Introduced By: Senators Irons and Bates
Date Introduced : January 29, 1998
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 17-25-11 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-25 entitled "Rhode Island Campaign Contributions and Expenditures Reporting" is hereby amended to read as follows:
17-25-11. Dates for filing of reports by treasurers of candidates or of committees. -- (a) During the period between the appointment of the campaign treasurer for state and municipal committees and political action committees, or in the case of an individual, the date on which the individual becomes a "declared or undeclared candidate" as defined in section 17-25-3(2) and the election with respect to which contributions are received or expenditures made by him or her in behalf of or in opposition to a candidate or question, the campaign treasurer of a candidate, a political party committee, or a political action committee shall file a report containing an account of contributions received and expenditures made on behalf of or in opposition to a candidate or question: (1) at ninety (90) day intervals commencing on the date on which the individual first becomes a candidate as defined in section 17-25-3(2), (2) on the twenty-eighth (28th) and seventh (7th) days next preceding the day of the primary, general, or special election; provided, however, that in the case of a primary election for a special election, where the twenty-eighth (28th) day next preceding the day of the primary election occurs prior to the first day for filing declarations of candidacy pursuant to section 17-14-1, the reports shall be due on the fourteenth (14th) and seventh (7th) days next preceding the day of the primary election for such special election, and (3) a final report on the twenty-eighth (28th) day following the election. The report shall contain the name and address and place of employment of each person from whom contributions in excess of a total of one hundred dollars ($100) within a calendar year were received, and the amount contributed by each person, and the name and address of each person to whom expenditures in excess of one hundred dollars ($100) were made, and the amount and purpose of each expenditure.
(b) Concurrent with the report filed on the twenty-eighth (28th) day following an election, or at any time thereafter, the campaign treasurer of a candidate, or political party committee or political action committee, may certify to the board of elections that the campaign fund of the candidate, political party committee, or political action committee having been instituted for the purposes of the past election, has completed its business and been dissolved or, in the event that the committee will continue its activities beyond the election, that its business regarding the past election has been completed; and the certification shall be accompanied by a final accounting of the campaign fund, or of the transactions relating to the election, including the final disposition of any balance remaining in the fund at the time of dissolution or the arrangements which have been made for the discharge of any obligations remaining unpaid at the time of dissolution.
(c) Once the campaign treasurer certifies that the campaign fund has completed its business and been dissolved, no contribution which is intended to defray expenditures incurred on behalf of or in opposition to a candidate or to advocate the approval or rejection of any question during the campaign can be accepted. Until such time as the campaign treasurer certifies that the campaign fund has completed its business and been dissolved, the treasurer shall file reports containing an account of contributions received and expenditures made at ninety (90) day intervals commencing one hundred twenty (120) days following the election {ADD ; however, the time to file under this subsection shall be no later than thirty (30) days following the ninety (90) day period ADD}.
(d) (1) There shall be no obligation to file the reports of expenditures required by this section on behalf of or in opposition to a candidate or question if the total amount to be expended in behalf of the candidacy or question by the candidate, by any political party committee, by any political action committee, or by any person shall not in the aggregate exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).
(2) However, even though the aggregate amount expended on behalf of the candidacy does not exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000), reports must be made listing the source and amounts of all contributions in excess of a total of one hundred dollars ($100) from any one source within a calendar year. Even though the aggregate amount expended on behalf of the candidacy does not exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) and no contribution from any one source within a calendar year exceeds one hundred dollars ($100), the report shall state the aggregate amount of all contributions received. In addition, the report shall state the amount of aggregate contributions which were from individuals, the amount from political action committees, and the amount from political party committees.
(e) On or before the first date for filing contribution and expenditure reports, the campaign treasurer may file a sworn statement that the treasurer will accept no contributions nor make aggregate expenditures in excess of the minimum amounts for which a report is required by this chapter. Thereafter, the campaign treasurer shall be excused from filing all the reports for that campaign other than the final report due on the twenty-eighth (28th) day following the election.
(f) A campaign treasurer must file a report containing an account of contributions received and expenditures made at the ninety (90) day intervals provided for in subsection (c) for any such ninety (90) day period in which the campaign received contributions in excess of a total of one hundred dollars ($100) within a calendar year from any one source and/or made expenditures in excess of one thousand dollars ($1,000) within a calendar year {ADD ; however, the time to file under this subsection shall be no later than thirty (30) days following the ninety (90) day period ADD}.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
