2014 -- S 2235

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LC003905

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2014

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO ELECTIONS

     Introduced By: Senators P Fogarty, Nesselbush, Gallo, Lynch, and Miller

     Date Introduced: January 30, 2014

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 17-25-7 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-25 entitled "Rhode

Island Campaign Contributions and Expenditures Reporting" is hereby amended to read as

follows:

     17-25-7. Contents of reports to be filed by treasurers of candidates and committees.

-- (a) Each campaign treasurer of a candidate, each state and municipal committee of a political

party, and each political action committee shall keep accurate records and make a full report,

upon a form prescribed by the board of elections, of all contributions received and expenditures

made by it in excess of a total of one hundred dollars ($100) from any one source within a

calendar year, in furtherance of the nomination, election, or defeat of any candidate or the

approval or rejection of any question submitted to the voters, or at any financial town meeting,

financial town referendum, or other election at which amendments to a city or town charter are

proposed, during the period from the date of the last report, or in the case of the initial report,

beginning on the date of the appointment of the campaign treasurer for state and municipal

committees and political action committees and on the date a person becomes a "candidate", as

defined in section 17-25-3(2) for individual candidates. The report shall contain the name and

address and place of employment of each person or source from whom the contributions and

expenditures in excess of one hundred dollars ($100) were received or made, and the amount

contributed or expended by each person or source. The report shall be filed with the board of

elections on the dates designated in section 17-25-11. The campaign treasurer of the candidate, or

committee reporting, shall certify to the correctness of each report.

      (b) Each state and municipal committee of a political party shall also file with the board

of elections, not later than March 1 of each year, an annual report setting forth in the aggregate all

contributions received and all expenditures made during the previous calendar year, whether or

not these expenditures were made, incurred, or authorized in furtherance of the election or defeat

of any candidate. The treasurer of the committee or organization reporting shall certify to the

correctness of each report.

      (c) Any report filed pursuant to the provisions of this section shall include contributions

received from any "testimonial affair", as defined in section 17-25-3, held since the date of the

most recent report filed.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO ELECTIONS

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     This act would require any political party or political action committee which advocates

any question considered at any financial town meeting or at any election at which amendments to

a city or town charter are proposed to file a report with the board of canvassers of all the

contributions it receives and expenditures it makes from any one source in excess of one hundred

dollars ($100).

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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