b. Decreases the limitation on total contributions that a candidate may accept
from committees other than political party and legislative campaign committees
from 45% of the disbursement level for the office which the candidate seeks to 33%
of the disbursement level for that office. However, the bill does not change the
limitation on the total grant that a candidate for state office may receive from the
Wisconsin election campaign fund. Under the bill, grants from the Wisconsin
election campaign fund are not subject to the 33% limitation.
3. The bill creates the following new prohibitions concerning political
contributions:
a. The bill prohibits any individual or committee from making or transferring
a contribution to an individual who is a candidate for a partisan state office which
the individual holds at the time that the contribution is made or transferred, or to
the personal campaign or authorized support committee of such a candidate, if the
contribution is made in connection with any fund-raising event held in Dane County
during the period between the first Monday in January of each odd-numbered year
and the date of enactment of the biennial budget act. The prohibition does not apply
to a contribution made to any individual who is a candidate for the office of district
attorney or who represents a legislative district that is wholly or partly contained
within Dane County, or to the personal campaign or authorized support committee
of such an individual.
Currently, there is no restriction on the periods during which or the places in
which such contributions may be made.
b. The bill prohibits a special interest ("political action") committee from
making any contribution or contributions to another such committee exceeding
$5,000 within any biennial period starting on January 1 of an odd-numbered year
and ending on December 31 of the following even-numbered year. The limitation
does not apply to a nonresident committee to the extent that the committee receives
contributions from a resident committee in the same biennium.

Violations are punishable by a forfeiture (civil penalty) of up to treble the
amount of the contribution. Intentional violations are punishable by a fine of not
more than $1,000 or by imprisonment for not more than 6 months or both (a
misdemeanor).
4. Under current law, a "conduit" is an individual or organization that receives
a contribution and transfers the contribution to another individual or organization
without exercising discretion as to the amount that is transferred and the individual
to whom or the organization to which the transfer is made. The campaign financing
reports filed by the candidate identify only the original contributor, not the conduit.
The bill requires the campaign financing reports filed by candidates to identify any
conduit from whom a contribution is received, as well as the original contributor.
5. Under current law, residual funds remaining when a person who is required
to register under the campaign financing law disbands or ceases incurring
obligations, making disbursements or accepting contributions may be used for any
lawful political purpose, returned to the original contributors or donated to a
charitable organization or the common school fund. The bill allows residual funds
remaining when a registrant disbands or ceases incurring obligations, making
disbursements or accepting contributions to be transferred to the Wisconsin election
campaign fund.
6. The bill requires any paid telephone bank operator who or which contacts
more than one potential voter for the purpose of asking any question concerning the
preferences of the potential voters with respect to any candidate, political party or
issue of public concern in relation to an election, or to present any information or
viewpoint with respect to any candidate, political party or issue of public concern in
relation to an election, to file a report with the elections board containing the text of
any substantially identical question asked or statement made by the operator no
later than 24 hours before the time that the operator makes more than one contact.
The report must also include the names and addresses of the operator and the person
who retained the operator, the election with respect to which the telephoning is
conducted, and if the telephoning is not conducted on a statewide basis, the name of
each jurisdiction or district within which the telephoning is conducted. Currently,
there is no such requirement.
7. The bill requires any person who publishes, distributes or broadcasts a
communication which advocates the election or defeat of a candidate for state or local
office independently of any candidate who is supported or whose opponent is opposed
to file with the state elections board a copy of the text of the communication no later
than 24 hours before the time that the communication is first published, distributed
or broadcast. Currently, there is no such requirement.
8. The bill prohibits any deduction from being made by an employer, or from
being received by an employer or an employe organization, from the wages or
reimbursements or allowances for expenses payable to an employe for the purpose
of making or transferring a political contribution to a special interest ("political
action") committee in connection with a state or local election, unless the employe
specifically authorizes the deduction in writing and the authorization is revocable
by similar means. Currently, there is no such restriction.

With the exception of unlawful contributions, violations of the prohibitions or
requirements created by the bill are punishable by a forfeiture (civil penalty) of not
more than $500 for each offense. Intentional violations are punishable by a fine of
not more than $1,000 or imprisonment for not more than 6 months, or both, for each
offense (a misdemeanor).
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB37, s. 1 1Section 1. 11.01 (14) of the statutes is created to read:
AB37,4,42 11.01 (14) "Partisan state office" means the office of governor, lieutenant
3governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, attorney general, state senator, state
4representative to the assembly or district attorney.
AB37, s. 2 5Section 2. 11.05 (3) (m) of the statutes is created to read:
AB37,4,86 11.05 (3) (m) In the case of a personal campaign committee, the name of the
7candidate on whose behalf the committee was formed or intends to operate and the
8office or offices that the candidate seeks.
AB37, s. 3 9Section 3. 11.06 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB37,4,1510 11.06 (1) (a) An itemized statement giving the date, full name and street
11address of each contributor who has made a contribution in excess of $20, or whose
12contribution if $20 or less aggregates more than $20 for the calendar year, together
13with the amount of the contribution and the cumulative total contributions made by
14that contributor for the calendar year and, if the contributor made the contribution
15through a conduit, the identity of the conduit
.
AB37, s. 4 16Section 4. 11.095 of the statutes is created to read:
AB37,4,19 1711.095 Regulation of certain telephoning activities. (1) In this section,
18"telephone bank operator" means any person who, for remuneration, places or
19directs the placement of telephone calls to individuals.
AB37,5,18
1(2) Each telephone bank operator who or which contacts, by telephone, more
2than one potential voter for the purpose of asking questions concerning the
3preferences of the potential voters with respect to any candidate, political party or
4issue of public concern in relation to an election or to present any information or
5viewpoint with respect to any candidate, political party or issue of public concern in
6relation to an election shall file a report with the board containing the text of any
7substantially identical question asked or statement made by the operator to more
8than one potential voter, in such a manner that the board receives the report no later
9than 24 hours before the time that the operator makes an initial contact with more
10than one potential voter during which the question is asked or the statement is made.
11The report shall include the name and address of the telephone bank operator; the
12name and address of the individual, committee or group who or which retained the
13telephone bank operator; the name and date of the election with respect to which the
14telephoning is conducted; and if the telephoning is not conducted on a statewide
15basis, the name of each jurisdiction or district within which the telephoning is
16conducted. No person is required to file a report required under this section
17containing any information that has been previously filed by that person or another
18person.
AB37, s. 5 19Section 5. 11.12 (6) of the statutes is renumbered 11.12 (6) (a) and amended
20to read:
AB37,6,1521 11.12 (6) (a) If any Except as provided in par. (b), if an individual or committee
22incurs or intends to incur an obligation or makes or intends to make a
disbursement
23of more than $20 $250 cumulatively is made to advocate the election or defeat of a
24clearly identified candidate by an individual or committee later than 15 days prior
25to a primary or election in which the candidate's name appears on the ballot
without

1cooperation or consultation with a candidate or agent or authorized committee of a
2candidate who is supported or whose opponent is opposed, and not in concert with
3or at the request or suggestion of such a candidate, agent or committee, the
4individual or treasurer of the committee shall, within 24 hours of making no later
5than 21 days prior to the activity intended to be funded by
the incurred obligation
6or
disbursement, inform the appropriate filing officer of the information required
7under s. 11.06 (1) in such manner as the board may prescribe. The information shall
8also be included in the next regular report of the individual or committee under s.
911.20. For purposes of this subsection, obligations and disbursements cumulate
10beginning with the day after the last date covered on the preprimary or preelection
11report and ending with the day before the primary or election. Upon receipt of a
12report under this subsection paragraph, the filing officer shall, within 24 hours of
13receipt, mail a copy of the report to all candidates for any office in support of or
14opposition to one of whom a an incurred obligation or disbursement identified in the
15report is to be made.
AB37, s. 6 16Section 6. 11.12 (6) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
AB37,6,2317 11.12 (6) (b) If the independently incurred obligation or disbursement
18described in par. (a) relates to a special primary or election not held concurrently with
19the spring or September primary or the spring or general election, the individual who
20or committee which incurs or intends to incur the obligation or makes or intends to
21make the disbursement shall inform the appropriate filing officer no later than 14
22days prior to the activity intended to be funded by the incurred obligation or
23disbursement.
AB37, s. 7 24Section 7. 11.19 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB37,7,15
111.19 (1) Whenever any registrant disbands or determines that obligations will
2no longer be incurred, and contributions will no longer be received nor disbursements
3made during a calendar year, and the registrant has no outstanding incurred
4obligations, the registrant shall file a termination report with the appropriate filing
5officer. Such report shall indicate a cash balance on hand of zero at the end of the
6reporting period and shall indicate the disposition of residual funds. Residual funds
7may be used for any political purpose not prohibited by law, returned to the donors
8in an amount not exceeding the original contribution, transferred to the board for
9crediting to the Wisconsin election campaign fund,
or donated to a charitable
10organization or the common school fund. The report shall be filed and certified as
11were previous reports, and shall contain the information required by s. 11.06 (1). If
12a termination report or suspension report under sub. (2) is not filed, the registrant
13shall continue to file periodic reports with the appropriate filing officer, no later than
14the dates specified in s. 11.20. This subsection does not apply to any registrant
15making an indication under s. 11.05 (2r).
AB37, s. 8 16Section 8. 11.26 (8m) of the statutes is created to read:
AB37,8,317 11.26 (8m) No committee, other than a personal campaign committee, support
18committee under s. 11.18, political party committee or legislative campaign
19committee, may make any contribution or contributions, directly or indirectly, to
20another committee, other than a personal campaign committee, support committee
21under s. 11.18, political party committee or legislative campaign committee
22exceeding a total of $5,000 in value in any biennium. This limitation does not apply
23to any contribution or contributions made by a committee which does not maintain
24an address within this state, to the extent that the committee receives any
25contribution or contributions in a corresponding amount from a committee which

1maintains an address in this state in the same biennium. In this subsection, a
2biennium commences with January 1 of each odd-numbered year and ends with
3December 31 of the following even-numbered year.
AB37, s. 9 4Section 9. 11.26 (9) (a) of the statutes is repealed.
AB37, s. 10 5Section 10. 11.26 (9) (b) of the statutes is renumbered 11.26 (9) and amended
6to read:
AB37,8,117 11.26 (9) No individual who is a candidate for state or local office may receive
8and accept more than 45% 33% of the value of the total disbursement level, as
9determined under s. 11.31 (1), for the office for which he or she is a candidate during
10any primary and election campaign combined from all committees other than
11political party and legislative campaign committees subject to a filing requirement.
AB37, s. 11 12Section 11. 11.26 (9) (c) of the statutes is repealed.
AB37, s. 12 13Section 12. 11.26 (13) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB37,8,1614 11.26 (13) Except as provided in sub. (9), contributions Contributions received
15from the Wisconsin election campaign fund are not subject to limitation by this
16section.
AB37, s. 13 17Section 13. 11.30 (6) of the statutes is created to read:
AB37,9,518 11.30 (6) Every person who publishes, distributes or broadcasts, or causes to
19be published, distributed or broadcast, any communication which advocates the
20election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate without cooperation or
21consultation with a candidate or agent or authorized committee of a candidate who
22is supported or whose opponent is opposed, and not in concert with or at the request
23or suggestion of such a candidate, agent or committee shall file with the board, in
24writing, a copy of the text of the communication, together with the name of the person
25who is publishing, distributing or broadcasting the communication or causing it to

1be published, distributed or broadcast and that person's address, in such manner
2that the text is received by the board no later than 24 hours prior to the time that the
3communication is first published, distributed or broadcast. No person is required to
4file the text of a communication with the board under this subsection that has been
5previously filed by that person or another person.
AB37, s. 14 6Section 14. 11.31 (3n) of the statutes is created to read:
AB37,9,227 11.31 (3m) Independent disbursements; exception. Notwithstanding subs. (1)
8and (2), if any incurred obligation or disbursement of more than $250 cumulatively
9is incurred or made by an individual or committee to advocate the election or defeat
10of a clearly identified candidate whose name appears on the ballot at an election and
11the incurred obligation or disbursement is incurred or made without cooperation or
12consultation with any candidate who is supported or whose opponent is opposed or
13such a candidate's agent or authorized committee, and not in concert with, or at the
14request or suggestion of, any such candidate, agent or authorized committee, then
15each candidate whose name appears on the same ballot and who is opposed or whose
16opponent is supported by that advocacy may make or authorize total disbursements
17from the campaign treasury in excess of the amount prescribed in sub. (1) but not to
18exceed the amount prescribed in sub. (1) plus the total amount of incurred
19obligations and disbursements not previously reported as incurred obligations that
20are reported to the appropriate filing officer under s. 11.12 (6). For the purposes of
21this subsection, obligations and disbursements cumulate as provided in s. 11.12 (6)
22(a).
AB37, s. 15 23Section 15. 11.385 of the statutes is created to read:
AB37,9,24 2411.385 Negative option deductions prohibited. (1) In this section:
AB37,10,2
1(a) "Employe organization" means any association consisting of 2 or more
2employes of one or more employers.
AB37,10,43 (b) "Employer" includes the state and every local governmental unit as defined
4in s. 16.97 (7).
AB37,10,11 5(2) No employer may deduct any amount from the wages or allowances or
6reimbursements for expenses payable to an employe for the purpose of making or
7transferring a contribution to a committee, other than a political party, legislative
8campaign, or personal campaign committee or a support committee under s. 11.18,
9without a written authorization, signed by the employe, which specifically
10authorizes the deduction for the purpose of making or transferring such a
11contribution.
AB37,10,15 12(3) No employer or employe organization may make or transfer a contribution
13to a committee other than a political party, legislative campaign or personal
14campaign committee or support committee under s. 11.18 unless the deduction is
15made in compliance with sub. (2).
AB37,11,2 16(4) Every employer who makes a deduction and every employer and employe
17organization to which a deduction is payable for the purpose of making a contribution
18specified in sub. (3) shall provide to the employe who authorizes the deduction to be
19made an opportunity to terminate the deduction upon written notice to the employer
20making the deduction, or to the employer or employe organization for which the
21deduction is made. A termination of an authorization under this subsection is
22effective at such time as may be agreed between the employe and the employe's
23employer or the employer or employe organization for which the deduction is made,
24but in no case later than the number of days after notice of termination if filed equal

1to the interval between regular payments to the employe from which the deduction
2is taken.
AB37, s. 16 3Section 16. 11.395 of the statutes is created to read:
AB37,11,16 411.395 Certain contributions in Dane County prohibited. No individual
5or committee may make or transfer a contribution to an individual who is a candidate
6for a partisan state office which the individual holds at the time the contribution is
7made or transferred, to the personal campaign committee of such a candidate or to
8the support committee of such a candidate authorized under s. 11.05 (3) (p), if the
9contribution is made in connection with any fund-raising event held in Dane County
10during the period commencing on the first Monday in January of each
11odd-numbered year and ending with the date of enactment of the biennial budget
12act. This section does not apply to a contribution made to an individual who is a
13candidate for the office of district attorney or who represents a legislative district
14that is wholly or partly contained within Dane County, to the personal campaign
15committee of such an individual or to the support committee of such an individual
16authorized under s. 11.05 (3) (p).
AB37, s. 17 17Section 17. 11.50 (9) of the statutes is renumbered 11.50 (9) (a) and amended
18to read:
AB37,11,2319 11.50 (9) (a) The total grant available to an eligible candidate may not exceed
20that amount which, when added to all other contributions accepted from sources
21other than individuals, political party committees and legislative campaign
22committees, is equal to 45% of the disbursement level specified for the applicable
23office, as determined under s. 11.31 (1).
AB37,12,2 24(b) The board shall scrutinize accounts and reports and records kept under this
25chapter to assure that applicable limitations under ss. 11.26 (9) and s. 11.31 are not

1exceeded and any violation is reported. No candidate or campaign treasurer may
2accept grants exceeding the amount authorized by this subsection.
AB37, s. 18 3Section 18. 25.42 of the statutes is amended to read:
AB37,12,9 425.42 Wisconsin election campaign fund. All moneys appropriated under
5s. 20.855 (4) (b) together with all moneys credited under s. 11.19 (1), all moneys
6reverting to the state under s. 11.50 (8) and all gifts, bequests and devises received
7under s. 11.50 (13) constitute the Wisconsin election campaign fund, to be expended
8for the purposes of s. 11.50. All moneys in the fund not disbursed by the state
9treasurer shall continue to accumulate indefinitely.
AB37, s. 19 10Section 19. Effective dates. This act takes effect on the day after
11publication, except as follows:
AB37,12,13 12(1) The treatment of section 11.06 (1) (a) of the statutes takes effect on January
131, 1996.
AB37,12,15 14(2) The treatment of section 11.385 of the statutes takes effect on the first day
15of the 2nd month commencing after publication.
AB37,12,1616 (End)
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