Bill Text: PA HB2162 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Amended


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: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-2)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-04-26 - Re-committed to APPROPRIATIONS [HB2162 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2009-HB2162-Amended.html

  

 

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 3008

PRINTER'S NO.  3596

  

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

  

HOUSE BILL

 

No.

2162

Session of

2009

  

  

INTRODUCED BY JOSEPHS, CARROLL, GIBBONS, GOODMAN, McILVAINE SMITH, M. O'BRIEN, ROAE, SANTARSIERO, FREEMAN AND YUDICHAK, DECEMBER 14, 2009

  

  

AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, APRIL 21, 2010   

  

  

  

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), (b)(2), (d) and (e) of the act,

<--

2

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

3

1980 (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

19

amount received or expended by a candidate does not exceed two

20

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

21

section by signing an affidavit to that effect on the

22

candidate's political committee's report or statement.

23

(b)  Each report shall include the following information:

<--

24

* * *

25

(2)  The full name and mailing address of each person who has

26

made one or more contributions to or for such committee or

27

candidate within the reporting period in an aggregate amount or

28

value in excess of [fifty dollars ($50)] one hundred dollars

29

($100), together with the amount and date of such contributions.

30

The accuracy of the information furnished by the contributor

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1

shall be the responsibility of the contributor.

2

* * *

3

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

4

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

5

the office of Senator in the General Assembly, candidates for

6

the office of Representatives in the General Assembly and all

7

political committees, which have expended money for the purpose

8

of influencing the election of such [candidate] candidates,

9

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

10

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

11

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

12

the election and the subsequent pre-election report shall be

13

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

14

election reports by all other candidates and political

15

committees which have received contributions or made

16

expenditures for the purpose of influencing an election shall be

17

filed not later than the second Friday before an election,

18

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

19

prior to the election.

20

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

21

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

22

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

23

shall be complete as of twenty (20) days after the election[.]

24

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

25

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

26

the prior year. Candidates defeated in the primary election must

27

file the initial post-election report by the deadline specified

28

in this subsection and continue to file reports in accordance

29

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

30

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

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1

such special election.

2

* * *

3

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

4

shall be filed electronically in the manner prescribed by the

5

Secretary of the Commonwealth. All reports shall be accompanied

6

by the affidavit prescribed by section 1629. The Secretary of

7

the Commonwealth may require electronic submission of the

8

affidavit. Any candidate or political committee not able to file

9

the report or statement required by this section electronically

10

shall request an exemption from the Secretary of the

11

Commonwealth. The candidate or political committee upon approval

12

of the Secretary of the Commonwealth shall file reports and

13

statements on forms developed by the Secretary of the

14

Commonwealth.

15

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

16

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

17

amended to read:

18

Section 1627.  [Annual Reports] Quarterly Reports;

19

Termination of Committees.--

20

(a)  All political committees and candidates[, including

21

those committees and candidates] not filing reports under

22

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

23

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

24

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

25

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

26

or political committee. Such reports shall be cumulative.

27

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

28

candidate or political committee shall file a statement to that

29

effect with the appropriate supervisor. Each form designated by

30

the Secretary of the Commonwealth for filing a report or

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1

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

2

which may be marked by the candidate or political committee

3

designating it a termination report or statement. If such report

4

or statement is so designated, or if an authorized candidate

5

elects to file no report or statement pursuant to section

6

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

7

contributions were received or expenditures made subsequent to

8

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

9

no candidate or political committee may terminate by way of a

10

statement where the unpaid balance indicated in the previous

11

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

12

case of annual reports said report shall cover the campaign

13

activity of a candidate or political committee from the last

14

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

15

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

16

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

17

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

18

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

19

of the candidate or political committee. The reports shall be

20

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

21

in the account since the last filing.

22

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

23

Commonwealth for filing a report required by section 1626 shall

24

contain a block which may be marked by the candidate or

25

political committee designating it a termination report or

26

statement. No candidate or political committee may terminate

27

unless the candidate or political committee has a zero balance.

28

No candidate or political committee may terminate by way of a

29

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

30

cover the campaign activity of a candidate or political

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1

committee from the last prior report or statement. Once

2

terminated, a political committee must comply with sections 1623

3

and 1624 before receiving contributions or making expenditures.

4

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

5

this act and not reporting under section 1626 shall file an

6

annual report under this section. However, if a political

7

committee makes aggregate expenditures as defined in section

8

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

9

incurs aggregate debt in an amount less than two hundred fifty

10

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

11

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

12

exception shall not be applicable to a candidate's political

13

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

14

or political body or to a political action committee of a

15

corporation or unincorporated association.]

16

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

17

Section 1627.1.  Limitations on Certain Contributions.--

18

(a)  Aggregate contributions, including in-kind

19

contributions, from any person to any candidate for the office

20

of Senator or Representative in the General Assembly, court of

21

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

22

authorized political committee or agent, shall not exceed two

23

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

24

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

25

political committee or agent, shall accept or receive more than

26

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

27

including in-kind contributions from any person.

28

(b)  Aggregate contributions, including in-kind

29

contributions, from any person to any candidate for Statewide

30

office, or the candidate's authorized political committee or

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1

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

2

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

3

candidate's authorized political committee or agent, shall

4

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

5

aggregate contributions, including in-kind contributions from

6

any person.

7

(c)  Aggregate contributions, including in-kind

8

contributions, from a single political action committee, its

9

affiliate or agent or candidate's political committee, its

10

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

11

or Representative in the General Assembly, court of common pleas

12

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

13

political committee or agent, shall not exceed two thousand

14

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

15

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

16

authorized political committee or agent, shall accept or receive

17

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

18

contributions, including in-kind contributions, from a single

19

political action committee or agent or candidate's political

20

committee.

21

(d)  Aggregate contributions, including in-kind

22

contributions, from a single political action committee, its

23

affiliate or agent or candidate's political committee to any

24

candidate for Statewide office, or the candidate's authorized

25

political committee or agent, shall not exceed ten thousand

26

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

27

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

28

committee or agent, shall accept or receive more than ten

29

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

30

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

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1

its affiliate or agent or candidate's political committee.

2

(e)  Aggregate contributions, including in-kind

3

contributions, from a single political party committee, its

4

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

5

Representative in the General Assembly, court of common pleas or

6

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

7

political committee or agent, shall not exceed five thousand

8

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

9

office of Senator or Representative in the General Assembly,

10

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

11

candidate's authorized political committee or agent, shall

12

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

13

aggregate contributions from any single political party

14

committee, its affiliate or agent.

15

(f)  Aggregate contributions, including in-kind

16

contributions, from a single political party committee, its

17

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

18

candidate's authorized political committee or agent, shall not

19

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

20

Furthermore, no candidate for Statewide office, or the

21

candidate's authorized political committee or agent, shall

22

accept or receive more than one hundred thousand dollars

23

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

24

party committee, its affiliate or agent.

25

(g)  Aggregate contributions, including in-kind

26

contributions, from a single political party committee, its

27

affiliate or agent to any political action committee, its

28

affiliate or agent or political party committee, its affiliate

29

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

30

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

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1

election. Furthermore, no political action committee or

2

political committee shall accept or receive more than twenty

3

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

4

single political party committee, its affiliate or agent.

5

(h)  Aggregate contributions, including in-kind

6

contributions, from any person or a single political action

7

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

8

political committee, its affiliate or agent to a single

9

political action committee, its affiliate or agent shall not

10

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

11

Furthermore, for each election, no political action committee,

12

its affiliate or agent shall accept or receive more than five

13

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

14

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

15

its affiliate or agent during any calendar year.

16

(i)  Aggregate contributions, including in-kind

17

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

18

committee, its affiliate or agent or a single political action

19

committee, its affiliate or agent or any other political

20

committee to a single political party committee shall not exceed

21

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

22

Furthermore, no single political party committee shall accept or

23

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

24

contributions from any single candidate's political committee or

25

agent or a single political action committee, its affiliate or

26

agent or any political committee.

27

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

28

contributions, in accordance with this section aggregating more

29

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

30

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

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1

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

2

candidate's authorized political committee is the same as

3

contributing to the candidate.

4

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

5

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

6

election is held with respect to which such contribution is made

7

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

8

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

9

contribution made for the purpose of influencing any election to

10

all public offices of this Commonwealth except Federal offices.

11

(n)  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all

12

contributions made by political committees established or

13

financed or maintained or controlled by any corporation, labor

14

organization or any other person, including any parent,

15

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

16

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

17

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

18

political committee, except that nothing in this subsection

19

shall prohibit transfers between political committees of funds

20

raised through joint fundraising efforts.

21

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

22

including a city of the first class, from instituting lower

23

limitations on contributions to candidates for local offices.

24

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

25

adjusted annually at a rate equal to the average percentage

26

change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for

27

the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland area as

28

published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States

29

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

30

prior calendar year. The base year shall be 2009 2010. The

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1

average shall be calculated and certified annually by the

2

Secretary of the Commonwealth by adding the percentage increase

3

in each of the three areas and dividing by three. The

4

calculation and resulting new figures shall be submitted for

5

publication in a March issue of the Pennsylvania Bulletin.

6

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

7

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

8

Section 1628.  Late Contributions and Independent

9

Expenditures.--Any candidate or political committee, authorized

10

by a candidate and created solely for the purpose of influencing

11

an election on behalf of that candidate, which receives any

12

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

13

and any person making an independent expenditure, as defined by

14

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

15

pre-election report has been deemed completed shall report such

16

contribution, pledge or expenditure to the appropriate

17

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

18

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

19

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

20

the supervisor to confirm the substance of such report. The

21

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

22

facsimile transmission[.], except that if such report is to be

23

filed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth it shall be filed

24

electronically in a manner prescribed by the Secretary of the

25

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

26

treasurer or candidate in behalf of the political committee may

27

also comply with this section by appearing personally before

28

such supervisor and reporting such late contributions or

29

pledges.

30

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

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1

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

2

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

3

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

4

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

5

expenditures and contributions which is not filed within the

6

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

7

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

8

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

9

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

10

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

11

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

12

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

13

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

14

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

15

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

16

paid but the report or statement shall not be considered filed

17

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

18

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

19

incurred notwithstanding the fact that the report or statement

20

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

21

liability of the candidate or treasurer of a political committee

22

and cannot be paid from contributions to the candidate or

23

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

24

report or statement of expenditures and contributions shall be

25

deemed to have been filed within the prescribed time if the

26

letter transmitting the report or statement which is received by

27

the supervisor is transmitted by first class mail and is

28

postmarked by the United States Postal Service on the day prior

29

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

30

received: Provided, That this sentence shall not be applicable

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1

to the reporting requirements contained in section 1628.

2

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

3

all reports and statements of contributions and expenditures

4

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

5

a candidate for public office and any treasurer of any committee

6

authorized by such person for the previous candidacy have been

7

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

8

public office under the laws of this Commonwealth or enter upon

9

the duties thereof, or receive any salary or emoluments

10

therefrom until all of the reports and statements of

11

contributions and expenditures required to be filed by any

12

candidate and treasurers of committees authorized by such

13

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

14

filed. No candidate may be sworn in until the appropriate

15

supervisor certifies that all required reports have been filed,

16

and no official of the Commonwealth or any of its political

17

subdivisions may issue a commission or administer an oath of

18

office until that official has received this certification. No

19

certification shall be issued until the supervisor has received

20

post election reports of any candidate and treasurer of

21

committees authorized by such candidate.

22

* * *

23

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

24

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

25

Section 1640.  Additional Powers and Duties of the Secretary

26

of the Commonwealth.--

27

(a)  The Secretary of the Commonwealth shall have the

28

following additional powers and duties:

29

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

30

concerning the administration of this act.

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1

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

2

the provisions of this act.

3

(3)  To develop the prescribed forms required by the

4

provisions of this article for the making of the reports and

5

statements required to be filed with the supervisor.

6

(4)  To prepare a manual setting forth recommended uniform

7

methods of bookkeeping and reporting which shall be furnished by

8

the supervisor to the person required to file such reports and

9

statements as required by this article.

10

(5)  To examine the contributions to State legislative and

11

Statewide candidates and publish a list of all those political

12

committees who have contributed to candidates and who have

13

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

14

days of their failure to comply.

15

(6)  To develop a computer database and electronic reporting

16

system that shall contain all information necessary for the

17

proper administration of this article, including information on

18

contributions and expenditures by all candidates and all

19

political committees and distribution of moneys, and including

20

direct access through personal computer and the Internet. The

21

database shall be designed with an emergency recovery system to

22

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

23

an emergency, natural disaster or other such event that could

24

cause the system to malfunction.

25

(7)  To establish a training program on the electronic

26

reporting system and make it available to any candidate or

27

committee.

28

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

29

candidate or committee that is required to file reports and

30

statements in accordance with this act on self-executing

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1

computer diskettes and make available materials to facilitate

2

the task of compliance with the disclosure and recordkeeping

3

requirements of this article.

4

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

5

public to provide any information or identification as a

6

condition to access the database on the Internet unless the

7

public access is in the office of the Secretary of the

8

Commonwealth.

9

Section 8.  This act shall take effect as follows:

<--

10

(1)  This section shall take effect immediately.

11

(2)  The amendment of section 1640 of the act shall take

12

effect January 1, 2011.

13

(3)  The remainder of this act shall take effect in 60

14

days. January 1, 2011.

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