11.511 Public financing benefits. (1) The state treasurer shall provide to each eligible candidate who qualifies to receive a public financing benefit for the primary or election campaign period separate lines of credit for the public financing benefits payable to the candidate for the primary and election campaign periods in the amounts specified in this section, subject to any required adjustment under s. 11.509, 11.512 (2) or 11.513 (2). An eligible candidate may use this public financing benefit to finance any lawful disbursements during the primary and election campaign periods to further the election of the candidate in that primary or election. An eligible candidate shall not use this public financing benefit to repay any loan, or in violation of ss. 11.502 to 11.522 or any other applicable law.
(2) Except as provided in ss. 11.512 (2) and 11.513 (2), the public financing benefit for a primary election campaign period is $100,000.
(3) Except as provided in ss. 11.512 (2) and 11.513 (2), the public financing benefit for an election campaign period is $300,000.
(4) If there is no spring primary for the office of justice, no eligible candidate may receive a public financing benefit for the primary election campaign period.
(5g) An eligible candidate who receives a public financing benefit in the primary election campaign period and whose name is certified to appear on the ballot at the election following that primary may utilize any unencumbered balance of the public financing benefit received by the candidate in the primary election campaign period for the election campaign period.
(5r) Except as permitted in sub. (5g), an eligible candidate who receives a public financing benefit and who does not encumber or expend some portion of the benefit for a purpose described in sub. (1) shall return any unencumbered portion of the benefit to the board within 30 days after the primary or election in which the candidate participates.
(6) Notwithstanding subs. (2) and (3), beginning on July 1, 2012, and every 2 years thereafter, the board shall modify the public financing benefits provided for in subs. (2) and (3) to adjust for the change in the consumer price index, all items, U.S. city average, published by the U.S. department of labor for the preceding 2-year period ending on December 31.
11.512 Financial activity by nonparticipating candidates. (1) In addition to other reports required by law, a nonparticipating candidate for an office at a primary or election who receives contributions or makes or obligates to make disbursements in an amount that is more than 5 percent greater than the public financing benefit applicable to an eligible candidate for the same office at the same primary or election shall file a report with the board itemizing the total contributions received and disbursements made or obligated to be made by the candidate as of the date of the report. The board shall transmit copies of the report to all candidates for the same office at the same election. A nonparticipating candidate shall file additional reports after the candidate receives each additional $1,000 of contributions, or the candidate makes or obligates to make each additional $1,000 of disbursements. If such contributions are received or such disbursements are made or obligated to be made more than 6 weeks prior to the date of the primary election at which the name of the candidate appears on the ballot, or prior to the date that the primary election would be held, if a primary were required, the reports shall be made at the next regular reporting interval under s. 11.506. If such contributions are received or such disbursements made or obligated to be made within 6 weeks prior to the date of the primary election at which the name of the candidate appears on the ballot, or within 6 weeks prior to the date that the primary election would be held, if a primary were required, the reports shall be made within 24 hours after each instance in which such contributions are received, or such disbursements are made or obligated to be made.
(2) Upon receipt of such information, the board shall immediately certify to the state treasurer the name of each opposing eligible candidate together with the amount of a supplemental grant that shall become payable to that candidate. The supplemental grant shall be equivalent to the total excess disbursement amount made or obligated to be made, but not to exceed, in the aggregate, exclusive of any amount to which the candidate is entitled under s. 11.513 (2), an amount equal to 3 times the public financing benefit payable to a candidate for the applicable office at the primary or other election for which the benefit is received. The state treasurer shall immediately credit each opposing eligible candidate with an additional line of credit for the amount certified.
11.513 Independent disbursements. (1) If any person makes, or becomes obligated to make, by oral or written agreement, an independent disbursement in excess of $1,000 with respect to a candidate for the office of justice at a spring primary or election, that person shall file with the board a notice of the disbursement or obligation to make the disbursement. Any such person shall file reports of such disbursements or obligations to make such disbursements on the 15th or last day of the month that immediately follows the date of the disbursement or the obligation to make the disbursement, whichever comes first, except that, within 6 weeks prior to the date of the spring primary election, if a primary is held, and within 6 weeks prior to the date of the spring election, the person shall file such reports within 24 hours after each independent disbursement is made or obligated to be made. Any such person shall file an additional report after each additional $1,000 of disbursements are made or obligated to be made.
(2) When the aggregate independent disbursements made or obligated to be made by a person against an eligible candidate for an office or for the opponents of that candidate exceed 120 percent of the public financing benefit for that office in the primary election campaign period or the election campaign period, the board shall immediately certify to the state treasurer the name of that candidate together with the amount of a supplemental grant that shall become payable to that candidate. The supplemental grant shall be equivalent to the aggregate independent disbursements
exceeding the applicable public financing benefit made or obligated to be made by a person, but not to exceed, exclusive of any amount to which a candidate is entitled under s. 11.512 (2), an amount equal to 3 times the public financing benefit payable to a candidate for the applicable office at the primary or other election for which the benefit is received. The state treasurer shall then immediately credit that candidate with an additional line of credit for the amount certified.
11.515 Democracy trust fund. The democracy trust fund shall be administered by the state treasurer. The state treasurer shall establish an account within the fund for each eligible candidate.
11.516 Administration. Except as otherwise specifically provided in ss. 11.501 to 11.522, the duties of and authority for administering and enforcing ss. 11.501 to 11.522 are vested in the board.
11.517 Penalties; enforcement. (1) Notwithstanding s. 11.60 (1), if an eligible candidate makes disbursements that exceed the total amount of the public financing benefit allocated to the candidate for any campaign and the total qualifying and seed money contributions lawfully accepted by the candidate, the candidate may be required to forfeit not more than 10 times the amount by which the disbursements exceed the allocation.
(2) Notwithstanding s. 11.60 (1), any eligible candidate who accepts contributions in excess of any limitation imposed under ss. 11.502 to 11.522 may be required to forfeit not more than 10 times the amount by which the contributions exceed the applicable limitation.
(3) If the board finds that there is probable cause to believe that an eligible candidate has made excess disbursements or has accepted excess contributions contrary to sub. (1) or (2), the board shall attempt for a period of not more than 14 days after its finding to correct the matter by informal methods of conference and conciliation and to enter into a settlement and conciliation agreement under s. 5.05 (1) (c) with the person involved. A settlement and conciliation agreement made pursuant to this subsection shall be a matter of public record. Unless violated, a settlement and conciliation agreement is a bar to any civil action under sub. (4).
(4) If the board has probable cause to believe that an eligible candidate has made excess disbursements or has accepted excess contributions and the board is unable to correct the matter by informal methods within the time prescribed in sub. (3), the board shall make a public finding of probable cause in the matter. After making a public finding, the board may bring a civil action against the eligible candidate as provided in s. 5.05 (1) (c).
(5) If an elector believes that an eligible candidate has violated ss. 11.502 to 11.522 and the elector is entitled to vote for or against the eligible candidate in the election in connection with which the violation is alleged to occur, the elector may file a complaint with the board requesting it to take remedial action. If the board refuses to take remedial action or, within 30 days after the filing of such a complaint, fails to take remedial action, the elector may commence a civil action requesting the court to impose a forfeiture under sub. (1) or (2) in circuit court for the county where the board is authorized to bring an action under s. 5.05 (1) (c).
(6) The board and courts shall expedite all proceedings under ss. 11.502 to 11.522 so that all complaints brought prior to an election are resolved, to the extent possible, before the election is held.
(7) If a complaint brought under ss. 11.502 to 11.522 is resolved against the complainant and is found to have been brought in bad faith and without reasonable basis therefor, the board or court may assess costs, including reasonable attorney fees, against the complainant.
11.518 Prohibited acts. (1) Notwithstanding s. 11.61 (1) (c), if an eligible candidate or agent of a candidate knowingly accepts more contributions than the candidate is entitled to receive, or makes disbursements exceeding the total amount of the public financing benefit received by the candidate and the qualifying and seed money contributions lawfully received by the candidate, the candidate or agent is guilty of a Class G felony.
(2) Notwithstanding s. 11.61 (1) (c), if in connection with the receipt or disbursement of a public financing benefit for an election campaign, any person knowingly provides false information to the board, or knowingly conceals or withholds information from the board, that person is guilty of a Class G felony.
11.522 Contributions to nonparticipating candidates; attributions. (1) A nonparticipating candidate may accept contributions from private sources without limitation, except that no person may make any contribution or contributions to a nonparticipating candidate exceeding a total of $1,000 during any campaign.
(2) In addition to the attribution required under s. 11.30 (2), any electronic or print communication paid for or authorized by a nonparticipating candidate shall contain the following sentence: "This communication is paid for with money raised from private sources. This candidate has not agreed to abide by campaign contribution and spending limits."
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18. 11.60 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
11.60 (4) Except as otherwise provided in ss. 5.05 (2m) (c) 15. and 16. and (h), 5.08, and 5.081, actions under this section or 11.517 may be brought by the board or by the district attorney for the county where the defendant resides or, if the defendant is a nonresident, by the district attorney for the county where the violation is alleged to have occurred. For purposes of this subsection, a person other than a natural person resides within a county if the person's principal place of operation is located within that county.
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19. 11.61 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
11.61 (2) Except as otherwise provided in ss. 5.05 (2m) (c) 15. and 16. and (i), 5.08, and 5.081, all prosecutions under this section or s. 11.518 shall be conducted by the district attorney for the county where the defendant resides or, if the defendant is a nonresident, by the district attorney for the county where the violation is alleged to have occurred. For purposes of this subsection, a person other than a natural person resides within a county if the person's principal place of operation is located within that county.
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20. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated:
-
See PDF for table 
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21. 20.511 (1) (r) of the statutes is created to read:
20.511 (1) (r) Democracy trust fund administration. From the democracy trust fund, the amounts in the schedule for the administration of ss. 11.501 to 11.522.
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22. 20.585 (1) (q) of the statutes is created to read:
20.585 (1) (q) Public financing benefits; candidates for justice. From the democracy trust fund, a sum sufficient to provide for payment of public financing benefits to eligible candidates under ss. 11.501 to 11.522.
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23. 20.585 (1) (r) of the statutes is created to read:
20.585 (1) (r) Democracy trust fund administration. From the democracy trust fund, the amounts in the schedule for the administration of ss. 11.501 to 11.522.
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24. 20.855 (4) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
20.855 (4) (b) (title) Election campaign
fund payments. A sum sufficient equal to one-third of the amounts determined under s. 71.10 (3) to be paid into the Wisconsin election campaign fund annually on August 15.
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25. 20.855 (4) (ba) of the statutes is created to read:
20.855 (4) (ba) Democracy trust fund payments. A sum sufficient equal to two-thirds of the amounts determined under s. 71.10 (3) to be paid into the democracy trust fund annually on August 15.
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26. 20.855 (4) (bb) of the statutes is created to read:
20.855 (4) (bb) Democracy trust fund transfer. A sum sufficient equal to the difference between the unencumbered balance in the democracy trust fund and the amounts required to provide public financing benefits that candidates qualify to receive from the democracy trust fund, to be transferred from the general fund to the democracy trust fund no later than the time required to make payments of grants under s. 11.51 (2) and (3).
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27. 25.17 (1) (cm) of the statutes is created to read:
25.17 (1) (cm) Democracy trust fund (s. 25.421);
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28. 25.421 of the statutes is created to read:
25.421 Democracy trust fund. All moneys appropriated under s. 20.855 (4) (ba) and (bb) and all moneys deposited in the state treasury under ss. 11.509, 11.51 (4), and 11.511 (5r) constitute the democracy trust fund, to be expended for the purposes of ss. 11.501 to 11.522.
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29. 71.10 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
71.10 (3) (a) Every individual filing an income tax return who has a tax liability or is entitled to a tax refund may designate $1 $3 for the Wisconsin election campaign fund and the democracy trust fund for the use of eligible candidates under s. ss. 11.50 and 11.51. If the individuals filing a joint return have a tax liability or are entitled to a tax refund, each individual may make a designation of $1 $3 under this subsection.
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30.
Initial applicability.
(1) The treatment of section 71.10 (3) (a) of the statutes first applies to taxable years beginning on January 1 of the year in which this subsection takes effect, except that if this subsection takes effect after July 31 the treatment first applies to taxable years beginning on January 1 of the year following the year in which this subsection takes effect.
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31.
Effective date.
(1) This act takes effect on December 1 following the date of publication.
