97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB0232

 

Introduced 01/25/11, by Rep. Tom Cross, Jason Barickman, Mark H. Beaubien, Jr., Patricia R. Bellock, Mike Bost, et al.

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
10 ILCS 5/9-8.5

    Amends the Election Code. With respect to campaign contributions to a candidate political committee from a political party political committees, makes the limits that apply during a general primary election cycle apply during any election cycle. Effective immediately.


LRB097 00141 HLH 40152 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB0232LRB097 00141 HLH 40152 b

1    AN ACT concerning elections.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Election Code is amended by changing Section
59-8.5 as follows:
 
6    (10 ILCS 5/9-8.5)
7    (This Section may contain text from a Public Act with a
8delayed effective date)
9    Sec. 9-8.5. Limitations on campaign contributions.
10    (a) It is unlawful for a political committee to accept
11contributions except as provided in this Section.
12    (b) During an election cycle, a candidate political
13committee may not accept contributions with an aggregate value
14over the following: (i) $5,000 from any individual, (ii)
15$10,000 from any corporation, labor organization, or
16association, or (iii) $50,000 from a candidate political
17committee or political action committee. A candidate political
18committee may accept contributions in any amount from a
19political party committee except during an election cycle in
20which the candidate seeks nomination at a primary election.
21During an election cycle in which the candidate seeks
22nomination at a primary election, a candidate political
23committee may not accept contributions from political party

 

 

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1committees with an aggregate value over the following: (i)
2$200,000 for a candidate political committee established to
3support a candidate seeking nomination or election to statewide
4office, (ii) $125,000 for a candidate political committee
5established to support a candidate seeking nomination or
6election to the Senate, the Supreme Court or Appellate Court in
7the First Judicial District, or an office elected by all voters
8in a county with 1,000,000 or more residents, (iii) $75,000 for
9a candidate political committee established to support a
10candidate seeking nomination or election to the House of
11Representatives, the Supreme Court or Appellate Court for a
12Judicial District other than the First Judicial District, an
13office elected by all voters of a county of fewer than
141,000,000 residents, and municipal and county offices in Cook
15County other than those elected by all voters of Cook County,
16and (iv) $50,000 for a candidate political committee
17established to support the nomination or election of a
18candidate to any other office. A candidate political committee
19established to elect a candidate to the General Assembly may
20accept contributions from only one legislative caucus
21committee. A candidate political committee may not accept
22contributions from a ballot initiative committee.
23    (c) During an election cycle, a political party committee
24may not accept contributions with an aggregate value over the
25following: (i) $10,000 from any individual, (ii) $20,000 from
26any corporation, labor organization, or association, or (iii)

 

 

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1$50,000 from a political action committee. A political party
2committee may accept contributions in any amount from another
3political party committee or a candidate political committee,
4except as provided in subsection (c-5). Nothing in this Section
5shall limit the amounts that may be transferred between a State
6political committee and federal political committee. A
7political party committee may not accept contributions from a
8ballot initiative committee. A political party committee
9established by a legislative caucus may not accept
10contributions from another political party committee
11established by a legislative caucus.
12    (c-5) During the period beginning on the date candidates
13may begin circulating petitions for a primary election and
14ending on the day of the primary election, a political party
15committee may not accept contributions with an aggregate value
16over $50,000 from a candidate political committee or political
17party committee. A political party committee may accept
18contributions in any amount from a candidate political
19committee or political party committee if the political party
20committee receiving the contribution filed a statement of
21nonparticipation in the primary as provided in subsection
22(c-10). The Task Force on Campaign Finance Reform shall study
23and make recommendations on the provisions of this subsection
24to the Governor and General Assembly by September 30, 2012.
25This subsection becomes inoperative on July 1, 2013 and
26thereafter no longer applies.

 

 

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1    (c-10) A political party committee that does not intend to
2make contributions to candidates to be nominated at a general
3primary election or consolidated primary election may file a
4Statement of Nonparticipation in a Primary Election with the
5Board. The Statement of Nonparticipation shall include a
6verification signed by the chairperson and treasurer of the
7committee that (i) the committee will not make contributions or
8coordinated expenditures in support of or opposition to a
9candidate or candidates to be nominated at the general primary
10election or consolidated primary election (select one) to be
11held on (insert date), (ii) the political party committee may
12accept unlimited contributions from candidate political
13committees and political party committees, provided that the
14political party committee does not make contributions to a
15candidate or candidates to be nominated at the primary
16election, and (iii) failure to abide by these requirements
17shall deem the political party committee in violation of this
18Article and subject the committee to a fine of no more than
19150% of the total contributions or coordinated expenditures
20made by the committee in violation of this Article. This
21subsection becomes inoperative on July 1, 2013 and thereafter
22no longer applies.
23    (d) During an election cycle, a political action committee
24may not accept contributions with an aggregate value over the
25following: (i) $10,000 from any individual, (ii) $20,000 from
26any corporation, labor organization, political party

 

 

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1committee, or association, or (iii) $50,000 from a political
2action committee or candidate political committee. A political
3action committee may not accept contributions from a ballot
4initiative committee.
5    (e) A ballot initiative committee may accept contributions
6in any amount from any source, provided that the committee
7files the document required by Section 9-3 of this Article.
8    (f) Nothing in this Section shall prohibit a political
9committee from dividing the proceeds of joint fundraising
10efforts; provided that no political committee may receive more
11than the limit from any one contributor.
12    (g) On January 1 of each odd-numbered year, the State Board
13of Elections shall adjust the amounts of the contribution
14limitations established in this Section for inflation as
15determined by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers
16as issued by the United States Department of Labor and rounded
17to the nearest $100. The State Board shall publish this
18information on its official website.
19    (h) Self-funding candidates. If a public official, a
20candidate, or the public official's or candidate's immediate
21family contributes or loans to the public official's or
22candidate's political committee or to other political
23committees that transfer funds to the public official's or
24candidate's political committee or makes independent
25expenditures for the benefit of the public official's or
26candidate's campaign during the 12 months prior to an election

 

 

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1in an aggregate amount of more than (i) $250,000 for statewide
2office or (ii) $100,000 for all other elective offices, then
3the public official or candidate shall file with the State
4Board of Elections, within one day, a Notification of
5Self-funding that shall detail each contribution or loan made
6by the public official, the candidate, or the public official's
7or candidate's immediate family. Within 2 business days after
8the filing of a Notification of Self-funding, the notification
9shall be posted on the Board's website and the Board shall give
10official notice of the filing to each candidate for the same
11office as the public official or candidate making the filing,
12including the public official or candidate filing the
13Notification of Self-funding. Upon receiving notice from the
14Board, all candidates for that office, including the public
15official or candidate who filed a Notification of Self-funding,
16shall be permitted to accept contributions in excess of any
17contribution limits imposed by subsection (b). For the purposes
18of this subsection, "immediate family" means the spouse,
19parent, or child of a public official or candidate.
20    (i) For the purposes of this Section, a corporation, labor
21organization, association, or a political action committee
22established by a corporation, labor organization, or
23association may act as a conduit in facilitating the delivery
24to a political action committee of contributions made through
25dues, levies, or similar assessments and the political action
26committee may report the contributions in the aggregate,

 

 

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1provided that: (i) the dues, levies, or similar assessments
2paid by any natural person, corporation, labor organization, or
3association in a calendar year may not exceed the limits set
4forth in this Section and (ii) the corporation, labor
5organization, association, or a political action committee
6established by a corporation, labor organization, or
7association facilitating the delivery of contributions
8maintains a list of natural persons, corporations, labor
9organizations, and associations that paid the dues, levies, or
10similar assessments from which the contributions comprising
11the aggregate amount derive. A political action committee
12facilitating the delivery of contributions or receiving
13contributions shall disclose the amount of dues delivered or
14received and the name of the corporation, labor organization,
15association, or political action committee delivering the
16contributions, if applicable.
17    (j) A political committee that receives a contribution or
18transfer in violation of this Section shall dispose of the
19contribution or transfer by returning the contribution or
20transfer, or an amount equal to the contribution or transfer,
21to the contributor or transferor or donating the contribution
22or transfer, or an amount equal to the contribution or
23transfer, to a charity. A contribution or transfer received in
24violation of this Section that is not disposed of as provided
25in this subsection within 15 days after its receipt shall
26escheat to the General Revenue Fund and the political committee

 

 

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1shall be deemed in violation of this Section and subject to a
2civil penalty not to exceed 150% of the total amount of the
3contribution.
4    (k) For the purposes of this Section, "statewide office"
5means the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General,
6Secretary of State, Comptroller, and Treasurer.
7    (l) This Section is repealed if and when the United States
8Supreme Court invalidates contribution limits on committees
9formed to assist candidates, political parties, corporations,
10associations, or labor organizations established by or
11pursuant to federal law.
12(Source: P.A. 96-832, eff. 1-1-11.)
 
13    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
14becoming law.