2022 -- H 7995

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LC005455

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2022

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- RHODE ISLAND CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS AND

EXPENDITURES REPORTING

     

     Introduced By: Representative Joseph M. McNamara

     Date Introduced: March 16, 2022

     Referred To: House State Government & Elections

     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 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

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

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

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except when the ninety-day (90) reporting period ends less than forty (40) days prior to an election

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

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on the 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 contributions

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are received or expenditures made by him or her in behalf of, or in opposition to, a candidate, the

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

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file a report containing an account of contributions received, and expenditures made, on behalf of,

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or in opposition to, a candidate:

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     (1) At ninety-day (90) 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 primary

 

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

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primary election occurs prior to the first day for filing declarations of candidacy pursuant to § 17-

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

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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 hundred

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dollars ($100) were made; and

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     (iv) The amount and purpose of each expenditure.

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     (b)(1) 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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account and fund of the candidate, political party committee, or political action committee having

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

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or, 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. The certification shall be accompanied by a final

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accounting of the campaign account and fund, or of the transactions relating to the election,

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including the final disposition of any balance remaining in the account and fund at the time of

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dissolution or the arrangements that have been made for the discharge of any obligations remaining

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unpaid at the time of dissolution.

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     (2) After dissolution pursuant to the provisions of subsection (b)(1) of this section, a

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campaign account and fund, upon written notice to the board of elections, pursuant to § 17-25-8,

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may be reopened. Any loans unpaid at the time of dissolution shall be reinstated upon the reopening

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of the campaign account and fund.

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     (c)(1) Once the campaign treasurer certifies that the campaign account and fund has

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completed its business and been dissolved, no contribution that is intended to defray expenditures

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incurred on behalf of, or in opposition to, a candidate during the campaign can be accepted, unless

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and until the campaign account and fund are reopened pursuant to the provisions of subsection

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(b)(2) of this section. Until the time that the campaign treasurer certifies that the campaign fund

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has completed its business and been dissolved, the treasurer shall file reports containing an account

 

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of contributions received and expenditures made at ninety-day (90) intervals commencing with the

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next quarterly report following the election; however, the time to file under this subsection shall be

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no later than the last day of the month following the ninety-day (90) period, except when the last

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day of the month filing deadline following the ninety-day (90) reporting period occurs less than

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twenty-eight (28) days before an election, in which case the report shall be filed pursuant to the

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

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

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dissolved campaign account and fund which is reopened pursuant to the provisions of subsection

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(b)(2) of this section shall comply with all applicable reporting requirements commencing as of the

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date of reopening.

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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. The

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account statement shall be submitted to the board within thirty (30) days of its receipt by the

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candidate, officeholder, treasurer, or deputy treasurer. The account statement shall not be deemed

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a public record pursuant to the provisions of chapter 2 of title 38. The board of elections, its agents,

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and employees shall not publish, deliver, copy, or disclose, to any person or entity any account

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statement or information contained therein for any candidate, former candidate, officeholder, party,

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or political action committee. Provided, as to state and municipal political parties, the requirements

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of this subsection (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 committee,

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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 does

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

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

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calendar year. Even though the aggregate amount expended on behalf of the candidacy does not

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exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) and no contribution from any one source within a calendar

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year exceeds one hundred dollars ($100), the report shall state the aggregate amount of all

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

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were from individuals, the amount from political action committees, and the amount from political

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party committees.

 

LC005455 - Page 3 of 5

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

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

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

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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 received

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

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for any ninety-day (90) period in which the campaign received contributions in excess of a total of

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

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

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this subsection shall be no later than the last day of the month following the ninety-day (90) period,

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

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occurs less than twenty-eight (28) days before an election, in which case the report shall be filed

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pursuant to the provisions of subdivisions (a)(1) and (2) of this section. Provided, however, if the

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last day of the month falls on a weekend or a holiday, the report shall be due on the following

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business day.

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

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

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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 this

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section and who or that 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 authority

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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 any

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

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

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of the 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 authority

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to waive late filing fees for good cause shown.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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LC005455

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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 authorize the reopening of a dissolved campaign account and fund upon

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notice to the board of elections.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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