AB779: Bill Text

LRB-2321/2

JTK:mfd:hmh

1997 - 1998 LEGISLATURE

1997 Assembly BILL 779

February 10, 1998 - Introduced by Representatives Grothman, Hahn, Ziegelbauer, J. Lehman, Ainsworth and Musser. Referred to Committee on Campaign Finance Reform.

AB779,1,3 An Act to amend 25.42; and to create 11.19 (6) of the statutes; relating to: disposition of residual campaign funds by candidates and personal campaign committees.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

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.

This bill limits the amount of unencumbered funds that a candidate for legislative office or such a candidate's personal campaign committee may carry over from a general election campaign to another campaign to not more than $5,000 in the case of a candidate for representative to the assembly and $10,000 in the case of a candidate for state senator. The bill permits a candidate or committee having an unencumbered balance in a campaign depository exceeding this amount to transfer the excess amount to a charitable organization or the Wisconsin election campaign fund. Under the bill, any unencumbered balance exceeding this amount which remains in the campaign depository account of such a candidate or committee on January 31 following a general election must be transferred by the candidate or committee to the common school fund.

For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB779, s. 1 Section 1. 11.19 (6) of the statutes is created to read:

AB779,2,13 11.19 (6) No candidate or personal campaign committee of a candidate for legislative office at the general election may retain in a campaign depository account beyond December 31 of an even-numbered year unencumbered funds equal to more than $5,000 in the case of a candidate for representative to the assembly and $10,000 in the case of a candidate for state senator. During the 30-day period beginning on January 1 following a general election, a candidate or committee having unencumbered funds in a campaign depository account that may not be retained under this subsection may donate the excess funds to a charitable organization or the Wisconsin election campaign fund. A candidate or committee shall transfer to the state treasurer for deposit in the common school fund any unencumbered funds remaining in a campaign depository account on January 31 following a general election that may not be retained under this subsection.

AB779, s. 2 Section 2. 25.42 of the statutes is amended to read:

AB779,2,20 25.42 Wisconsin election campaign fund. All moneys appropriated under s. 20.855 (4) (b) together with all moneys deposited under s. 11.19 (6), all moneys reverting to the state under s. 11.50 (8) and all gifts, bequests and devises received under s. 11.50 (13) constitute the Wisconsin election campaign fund, to be expended for the purposes of s. 11.50. All moneys in the fund not disbursed by the state treasurer shall continue to accumulate indefinitely.

AB779,2,21 (End)