SB655: Bill Text

SB655,11,2 11.07 (1) Every nonresident committee making contributions and every nonresident individual or committee making disbursements to support or oppose the election or nomination of a candidate at an election exceeding $25 $500 cumulatively in a calendar year within this state, every nonresident individual making disbursements to support or oppose the election or nomination of a candidate at an election exceeding $1,000 cumulatively in a calendar year within this state, and every nonresident group making contributions and every nonresident group or individual making disbursements to support or oppose a particular vote at a referendum exceeding $750 $2,500 cumulatively in a calendar year within this state, shall file name, mailing and street address and the name and the mailing and street address of a designated agent within the state with the office of the secretary of state. An agent may be any adult individual who is a resident of this state. After any change in the name or address of such agent the new address or name of the successor agent shall be filed within 30 days. Service of process in any proceeding under this chapter or ch. 12, or service of any other notice or demand may be made upon such agent.

SB655,13 Section 13. 11.12 (5) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB655,11,15 11.12 (5) If any contribution or contributions of $500 or more cumulatively are received by a candidate for state office or by a committee or individual from a single contributor later than 15 days prior to a primary or election such that it is not included in the preprimary or preelection report submitted under s. 11.20 (3), the treasurer of the committee or the individual receiving the contribution shall within 24 48 hours of receipt inform the appropriate filing officer of the information required under s. 11.06 (1) in such manner as the board may prescribe. The information shall also be included in the treasurer's or individual's next regular report. For purposes of the reporting requirement under this subsection, only contributions received during the period beginning with the day after the last date covered on the preprimary or preelection report, and ending with the day before the primary or election need be reported.

SB655,14 Section 14. 11.12 (6) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB655,12,9 11.12 (6) If any disbursement of more than $20 cumulatively is made to advocate the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate by an individual or committee later than 15 days prior to a primary or election in which the candidate's name appears on the ballot without cooperation or consultation with a candidate or agent or authorized committee of a candidate who is supported or opposed, and not in concert with or at the request or suggestion of such a candidate, agent or committee, but such that the disbursement is not included in a preprimary or preelection report submitted under s. 11.20 (3), the individual or treasurer of the committee shall, within 24 48 hours of making the disbursement, inform the appropriate filing officer of the information required under s. 11.06 (1) in such manner as the board may prescribe. The information shall also be included in the next regular report of the individual or committee under s. 11.20. For purposes of this subsection, disbursements cumulate beginning with the day after the last date covered on the preprimary or preelection report and ending with the day before the primary or election. Upon receipt of a report under this subsection, the filing officer shall, within 24 hours of receipt, mail a copy of the report to all candidates for any office in support of or opposition to one of whom a disbursement identified in the report is made.

SB655,15 Section 15. 11.185 of the statutes is created to read:

SB655,12,14 11.185 Redirection of contributions made to conduits. (1) In this section, "sponsor" means a committee, including a support committee, political party committee, legislative campaign committee, and special interest committee, but excluding a personal campaign committee, that is associated with a conduit.

SB655,12,17 (2) A conduit may redirect any contribution received from an individual or organization to a sponsor or, if there is no sponsor, to an administrative fund of the conduit if all of the following apply:

SB655,12,21 (a) The conduit has held the contribution for at least 24 consecutive months, including the 24 months immediately preceding the effective date of this paragraph .... [LRB inserts date], over which time the individual or organization that made the contribution has made no contact with the conduit.

SB655,12,22 (b) Either of the following apply:

SB655,13,7 1. The conduit has, over the 24-month period described in par. (a), attempted in good faith to contact the individual or organization that made the contribution at least 10 times, and has documented each such attempt, but has been unable to make contact with the individual or organization. A conduit may satisfy the requirement to contact the individual or organization by telephoning the individual or organization at the last-known telephone number; by sending a letter or postcard to the individual or organization by U.S. mail; by sending a message by electronic mail; or by any combination of the foregoing. A conduit may not satisfy the requirement to attempt in good faith to contact the individual or organization at least 10 times if all 10 attempted contacts occur within a period of 30 consecutive days.

SB655,13,9 2. The surviving spouse or executor of the estate of a deceased individual that made the contribution authorizes the redirection of the contribution.

SB655,13,15 (3) If a conduit redirects a contribution under this section, the conduit shall include in its report under s. 11.12 (5) or 11.20 for the reporting period during which the contribution is redirected the information about the original contributor required for reporting purposes under s. 11.06 (1) (a) and (b) for the dates on which the contribution is received and redirected and whether the contribution is redirected to a sponsor or to an administrative fund of the conduit.

SB655,16 Section 16. 11.21 (16) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB655,14,20 11.21 (16) Require each registrant for whom the board serves as filing officer and who or which accepts contributions in a total amount or value of $20,000 or more during a campaign period to file each campaign finance report that is required to be filed under this chapter in an electronic format, and accept from any other registrant for whom the board serves as a filing officer any campaign finance report that is required to be filed under this chapter in an electronic format. A registrant who or which becomes subject to a requirement to file reports in an electronic format under this subsection shall initially file the registrant's report in an electronic format for the period which includes the date on which the registrant becomes subject to the requirement. To facilitate implementation of this subsection, the board shall specify, by rule, a type of software that is suitable for compliance with the electronic filing requirement under this subsection. The software shall allow an authorized individual to provide an electronic signature, as defined in s. 137.11 (8), that is subject to a security procedure, as defined in s. 137.11 (13). The board shall provide copies of the software to registrants at a price fixed by the board that may not exceed cost. Each registrant who or which files a report under this subsection in an electronic format shall also file a copy of the report with the board that is recorded on a medium specified by the board. The copy shall be signed by an authorized individual and filed with the board by each registrant no later than the time prescribed for filing of the report under this chapter. A registrant who or which files a report under this subsection in an electronic format may file with the board that portion of the report signed by an authorized individual rather than submit the electronic signature of that individual. The board shall provide complete instructions to any registrant who or which files a report under this subsection. In this subsection, the "campaign period" of a candidate, personal campaign committee or support committee begins and ends with the "campaign" of the candidate whose candidacy is supported, as defined in s. 11.26 (17), and the "campaign period" of any other registrant begins on January 1 of each odd-numbered year and ends on December 31 of the following year.

SB655,17 Section 17. 11.23 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB655,15,12 11.23 (1) Any group or individual may promote or oppose a particular vote at any referendum in this state. Except as authorized in s. 11.05 (12) (b) and (13), before a group makes or accepts contributions, makes disbursements, or incurs obligations in excess of $750 $2,500 in the aggregate in a calendar year for such purposes, and before an individual accepts contributions, makes disbursements, or incurs obligations in excess of $750 $2,500 in the aggregate in a calendar year for such purposes, the group or individual shall file a registration statement under s. 11.05 (1), (2) or (2r). In the case of a group the name and mailing address of each of its officers shall be given in the statement. Every group and every individual under this section shall designate a campaign depository account under s. 11.14. Every group shall appoint a treasurer, who may delegate authority but is jointly responsible for the actions of his or her authorized designee for purposes of civil liability under this chapter. The appropriate filing officer shall be notified by a group of any change in its treasurer within 10 days of the change under s. 11.05 (5). The treasurer of a group shall certify the correctness of each statement or report submitted by it under this chapter.

SB655,18 Section 18. 11.26 (9) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB655,15,20 11.26 (9) (a) No individual who is a candidate for state or local office may receive and accept more than 65 percent of the value of the total disbursement level determined under s. 11.31 for the office for which he or she is a candidate during any primary and election campaign combined from all committees subject to a filing requirement, including political party and legislative campaign committees, not including any transfer from any personal campaign committee to another personal campaign committee.

SB655,19 Section 19. 11.26 (9) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB655,16,3 11.26 (9) (b) No individual who is a candidate for state or local office may receive and accept more than 45 percent of the value of the total disbursement level determined under s. 11.31 for the office for which he or she is a candidate during any primary and election campaign combined from all committees other than political party and legislative campaign committees subject to a filing requirement, including any transfer from any personal campaign committee to another personal campaign committee.

SB655,20 Section 20. 11.30 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB655,16,7 11.30 (4) No owner or other person with a financial interest in a communications medium may utilize such medium in support of or in opposition to a candidate or referendum except as provided in this chapter.

SB655,16,17 (4m) This chapter shall not be construed to restrict fair coverage of bona fide news stories, interviews with candidates and other politically active individuals, editorial comment or endorsement. Such activities editorials by any broadcasting station, cable television operator or producer, Internet site, or newspaper or other periodical publication, including an Internet or electronic publication, unless the communication is made by a candidate, personal campaign committee, support committee of a candidate authorized under s. 11.05 (3) (p), or a political party. Activities that are not restricted under this subsection are not subject to an attribution requirement under sub. (2) and need not be reported as a contribution or disbursement.

SB655,21 Section 21. 11.38 (1) (a) 3. of the statutes is repealed.

SB655,22 Section 22. 13.625 (1) (b) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB655,17,2 13.625 (1) (b) 3. Food, meals, beverages, money or any other thing of pecuniary value, except that a lobbyist may furnish a campaign contribution that is not made personally by the lobbyist at any time and no lobbyist may personally make a campaign contribution except as permitted under this subdivision or par. (c). A lobbyist may personally make a campaign contribution to a partisan elective state official or, to a candidate for national, state, or local office, or to the official's or candidate's personal campaign committee; but a lobbyist may make a contribution to which par. (c) applies only as authorized in par. (c).

SB655,23 Section 23. 13.625 (1) (c) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB655,17,14 13.625 (1) (c) (intro.) Except as permitted in this subsection, personally make a campaign contribution, as defined in s. 11.01 (6), to a partisan elective state official for the purpose of promoting the official's election to any national, state, or local office,; or to a candidate for a partisan elective state office to be filled at the general election or a special election,; or to the official's or candidate's personal campaign committee. A lobbyist may personally make a campaign contribution to a partisan elective state official or candidate for partisan elective state office or his or her to the personal campaign committee may be made of the official or candidate in the year of a candidate's election between June 1 the first day authorized by law for the circulation of nomination papers as a candidate at a general election or special election and the day of the general election or special election, except that:

SB655,24 Section 24. 13.625 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB655,18,2 13.625 (3) No candidate for an elective state office, elective state official, agency official or legislative employee of the state may solicit or accept anything of pecuniary value from a lobbyist or principal, except as permitted under subs. (1) (b) 3. and (c), (2), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8) and (9) and except that such a candidate, official, or employee may accept a campaign contribution if the contribution is not prohibited under sub. (1) (b) 3. or (c). No personal campaign committee of a candidate for state office may accept anything of pecuniary value from a lobbyist or principal, except as permitted for such a candidate under subs. (1) (b) 3. and (c), (2) and (6) and except that such a committee may accept a campaign contribution if the contribution is not prohibited under sub. (1) (b) 3. or (c).

SB655,18,3 (End)