2015 -- H 5789

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LC002042

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO ELECTIONS - RHODE ISLAND CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS AND

EXPENDITURES REPORTING

     

     Introduced By: Representatives DeSimone, Craven, Ruggiero, Abney, and Hearn

     Date Introduced: March 05, 2015

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 17-25-11 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-25 entitled "Rhode

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Island Campaign Contributions and Expenditures Reporting" is hereby amended to read as

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follows:

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     17-25-11. Dates for filing of reports by treasurers of candidates or of committees. --

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(a) During the period between the appointment of the campaign treasurer for state and municipal

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committees and political action committees, or in the case of an individual, the date on which the

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individual becomes a "declared or undeclared candidate", as defined in § 17-25-3(2), except when

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the ninety (90) day reporting period ends less than forty (40) days prior to an election, in which

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case the ninety (90) day report shall be included as part of the report required to be filed on the

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twenty-eighth (28th) day next preceding the day of the primary, general, or special election

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pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection, and the election, with respect to which

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contributions are received or expenditures made by him or her in behalf of or in opposition to a

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candidate, the campaign treasurer of a candidate, a political party committee, or a political action

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committee shall file a report containing an account of contributions received and expenditures

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made on behalf of or in opposition to a candidate:

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      (1) At ninety (90) day intervals commencing on the date on which the individual first

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becomes a candidate, as defined in § 17-25-3(2);

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      (2) In a contested election, on the twenty-eighth (28th) and seventh (7th) days next

 

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preceding the day of the primary, general, or special election; provided, that in the case of a

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primary election for a special election, where the twenty-eighth (28th) day next preceding the day

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of the primary election occurs prior to the first day for filing declarations of candidacy pursuant to

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§ 17-14-1, the reports shall be due on the fourteenth (14th) and seventh (7th) days next preceding

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the day of the primary election for the special election; and

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      (3) A final report on the twenty-eighth (28th) day following the election. The report shall

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contain:

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      (i) The name and address and place of employment of each person from whom

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contributions in excess of a total of one hundred dollars ($100) within a calendar year were

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received;

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      (ii) The amount contributed by each person;

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      (iii) The name and address of each person to whom expenditures in excess of one

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hundred dollars ($100) were made; and

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      (iv) The amount and purpose of each expenditure.

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      (b) Concurrent with the report filed on the twenty-eighth (28th) day following an

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election, or at any time thereafter, the campaign treasurer of a candidate, or political party

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committee or political action committee, may certify to the board of elections that the campaign

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fund of the candidate, political party committee, or political action committee having been

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instituted for the purposes of the past election, has completed its business and been dissolved or,

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in the event that the committee will continue its activities beyond the election, that its business

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regarding the past election has been completed; and the certification shall be accompanied by a

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final accounting of the campaign fund, or of the transactions relating to the election, including the

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final disposition of any balance remaining in the fund at the time of dissolution or the

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arrangements which have been made for the discharge of any obligations remaining unpaid at the

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time of dissolution.

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      (c) (1) Once the campaign treasurer certifies that the campaign fund has completed its

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business and been dissolved, no contribution which is intended to defray expenditures incurred on

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behalf of or in opposition to a candidate during the campaign can be accepted. Until the time that

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the campaign treasurer certifies that the campaign fund has completed its business and been

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dissolved, the treasurer shall file reports containing an account of contributions received and

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expenditures made at ninety (90) day intervals commencing with the next quarterly report

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following the election; however, the time to file under this subsection shall be no later than the

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last day of the month following the ninety (90) day period, except when the last day of the month

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filing deadline following the ninety (90) day reporting period occurs less than twenty-eight (28)

 

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days before an election, in which case the report shall be filed pursuant to the provisions of

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subdivisions (a)(1) and (2) of this section. Provided, however, if the last day of the month falls on

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a weekend or a holiday, the report shall be due on the following business day.

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     (2) In addition to the reports required pursuant to this section, a candidate or office holder

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shall also file with the board of elections a paper copy of the account statement from the office

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holder's campaign account, which account statement shall be the next account statement issued by

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their financial institution after the filing of the fourth quarterly campaign expense report. This

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account statement shall not be deemed a public record pursuant to the provisions of chapter 2 of

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title 38. Provided, as to state and municipal political parties, the requirements of this subsection

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(c)(2) shall apply to the annual report required pursuant to § 17-25-7.

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      (d) (1) There shall be no obligation to file the reports of expenditures required by this

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section on behalf of or in opposition to a candidate if the total amount to be expended in behalf of

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the candidacy by the candidate, by any political party committee, by any political action

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committee, or by any person shall not in the aggregate exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).

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      (2) However, even though the aggregate amount expended on behalf of the candidacy

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does not exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000), reports must be made listing the source and

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amounts of all contributions in excess of a total of one hundred dollars ($100) from any one

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source within a calendar year. Even though the aggregate amount expended on behalf of the

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candidacy does not exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) and no contribution from any one

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source within a calendar year exceeds one hundred dollars ($100), the report shall state the

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aggregate amount of all contributions received. In addition, the report shall state the amount of

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aggregate contributions that were from individuals, the amount from political action committees,

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and the amount from political party committees.

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      (e) On or before the first date for filing contribution and expenditure reports, the

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campaign treasurer may file a sworn statement that the treasurer will accept no contributions nor

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make aggregate expenditures in excess of the minimum amounts for which a report is required by

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this chapter. Thereafter, the campaign treasurer shall be excused from filing all the reports for that

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campaign, other than the final report due on the twenty-eighth (28th) day following the election.

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      (f) A campaign treasurer must file a report containing an account of contributions

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received and expenditures made at the ninety (90) day intervals provided for in subsection (c) of

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this section for any ninety (90) day period in which the campaign received contributions in excess

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of a total of one hundred dollars ($100) within a calendar year from any one source and/or made

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expenditures in excess of one thousand dollars ($1,000) within a calendar year; however, the time

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to file under this subsection shall be no later than the last day of the month following the ninety

 

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(90) day period, except when the last day of the month filing deadline following the ninety (90)

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day reporting period occurs less than twenty-eight (28) days before an election, in which case the

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report shall be filed pursuant to the provisions of subdivisions (a)(1) and (2) of this section.

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Provided, however, if the last day of the month falls on a weekend or a holiday, the report shall be

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due on the following business day.

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      (g) (1) The board of elections may, for good cause shown and upon the receipt of a

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written or electronic request, grant a seven (7) day extension for filing a report; provided, that the

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request must be received no later than the date upon which the report is due to be filed.

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      (2) Any person or entity required to file reports with the board of elections pursuant to

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this section and who has not filed the report by the required date, unless granted an extension

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pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, shall be fined twenty-five dollars ($25.00).

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Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this section, the board of elections shall have the

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authority to waive late filing fees for good cause shown.

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      (3) The board of elections shall send a notice of non-compliance, by certified mail, to

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any person or entity who fails to file the reports required by this section. A person or entity who is

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sent a notice of non-compliance and fails to file the required report within seven (7) days of the

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receipt of the notice shall be fined two dollars ($2.00) per day from the day of receipt of the

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notice of non-compliance until the day the report has been received by the state board.

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Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this section, the board of elections shall have the

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authority to waive late filing fees for good cause shown.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect January 1, 2016.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO ELECTIONS - RHODE ISLAND CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS AND

EXPENDITURES REPORTING

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     This act would require candidates and political action committees to file a copy of the

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next bank statement from their campaign account that is issued after they file their final on-going

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quarterly campaign finance report to the board of elections.

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     This act would take effect on January 1, 2016.

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LC002042

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