SB622 SFAT #1 Takubo 3-8

Canterbury  7892

Senator Takubo moved to amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting therefor a new title, to read as follows:

Eng. Com. Sub. for Senate Bill 622—A Bill to amend and reenact §3‑8‑1a, §3‑8‑2, §3‑8‑4, §3‑8‑5, §3‑8‑5b, §3‑8‑5e, §3‑8‑7, §3‑8‑8, §3‑8‑9, and §3‑8‑12 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; and to amend said code by adding thereto five new sections, designated §3‑8‑5c, 3‑8‑5g, §3‑8‑9a, §3‑8‑9b, and §3‑8‑9c, all relating generally to the regulation and control of elections; modifying and adding definitions; modifying requirements for information to be included in independent expenditure reports; providing that persons or committees required to file federal expenditure reports are not exempt from requirement to file state‑level expenditure and electioneering disclosure reports; raising the threshold amounts for required disclosure of independent expenditures occurring within a certain time frame preceding elections; requiring electronic filing of certain financial disclosure statements; requiring that certain records and receipts related to expenditures for electioneering communications be maintained for five years; removing the deadline before an election for a political action committee or political party committee to file a statement of organization; clarifying that a political committee must file a statement of organization before engaging in any activity; specifying information to be included in a statement or organization; modifying record‑keeping requirements for certain receipts and expenditures made for political purposes and requiring that records be maintained for a period of two years; modifying deadlines for financial disclosure reports; providing that candidates for certain offices must file financial disclosure statements electronically and candidates for other offices may file by mail, facsimile, or electronic means; modifying limits on contributions to candidates and candidate committees; modifying limits on contributions to state party executive committees and legislative caucus campaign committees; modifying limits on contributions to political action committees; providing that precandidates may accept contributions for a general election campaign prior to nomination, but may not expend such funds until after nomination is declared; providing that persons receiving precandidacy contributions are subject to certain expenditure reporting requirements; prohibiting foreign nationals from making contributions or donations to candidates, committees, and parties, and prohibiting receipt of a contribution or donation by a foreign national; modifying daily rate of civil penalty for persons filing late, inaccurate, or incomplete financial statements and making such penalty mandatory; requiring the Secretary of State to publish an online list of persons filing late financial statements; providing that membership organizations are subject to certain limitations applying to corporate contributions and solicitation of contributions by corporations; adding certain expenses to the list of permissible expenses of political committees; providing that coordinated expenditures are treated as contributions; providing criteria for whether an expenditure is coordinated and exceptions thereto; permitting political party committees and legislative caucus campaign committees to make coordinated expenditures up to certain limits in connection with certain state‑level candidates; permitting political committees to engage in joint fundraising efforts pursuant to a written agreement filed with the Secretary of State subject to certain requirements; requiring the State Election Commission to promulgate legislative rules pertaining to joint fundraising efforts; permitting unlimited transfers of money between and among state party executive committees, legislative caucus campaign committees, and national committees of the same political party for voter registration and get‑out‑the‑vote initiatives; providing that prohibition against intimidating or coercing certain government employees into engaging in political activity also extends to intimidating or coercing employees into refraining from political activity; eliminating prohibition on a political organization organized under Section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code from soliciting or accepting donations before registering with the Secretary of State; providing that it is unlawful for any person to establish more than one political committee with the intent to evade contribution limitations; and deleting obsolete language.

Adopted

Rejected