AB250: Bill Text

AB250,13,19 (2) An eligible candidate may make disbursements derived from seed money contributions only during the exploratory period and the public financing qualifying period.

AB250,14,3 11.509 Excess contributions. If an eligible candidate receives excess seed money contributions or qualifying contributions on an aggregate basis, the candidate may retain the contributions and make disbursements derived from the contributions, in an amount not exceeding $15,000. An amount equivalent to the excess contributions shall be deducted by the board from the candidate's public financing benefit. A candidate shall return to the board all seed money and qualifying contributions that exceed the limits prescribed in this section within 48 hours after the end of the exploratory period. The board shall deposit all contributions returned under this section in the democracy trust fund.

AB250,14,10 11.51 Certification by candidate. (1) To apply for a public financing benefit, a candidate shall certify to the board that the candidate has complied and will comply, throughout the applicable campaign, with all requirements of ss. 11.502 to 11.522 and that all disclosures required as of the time of application have been made, and shall present evidence of the requisite number of qualifying contributions received by the candidate. The candidate's request for certification shall be signed by the candidate and the candidate's campaign treasurer.

AB250,14,16 (2) The board shall distribute to each eligible candidate at the spring primary election a check for the amount of the public financing benefit payable to the candidate promptly after the candidate demonstrates his or her eligibility and, in any event, not later than 5 days after the end of the public financing qualifying period; however, no candidate may utilize a check received under this subsection until the beginning of the primary election campaign period.

AB250,14,23 (3) The board shall distribute to each eligible candidate for justice at a spring election a check for the amount of the public financing benefit payable to the candidate not later than 48 hours after the date of the spring primary election for the office of justice, or the date that the primary election would be held if a primary were required. However, no candidate for a particular office shall receive a check until all candidates for the office of justice who apply and qualify for a public financing benefit have been certified as eligible candidates.

AB250,15,2 (4) If any candidate who receives a public financing benefit violates the requirements of ss. 11.502 to 11.522, the board shall require the candidate to repay all public funds received by the candidate to the board. The board shall deposit all repayments received under this subsection in the democracy trust fund.

AB250,15,12 11.511 Public financing benefits. (1) The board shall provide to each eligible candidate who qualifies to receive a public financing benefit for the primary or election campaign period separate checks 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 may 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.

AB250,15,14 (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.

AB250,15,16 (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.

AB250,15,19 (4) If there is no spring primary election for the office of justice, no eligible candidate may receive a public financing benefit for the primary election campaign period.

AB250,15,24 (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.

AB250,16,5 (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.

AB250,16,10 (6) Notwithstanding subs. (2) and (3), beginning on July 1, 2010, 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.

AB250,17,7 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 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, such 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, such 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.

AB250,17,11 (2) Upon receipt of such information, the state treasurer shall immediately issue a check to an opposing eligible candidate in an additional amount equivalent to the total excess disbursements made or obligated to be made, but not to exceed 3 times the public financing benefit for the applicable office.

AB250,17,23 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 such disbursement or obligation to make such a 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, 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 additional reports after each additional $1,000 of disbursements are made or obligated to be made.

AB250,18,4 (2) When the aggregate independent disbursements against an eligible candidate for an office or for the opponents of that candidate exceed 20 percent of the public financing benefit for that office in any campaign, the board shall immediately credit that candidate's account with an additional line of credit equivalent to the total disbursements made or obligated to be made, but not to exceed 3 times the public financing benefit for the applicable office.

AB250,18,6 11.515 Democracy trust fund. The democracy trust fund shall be administered by the state treasurer.

AB250,18,9 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.

AB250,18,15 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.

AB250,18,19 (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.

AB250,19,2 (3) If the board finds that there is probable cause to believe that a 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).

AB250,19,8 (4) If the board has probable cause to believe that a 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 candidate as provided in s. 5.05 (1) (c).

AB250,19,16 (5) If an elector believes that a candidate has violated ss. 11.502 to 11.522 and the elector is entitled to vote for or against the 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).

AB250,19,19 (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.

AB250,19,23 (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.

AB250,20,4 11.518 Prohibited acts. (1) Notwithstanding s. 11.61 (1) (c) if a 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.

AB250,20,8 (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.

AB250,20,12 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.

AB250,20,17 (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."

AB250, s. 19 Section 19. 11.60 (4) of the statutes, as affected by 2007 Wisconsin Act 1, is amended to read:

AB250,21,2 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.

AB250, s. 20 Section 20. 11.61 (2) of the statutes, as affected by 2007 Wisconsin Act 1, is amended to read:

AB250,21,11 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.

AB250, s. 21 Section 21. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated: - See PDF for table

AB250, s. 22 Section 22. 20.511 (1) (r) of the statutes is created to read:

AB250,22,2 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.

AB250, s. 23 Section 23. 20.585 (1) (q) of the statutes is created to read:

AB250,22,6 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.

AB250, s. 24 Section 24. 20.585 (1) (r) of the statutes is created to read:

AB250,22,9 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.

AB250, s. 25 Section 25. 20.855 (4) (bb) of the statutes is created to read:

AB250,22,16 20.855 (4) (bb) Democracy trust fund transfer. A sum sufficient equal to the amounts appropriated under ss. 20.511 (1) (r) and 20.585 (1) (r) 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).

AB250, s. 26 Section 26. 25.17 (1) (cm) of the statutes is created to read:

AB250,22,18 25.17 (1) (cm) Democracy trust fund (s. 25.421);

AB250, s. 27 Section 27. 25.421 of the statutes is created to read:

AB250,22,23 25.421 Democracy trust fund. All moneys appropriated under s. 20.855 (4) (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.

AB250, s. 28 Section 28. Effective dates. This act takes effect on the day after publication, except as follows:

AB250,23,3 (1) The treatment of sections 11.60 (4) and 11.61 (2) of the statutes takes effect on December 1 following the date of publication or on the initiation date specified in 2007 Wisconsin Act 1, Section 209 (1), whichever is later.

AB250,23,4 (End)