2006 Legislation
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HOUSE BILL NO. 415 – Campaign contributn, political comm

HOUSE BILL NO. 415

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Bill Status



H0415......................................................by STATE AFFAIRS
CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS - Amends existing law to provide application of the
limitations on contributions law to political campaign contributions by
political committees, by a person or political committee whose contribution
or expenditure activity is financed, maintained or controlled by a trade
association, labor union or collective bargaining organization.
                                                                        
01/19    House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
01/20    Rpt prt - to St Aff
02/08    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
02/09    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
02/15    3rd rdg - PASSED - 63-0-7
      AYES -- Anderson, Andrus, Barraclough, Barrett, Bastian, Bayer, Bell,
      Bilbao, Block, Boe, Bolz, Brackett, Bradford, Cannon, Chadderdon,
      Clark, Collins, Crow, Deal, Denney, Edmunson, Ellsworth, Eskridge,
      Field(18), Field(23), Garrett, Hart(Jacobson), Harwood, Henbest,
      Henderson, Jaquet, Kemp, Lake, Loertscher, Martinez, Mathews,
      McGeachin, McKague, Miller, Moyle, Nielsen, Nonini, Pasley-Stuart,
      Pence, Raybould, Ring, Ringo, Roberts, Rusche, Rydalch, Sayler,
      Shepherd(2), Shepherd(8), Shirley, Skippen, Smith(30), Smith(24),
      Smylie, Snodgrass, Stevenson, Trail, Wills, Wood
      NAYS -- None
      Absent and excused -- Bedke, Black, LeFavour, Mitchell, Sali,
      Schaefer, Mr. Speaker
    Floor Sponsor - Ellsworth
    Title apvd - to Senate
02/16    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to St Aff
02/22    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
02/23    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
03/02    3rd rdg - PASSED - 35-0-0
      AYES -- Andreason, Brandt, Broadsword, Bunderson, Burkett,
      Burtenshaw, Cameron, Coiner, Compton, Corder, Darrington, Davis,
      Fulcher, Gannon, Geddes, Goedde, Hill, Jorgenson, Kelly, Keough,
      Langhorst, Little, Lodge, Malepeai, Marley, McGee, McKenzie, Pearce,
      Richardson, Schroeder, Stegner, Stennett, Sweet, Werk, Williams
      NAYS -- None
      Absent and excused -- None
    Floor Sponsor - Little
    Title apvd - to House
03/03    To enrol
03/06    Rpt enrol - Sp signed
03/07    Pres signed
03/08    To Governor
03/11    Governor signed
         Session Law Chapter 23
         Effective: 03/11/06

Bill Text


                                                                        
                                                                        
  ]]]]              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ]]]]
 Fifty-eighth Legislature                   Second Regular Session - 2006
                                                                        
                                                                        
                              IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                                                                        
                                     HOUSE BILL NO. 415
                                                                        
                                 BY STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
                                                                        
  1                                        AN ACT
  2    RELATING TO LIMITATIONS ON CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS; AMENDING SECTION  67-6610A,
  3        IDAHO  CODE, TO PROVIDE APPLICATION TO CONTRIBUTIONS BY  POLITICAL COMMIT-
  4        TEES, BY A PERSON OR POLITICAL COMMITTEE WHOSE CONTRIBUTION OR EXPENDITURE
  5        ACTIVITY IS FINANCED, MAINTAINED OR CONTROLLED  BY  A  TRADE  ASSOCIATION,
  6        LABOR  UNION,  COLLECTIVE  BARGAINING ORGANIZATION; AND DECLARING AN EMER-
  7        GENCY.
                                                                        
  8    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
                                                                        
  9        SECTION 1.  That Section 67-6610A, Idaho Code, be, and the same is  hereby
 10    amended to read as follows:
                                                                        
 11        67-6610A.  LIMITATIONS ON CONTRIBUTIONS. (1) Except as provided in subsec-
 12    tion  (2) of this section, aggregate contributions for a primary election or a
 13    general election made by a corporation, political committee, other  recognized
 14    legal  entity  or  an individual, other than the candidate, to a candidate for
 15    the state legislature, and political committees organized on  the  candidate's
 16    behalf  shall  be  limited  to  an  amount  not to exceed one thousand dollars
 17    ($1,000) for the primary election and an amount not  to  exceed  one  thousand
 18    dollars ($1,000)  for the general election. Aggregate contributions for a pri-
 19    mary  election  or  a  general election by a corporation, political committee,
 20    other recognized legal entity or an individual, other than the candidate, to a
 21    candidate  for statewide office and  political  committees  organized  on  the
 22    candidate's  behalf  shall be limited to an amount not to exceed five thousand
 23    dollars ($5,000) for the primary election and an amount  not  to  exceed  five
 24    thousand dollars ($5,000) for the general election.
 25        (2)  Aggregate contributions for a primary election or for a general elec-
 26    tion  made  by a county central committee or by the state central committee of
 27    the political parties qualified under section 34-501, Idaho Code, to a  candi-
 28    date  for  the  state  legislature,  and political committees organized on the
 29    candidate's behalf shall be limited to an amount not to  exceed  two  thousand
 30    dollars  ($2,000)  for  the  primary  election and an amount not to exceed two
 31    thousand dollars ($2,000) for the general  election.  Aggregate  contributions
 32    for the primary election or the general election  by the state central commit-
 33    tee of the political parties qualified under section 34-501, Idaho Code,  to a
 34    candidate  for  statewide  office  and  political  committees organized on the
 35    candidate's behalf shall be limited to an amount not to  exceed  ten  thousand
 36    dollars  ($10,000)  for  the  primary election and an amount not to exceed ten
 37    thousand dollars ($10,000) for the general election.
 38        (3)  For purposes of this section  "statewide office" shall mean an office
 39    in state government which shall appear on the primary or general election bal-
 40    lot throughout the state.
 41        (4)  Contributions other than money or its equivalent are deemed to have a
 42    monetary value equivalent to the fair market value of the  contribution.  Ser-
 43    vices or property or rights furnished at less than their fair market value for
                                                                        
                                           2
                                                                        
  1    the  purpose  of  assisting  any candidate or political committee are deemed a
  2    contribution. A contribution of this kind shall be reported as an in-kind con-
  3    tribution at its fair market value and counts toward any applicable  contribu-
  4    tion    limit of the contributor. Contributions shall not include the personal
  5    services of volunteers.
  6        (5)  The contribution limits for the  state  legislature  shall  apply  to
  7    judicial  district  offices, city offices and county offices regulated by this
  8    chapter.
  9        (6)  For the purposes of contribution limits, the following apply:
 10        (a)  A contribution by a political committee with funds that have all been
 11        contributed by one (1) person who exercises  exclusive  control  over  the
 12        distribution  of the funds of the political committee is a contribution by
 13        the controlling person.
 14        (b)  All contributions made by a person or political committee whose  con-
 15        tribution or expenditure activity is financed, maintained or controlled by
 16        a  trade  association,  labor  union or collective bargaining organization
 17        shall be considered a contribution  from  such  trade  association,  labor
 18        union or collective bargaining organization.
 19        (c)  Two  (2) or more entities are treated as a single entity if the enti-
 20        ties:
 21             (i)   Share the majority of members on their board of directors;
 22             (ii)  Share two (2) or more officers;
 23             (iii) Are owned or controlled by the  same  majority  shareholder  or
 24             shareholders or persons;
 25             (iv)  Are in a parent-subsidiary relationship; or
 26             (v)   Have bylaws so stating.
 27        (7)  The  provisions  of  this section are hereby declared to be severable
 28    and if any provision of this section or the application of such  provision  to
 29    any  person  or circumstance is declared invalid for any reason, such declara-
 30    tion shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this section.
                                                                        
 31        SECTION 2.  An emergency existing  therefor,  which  emergency  is  hereby
 32    declared to exist, this act shall be in full force and effect on and after its
 33    passage and approval.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact



                       STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
                            RS 15520C1

The purpose of this legislation is to amend the Sunshine Law to
clarify that campaign contributions from affiliated entities be
aggregated for the purposes of contribution limits.  Other states
with contribution limits and the Federal Election Campaign Act
both contain similar provisions.  Contribution limits are
meaningless if splinter groups are each allowed a separate
contribution limit.


                          FISCAL NOTE
None






Contact
Name:     Ben Ysursa
Name:     Tim Hurst
Agency:   Secretary of State, Office of 
Phone:    208-334-2300


STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE                         H 415