, ward or other regularly
constituted party committee of any political party or political
body.
Section 2. This act shall take effect January 1, 2012, or
immediately, whichever is later.
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