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Introduced Version Senate Bill 379 History

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Key: Green = existing Code. Red = new code to be enacted

WEST virginia Legislature

2016 regular session

Introduced

Senate Bill 379

By Senators Trump, Palumbo, Gaunch, Williams, Beach, Yost and Miller

[Introduced January 25, 2016;
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
]

A BILL to amend and reenact §3-5-8 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; and to amend and reenact §3-8-5b of said code,  all relating to where candidates’ filing fees are paid; apportionment of candidate filing fees to counties; and where campaign finance statements are filed.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:


That §3-5-8 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted; and that §3-8-5b of said code be amended and reenacted, all to read as follows:

ARTICLE 5. PRIMARY ELECTIONS AND NOMINATING PROCEDURES.


§3-5-8. Filing fees and their disposition.

(a) Every person who becomes a candidate for nomination for or election to office in any primary election shall, at the time of filing the certificate of announcement as required in this article, pay a filing fee as follows:

(a) (1) A candidate for president of the United States, for vice president of the United States, for United States Senator, for member of the United States House of Representatives, for Governor and for all other state elective offices shall pay a fee equivalent to one percent of the annual salary of the office for which the candidate announces: Provided, That the filing fee for any candidate for president or vice president of the United States shall not exceed $2,500 commencing with the 2004 filing period;

(b) (2) A candidate for the office of judge of a circuit court and judge of a family court shall pay a fee equivalent to one percent of the total annual salary of the office for which the candidate announces;

(c) (3) A candidate for member of the House of Delegates shall pay a fee of one-half percent of the total annual salary of the office and a candidate for state Senator shall pay a fee of one percent of the total annual salary of the office;

(d) (4) A candidate for sheriff, prosecuting attorney, circuit clerk, county clerk, assessor, member of the county commission and magistrate shall pay a fee equivalent to one percent of the annual salary, excluding any additional compensation or commission of the office for which the candidate announces. A candidate for county board of education shall pay a fee of $25. A candidate for any other county office shall pay a fee of $10;

(e) (5) Delegates to the national convention of any political party shall pay the following filing fees:

(A) A candidate for delegate-at-large shall pay a fee of $20; and

(B) A candidate for delegate from a congressional district shall pay a fee of $10;

(f) (6) Candidates for members of political executive committees and other political committees shall pay the following filing fees:

(A) A candidate for member of a state executive committee of any political party shall pay a fee of $20;

(B) A candidate for member of a county executive committee of any political party shall pay a fee of $10; and

(C)  A candidate for member of a congressional, senatorial or delegate district committee of any political party shall pay a fee of $5.

(b) Candidates filing for an office to be filled by the voters of one county shall pay the filing fee to the clerk of the county commission and candidates filing for an office to be filled by the voters of more than one county shall pay the filing fee to the Secretary of State election official with whom the certificate of announcement is filed according to the provisions of section seven of this article at the time of filing their certificates of announcement and no certificate of announcement shall be received until the filing fee is paid.

(c) All moneys received by the clerk from the fees shall be credited to the general county fund. Moneys received by the Secretary of State from fees paid by candidates for offices to be filled by all the voters of the state shall be deposited in a special fund for that purpose and shall be apportioned and paid by him or her to the several counties on the basis of population and that received from candidates from a district or judicial circuit of more than one county shall be apportioned to the counties comprising the district or judicial circuit in like manner. When such moneys are received by sheriffs it shall be credited to the general county fund. Moneys received by the Secretary of State from fees paid by candidates for judicial or legislative offices to be filled by the voters of one county shall be apportioned to the county in which the boundaries of the district lie.


ARTICLE 8. REGULATION AND CONTROL OF ELECTIon.


§3-8-5b. Where financial statements shall be filed; filing date prescribed.

(a) The financial statements provided for in this article shall be filed, by or on behalf of candidates, with:

(1) The Secretary of State for legislative offices, circuit judge and family court judge and for statewide and other offices to be nominated or elected by the voters of a political division greater than a county;

(2) The clerk of the county commission by candidates for offices to be nominated or elected by the voters of a single county or a political division within a single county except circuit judge and family court judge; or

(3) The proper municipal officer by candidates for office to be nominated or elected to municipal office.

(b) The statements may be filed by mail, in person, or by facsimile or other electronic means of transmission: Provided, That the financial statements filed by or on behalf of candidates for Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Auditor, Treasurer, Commissioner of Agriculture and Supreme Court of Appeals shall be filed electronically by the means of an Internet program to be established by the Secretary of State.

(c) Committees required to report electronically may apply to the State Election Commission for an exemption from mandatory electronic filing in the case of hardship. An exemption may be granted at the discretion of the State Election Commission.

(d) For purposes of this article, the filing date of a financial statement shall, in the case of mailing, be the date of the postmark of the United States Postal Service and, in the case of hand delivery or delivery by facsimile or other electronic means of transmission, the date delivered to the office of the Secretary of State or to the office of the clerk of the county commission, in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, during regular business hours of such office.

(e) The sworn financial statements required to be filed by this section with the Secretary of State shall be posted on the Internet by the Secretary of State within ten business days from the date the financial statement was filed.


 

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require campaign finance statements by all candidates for circuit or family court judge to be filed with the Secretary of State and to clarify that filing fees paid to the Secretary of State for offices whose district lie within the borders of one county are to be apportioned to such county.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.

 

_______________

JUDICIARY COMMITTEE AMENDMENT

By striking out the title and substituting therefor a new title, to read as follows:

Eng. Senate Bill 379--A Bill to amend and reenact §3-5-8 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; and to amend and reenact §3-8-5b of said code, all relating to candidate filings; directing candidates for circuit and family court judge to pay their filing fees to the election official with whom certificate of announcement is to be filed; providing for apportionment of certain candidate filing fees to counties; and requiring campaign finance statements for circuit and family court judges to be filed with Secretary of State.

 

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