97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB5835

 

Introduced 2/16/2012, by Rep. Sidney H. Mathias

 

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 18826 PJG 64063 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5835LRB097 18826 PJG 64063 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    Sec. 9-8.5. Limitations on campaign contributions.
8    (a) It is unlawful for a political committee to accept
9contributions except as provided in this Section.
10    (b) During an election cycle, a candidate political
11committee may not accept contributions with an aggregate value
12over the following: (i) $5,000 from any individual, (ii)
13$10,000 from any corporation, labor organization, or
14association, or (iii) $50,000 from a candidate political
15committee or political action committee. A candidate political
16committee may accept contributions in any amount from a
17political party committee except during an election cycle in
18which the candidate seeks nomination at a primary election.
19During an election cycle in which the candidate seeks
20nomination at a primary election, a candidate political
21committee may not accept contributions from political party
22committees with an aggregate value over the following: (i)
23$200,000 for a candidate political committee established to

 

 

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1support a candidate seeking nomination or election to statewide
2office, (ii) $125,000 for a candidate political committee
3established to support a candidate seeking nomination or
4election to the Senate, the Supreme Court or Appellate Court in
5the First Judicial District, or an office elected by all voters
6in a county with 1,000,000 or more residents, (iii) $75,000 for
7a candidate political committee established to support a
8candidate seeking nomination or election to the House of
9Representatives, the Supreme Court or Appellate Court for a
10Judicial District other than the First Judicial District, an
11office elected by all voters of a county of fewer than
121,000,000 residents, and municipal and county offices in Cook
13County other than those elected by all voters of Cook County,
14and (iv) $50,000 for a candidate political committee
15established to support the nomination or election of a
16candidate to any other office. A candidate political committee
17established to elect a candidate to the General Assembly may
18accept contributions from only one legislative caucus
19committee. A candidate political committee may not accept
20contributions from a ballot initiative committee.
21    (c) During an election cycle, a political party committee
22may not accept contributions with an aggregate value over the
23following: (i) $10,000 from any individual, (ii) $20,000 from
24any corporation, labor organization, or association, or (iii)
25$50,000 from a political action committee. A political party
26committee may accept contributions in any amount from another

 

 

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

 

 

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1primary election or consolidated primary election may file a
2Statement of Nonparticipation in a Primary Election with the
3Board. The Statement of Nonparticipation shall include a
4verification signed by the chairperson and treasurer of the
5committee that (i) the committee will not make contributions or
6coordinated expenditures in support of or opposition to a
7candidate or candidates to be nominated at the general primary
8election or consolidated primary election (select one) to be
9held on (insert date), (ii) the political party committee may
10accept unlimited contributions from candidate political
11committees and political party committees, provided that the
12political party committee does not make contributions to a
13candidate or candidates to be nominated at the primary
14election, and (iii) failure to abide by these requirements
15shall deem the political party committee in violation of this
16Article and subject the committee to a fine of no more than
17150% of the total contributions or coordinated expenditures
18made by the committee in violation of this Article. This
19subsection becomes inoperative on July 1, 2013 and thereafter
20no longer applies.
21    (d) During an election cycle, a political action committee
22may not accept contributions with an aggregate value over the
23following: (i) $10,000 from any individual, (ii) $20,000 from
24any corporation, labor organization, political party
25committee, or association, or (iii) $50,000 from a political
26action committee or candidate political committee. A political

 

 

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1action committee may not accept contributions from a ballot
2initiative committee.
3    (e) A ballot initiative committee may accept contributions
4in any amount from any source, provided that the committee
5files the document required by Section 9-3 of this Article.
6    (f) Nothing in this Section shall prohibit a political
7committee from dividing the proceeds of joint fundraising
8efforts; provided that no political committee may receive more
9than the limit from any one contributor.
10    (g) On January 1 of each odd-numbered year, the State Board
11of Elections shall adjust the amounts of the contribution
12limitations established in this Section for inflation as
13determined by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers
14as issued by the United States Department of Labor and rounded
15to the nearest $100. The State Board shall publish this
16information on its official website.
17    (h) Self-funding candidates. If a public official, a
18candidate, or the public official's or candidate's immediate
19family contributes or loans to the public official's or
20candidate's political committee or to other political
21committees that transfer funds to the public official's or
22candidate's political committee or makes independent
23expenditures for the benefit of the public official's or
24candidate's campaign during the 12 months prior to an election
25in an aggregate amount of more than (i) $250,000 for statewide
26office or (ii) $100,000 for all other elective offices, then

 

 

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

 

 

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1association in a calendar year may not exceed the limits set
2forth in this Section and (ii) the corporation, labor
3organization, association, or a political action committee
4established by a corporation, labor organization, or
5association facilitating the delivery of contributions
6maintains a list of natural persons, corporations, labor
7organizations, and associations that paid the dues, levies, or
8similar assessments from which the contributions comprising
9the aggregate amount derive. A political action committee
10facilitating the delivery of contributions or receiving
11contributions shall disclose the amount of dues delivered or
12received and the name of the corporation, labor organization,
13association, or political action committee delivering the
14contributions, if applicable.
15    (j) A political committee that receives a contribution or
16transfer in violation of this Section shall dispose of the
17contribution or transfer by returning the contribution or
18transfer, or an amount equal to the contribution or transfer,
19to the contributor or transferor or donating the contribution
20or transfer, or an amount equal to the contribution or
21transfer, to a charity. A contribution or transfer received in
22violation of this Section that is not disposed of as provided
23in this subsection within 15 days after its receipt shall
24escheat to the General Revenue Fund and the political committee
25shall be deemed in violation of this Section and subject to a
26civil penalty not to exceed 150% of the total amount of the

 

 

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1contribution.
2    (k) For the purposes of this Section, "statewide office"
3means the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General,
4Secretary of State, Comptroller, and Treasurer.
5    (l) This Section is repealed if and when the United States
6Supreme Court invalidates contribution limits on committees
7formed to assist candidates, political parties, corporations,
8associations, or labor organizations established by or
9pursuant to federal law.
10(Source: P.A. 96-832, eff. 1-1-11.)
 
11    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
12becoming law.