HOUSE BILL No. 4939

 

July 2, 2003, Introduced by Reps. Sheltrown, Plakas and Lipsey and referred to the Committee on Government Operations.

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1976 PA 388, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "Michigan campaign finance act,"                                            

                                                                                

    by amending sections 24, 33, and 35 (MCL 169.224, 169.233, and              

                                                                                

    169.235), section 24 as amended by 1999 PA 237, section 33 as               

                                                                                

    amended by 1999 PA 238, and section 35 as amended by 2000 PA 75.            

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 24.  (1) A committee shall file a statement of                         

                                                                                

2   organization with the filing officials designated in section 36             

                                                                                

3   to receive the committee's campaign statements.  A statement of             

                                                                                

4   organization shall be filed within 10 days after a committee is             

                                                                                

5   formed.  A filing official shall maintain a statement of                    

                                                                                

6   organization filed by a committee until 5 years after the                   

                                                                                

7   official date of the committee's dissolution.  A person who fails           

                                                                                

8   to file a statement of organization required by this subsection             

                                                                                

9   shall pay a late filing fee of $10.00 for each business day the             

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   statement remains not filed in violation of this subsection.  The           

                                                                                

2   late filing fee shall not exceed $300.00.  A person who violates            

                                                                                

3   this subsection by failing to file for more than 30 days after a            

                                                                                

4   statement of organization is required to be filed is guilty of a            

                                                                                

5   misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000.00.                

                                                                                

6       (2) The statement of organization required by subsection (1)                

                                                                                

7   shall include the following information:                                    

                                                                                

8       (a) The name, street address, and if available, the telephone               

                                                                                

9   number of the committee.  If a committee is a candidate                     

                                                                                

10  committee, the committee name shall include the first and last              

                                                                                

11  name of the candidate.  A committee address may be the home                 

                                                                                

12  address of the candidate or treasurer of the committee.                     

                                                                                

13      (b) The name, street address, and if available, the telephone               

                                                                                

14  number of the treasurer or other individual designated as                   

                                                                                

15  responsible for the committee's record keeping, report                      

                                                                                

16  preparation, or report filing.                                              

                                                                                

17      (c) The name and address of the financial institution in                    

                                                                                

18  which the official committee depository is or is intended to be             

                                                                                

19  located, and the name and address of each financial institution             

                                                                                

20  in which a secondary depository is or is intended to be located.            

                                                                                

21      (d) The full name of the office being sought by, including                  

                                                                                

22  district number or jurisdiction, and the county residence of each           

                                                                                

23  candidate supported or opposed by the committee.                            

                                                                                

24      (e) A brief statement identifying the substance of each                     

                                                                                

25  ballot question supported or opposed by the committee.  If the              

                                                                                

26  ballot question supported or opposed by the committee is not                

                                                                                

27  statewide, the committee shall identify the county in which the             


                                                                                

1   greatest number of registered voters eligible to vote on the                

                                                                                

2   ballot question reside.                                                     

                                                                                

3       (f) Identification of the committee as a candidate committee,               

                                                                                

4   political party committee, independent committee, political                 

                                                                                

5   committee, or ballot question committee if it is identifiable as            

                                                                                

6   such a committee.                                                           

                                                                                

7       (3) An independent committee or political committee shall                   

                                                                                

8   include in the name of the committee the name of the person or              

                                                                                

9   persons that sponsor the committee, if any, or with whom the                

                                                                                

10  committee is affiliated.  A person, other than an individual or a           

                                                                                

11  committee, sponsors or is affiliated with an independent                    

                                                                                

12  committee or political committee if that person establishes,                

                                                                                

13  directs, controls, or financially supports the administration of            

                                                                                

14  the committee.  For the purposes of this subsection, a person               

                                                                                

15  does not financially support the administration of a committee by           

                                                                                

16  merely making a contribution to the committee.                              

                                                                                

17      (4) If any of the information required in a statement of                    

                                                                                

18  organization is changed, the committee shall file an amendment              

                                                                                

19  when the next campaign statement is required to be filed.  An               

                                                                                

20  independent committee or political committee whose name does not            

                                                                                

21  include the name of the person or persons that sponsor the                  

                                                                                

22  committee or with whom the committee is affiliated as required by           

                                                                                

23  subsection (3) shall file an amendment to the committee's                   

                                                                                

24  statement of organization not later than the date the next                  

                                                                                

25  campaign statement is required to be filed after  the effective             

                                                                                

26  date of the amendatory act that added this sentence  April 1,               

                                                                                

27  1995.                                                                       


                                                                                

1       (5) When filing a statement of organization, a committee,                   

                                                                                

2   other than an independent committee, a political committee, or a            

                                                                                

3   political party committee, may indicate in a written statement              

                                                                                

4   signed by the treasurer of the committee that the committee does            

                                                                                

5   not expect for each election to receive an amount in excess of              

                                                                                

6   $1,000.00  $5,000.00 or expend an amount in excess of                      

                                                                                

7   $1,000.00  $5,000.00.                                                      

                                                                                

8       (6) When filing a statement of organization, an independent                 

                                                                                

9   committee, a political committee, or a political party committee            

                                                                                

10  may indicate in a written statement signed by the treasurer of              

                                                                                

11  the committee that the committee does not expect in a calendar              

                                                                                

12  year to receive or expend an amount in excess of  $1,000.00                 

                                                                                

13  $5,000.00.                                                                  

                                                                                

14      (7) Upon the dissolution of a committee, the committee shall                

                                                                                

15  file a statement indicating dissolution with the filing officials           

                                                                                

16  with whom the committee's statement of organization was filed.              

                                                                                

17  Dissolution of a committee shall be accomplished pursuant to                

                                                                                

18  rules promulgated by the secretary of state under the                       

                                                                                

19  administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to           

                                                                                

20  24.328.                                                                     

                                                                                

21      (8) A candidate committee that files a written statement                    

                                                                                

22  pursuant to subsection (5) shall not be required to file a                  

                                                                                

23  dissolution statement pursuant to subsection (7) if the committee           

                                                                                

24  failed to receive or expend an amount in excess of  $1,000.00               

                                                                                

25  $5,000.00 and 1 of the following applies:                                   

                                                                                

26      (a) The candidate was defeated in an election and has no                    

                                                                                

27  outstanding campaign debts or assets.                                       


                                                                                

1       (b) The candidate vacates an elective office and has no                     

                                                                                

2   outstanding campaign debts or assets.                                       

                                                                                

3       Sec. 33.  (1) A committee, other than an independent                        

                                                                                

4   committee or a political committee required to file with the                

                                                                                

5   secretary of state, supporting or opposing a candidate shall file           

                                                                                

6   complete campaign statements as required by this act and the                

                                                                                

7   rules promulgated under this act.  The campaign statements shall            

                                                                                

8   be filed according to the following schedule:                               

                                                                                

9       (a) A preelection campaign statement shall be filed not later               

                                                                                

10  than the eleventh day before an election.  The closing date for a           

                                                                                

11  campaign statement filed under this subdivision shall be the                

                                                                                

12  sixteenth day before the election.                                          

                                                                                

13      (b) A postelection campaign statement shall be filed not                    

                                                                                

14  later than the thirtieth day following the election.  The closing           

                                                                                

15  date for a campaign statement filed under this subdivision shall            

                                                                                

16  be the twentieth day following the election.  A committee                   

                                                                                

17  supporting a candidate who loses the primary election shall file            

                                                                                

18  closing campaign statements in accordance with this section.  If            

                                                                                

19  all liabilities of such a candidate or committee are paid before            

                                                                                

20  the closing date and additional contributions are not expected,             

                                                                                

21  the campaign statement may be filed at any time after the                   

                                                                                

22  election, but not later than the thirtieth day following the                

                                                                                

23  election.                                                                   

                                                                                

24      (2) For the purposes of subsection (1):                                     

                                                                                

25      (a) A candidate committee shall file a preelection campaign                 

                                                                                

26  statement and a postelection campaign statement for each election           

                                                                                

27  in which the candidate seeks nomination or election, except if an           


                                                                                

1   individual becomes a candidate after the closing date for the               

                                                                                

2   preelection campaign statement only the postelection campaign               

                                                                                

3   statement is required for that election.                                    

                                                                                

4       (b) A committee other than a candidate committee shall file a               

                                                                                

5   campaign statement for each period during which expenditures are            

                                                                                

6   made for the purpose of influencing the nomination or election of           

                                                                                

7   a candidate or for the qualification, passage, or defeat of a               

                                                                                

8   ballot question.                                                            

                                                                                

9       (3) An independent committee or a political committee other                 

                                                                                

10  than a house political party caucus committee or senate political           

                                                                                

11  party caucus committee required to file with the secretary of               

                                                                                

12  state shall file campaign statements as required by this act                

                                                                                

13  according to the following schedule:                                        

                                                                                

14      (a) In an odd numbered year:                                                

                                                                                

15                                                                               (i) Not later than January 31 of that year with a closing                           

                                                                                

16  date of December 31 of the previous year.                                   

                                                                                

17      (ii) Not later than July 25 with a closing date of July 20.                  

                                                                                

18      (iii) Not later than October 25 with a closing date of                       

                                                                                

19  October 20.                                                                 

                                                                                

20      (b) In an even numbered year:                                               

                                                                                

21                                                                               (i) Not later than April 25 of that year with a closing date                        

                                                                                

22  of April 20 of that year.                                                   

                                                                                

23      (ii) Not later than July 25 with a closing date of July 20.                  

                                                                                

24      (iii) Not later than October 25 with a closing date of                       

                                                                                

25  October 20.                                                                 

                                                                                

26      (4) A house political party caucus committee or a senate                    

                                                                                

27  political party caucus committee required to file with the                  


                                                                                

1   secretary of state shall file campaign statements as required by            

                                                                                

2   this act according to the following schedule:                               

                                                                                

3       (a) Not later than January 31 of each year with a closing                   

                                                                                

4   date of December 31 of the immediately preceding year.                      

                                                                                

5       (b) Not later than April 25 of each year with a closing date                

                                                                                

6   of April 20 of that year.                                                   

                                                                                

7       (c) Not later than July 25 of each year with a closing date                 

                                                                                

8   of July 20 of that year.                                                    

                                                                                

9       (d) Not later than October 25 of each year with a closing                   

                                                                                

10  date of October 20 of that year.                                            

                                                                                

11      (e) For the period beginning on the fourteenth day                          

                                                                                

12  immediately preceding a primary or special primary election and             

                                                                                

13  ending on the day immediately following the primary or special              

                                                                                

14  primary election, not later than 4 p.m. each business day with a            

                                                                                

15  closing date of the immediately preceding day, only for a                   

                                                                                

16  contribution received or expenditure made that exceeds $1,000.00            

                                                                                

17  per day.                                                                    

                                                                                

18      (f) For the period beginning on the fourteenth day                          

                                                                                

19  immediately preceding a general or special election and ending on           

                                                                                

20  the day immediately following the general or special election,              

                                                                                

21  not later than 4 p.m. each business day with a closing date of              

                                                                                

22  the immediately preceding day, only for a contribution received             

                                                                                

23  or expenditure made that exceeds $1,000.00 per day.                         

                                                                                

24      (5) Notwithstanding subsection (3) or (4) or section 51, if                 

                                                                                

25  an independent expenditure is made within 45 days before a                  

                                                                                

26  special election by an independent committee or a political                 

                                                                                

27  committee required to file a campaign statement with the                    


                                                                                

1   secretary of state, a report of the expenditure shall be filed by           

                                                                                

2   the committee with the secretary of state within 48 hours after             

                                                                                

3   the expenditure.  The report shall be made on a form provided by            

                                                                                

4   the secretary of state and shall include the date of the                    

                                                                                

5   independent expenditure, the amount of the expenditure, a brief             

                                                                                

6   description of the nature of the expenditure, and the name and              

                                                                                

7   address of the person to whom the expenditure was paid.  The                

                                                                                

8   brief description of the expenditure shall include either the               

                                                                                

9   name of the candidate and the office sought by the candidate or             

                                                                                

10  the name of the ballot question and shall state whether the                 

                                                                                

11  expenditure supports or opposes the candidate or ballot                     

                                                                                

12  question.  This subsection does not apply if the committee is               

                                                                                

13  required to report the independent expenditure in a campaign                

                                                                                

14  statement that is required to be filed before the date of the               

                                                                                

15  election for which the expenditure was made.                                

                                                                                

16      (6) A candidate committee or a committee other than a                       

                                                                                

17  candidate committee that files a written statement under section            

                                                                                

18  24(5) or (6) need not file a campaign statement under subsection            

                                                                                

19  (1), (3), or (4) unless it received or expended an amount in                

                                                                                

20  excess of  $1,000.00  $5,000.00.  If the committee receives or              

                                                                                

21  expends an amount in excess of  $1,000.00  $5,000.00 during a               

                                                                                

22  period covered by a filing, the committee is then subject to the            

                                                                                

23  campaign filing requirements under this act.                                

                                                                                

24      (7) A committee, candidate, treasurer, or other individual                  

                                                                                

25  designated as responsible for the committee's record keeping,               

                                                                                

26  report preparation, or report filing who fails to file a                    

                                                                                

27  statement as required by this section shall pay a late filing               


                                                                                

1   fee.  If the committee has raised $10,000.00 or less during the             

                                                                                

2   previous 2 years, the late filing fee shall be $25.00 for each              

                                                                                

3   business day the statement remains unfiled, but not to exceed               

                                                                                

4   $500.00.  If the committee has raised more than $10,000.00 during           

                                                                                

5   the previous 2 years, the late filing fee shall not exceed                  

                                                                                

6   $1,000.00, determined as follows:                                           

                                                                                

7       (a) Twenty-five dollars for each business day the report                    

                                                                                

8   remains unfiled.                                                            

                                                                                

9       (b) An additional $25.00 for each business day after the                    

                                                                                

10  first 3 business days the report remains unfiled.                           

                                                                                

11      (c) An additional $50.00 for each business day after the                    

                                                                                

12  first 10 business days the report remains unfiled.                          

                                                                                

13      (8) If a candidate, treasurer, or other individual designated               

                                                                                

14  as responsible for the committee's record keeping, report                   

                                                                                

15  preparation, or report filing fails to file 2 statements required           

                                                                                

16  by this section or section 35 and both of the statements remain             

                                                                                

17  unfiled for more than 30 days, that candidate, treasurer, or                

                                                                                

18  other designated individual is guilty of a misdemeanor,                     

                                                                                

19  punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000.00, or imprisonment            

                                                                                

20  for not more than 90 days, or both.                                         

                                                                                

21      (9) If a candidate is found guilty of a violation of this                   

                                                                                

22  section, the circuit court for that county, on application by the           

                                                                                

23  attorney general or the prosecuting attorney of that county, may            

                                                                                

24  prohibit that candidate from assuming the duties of a public                

                                                                                

25  office or from receiving compensation from public funds, or                 

                                                                                

26  both.                                                                       

                                                                                

27      (10) If a treasurer or other individual designated as                       


                                                                                

1   responsible for a committee's record keeping, report preparation,           

                                                                                

2   or report filing knowingly files an incomplete or inaccurate                

                                                                                

3   statement or report required by this section, that treasurer or             

                                                                                

4   other designated individual is subject to a civil fine of not               

                                                                                

5   more than $1,000.00.                                                        

                                                                                

6       Sec. 35.  (1) In addition to any other requirements of this                 

                                                                                

7   act for filing a campaign statement, a committee, other than an             

                                                                                

8   independent committee or a political committee required to file             

                                                                                

9   with the secretary of state, shall also file a campaign statement           

                                                                                

10  not later than January 31 of each year.  The campaign statement             

                                                                                

11  shall have a closing date of December 31 of the previous year.              

                                                                                

12  The period covered by the campaign statement filed pursuant to              

                                                                                

13  this subsection begins the day after the closing date of the                

                                                                                

14  previous campaign statement.  A campaign statement filed pursuant           

                                                                                

15  to this subsection shall be waived if a postelection campaign               

                                                                                

16  statement has been filed that has a filing deadline within 30               

                                                                                

17  days of the closing date of the campaign statement required by              

                                                                                

18  this subsection.                                                            

                                                                                

19      (2) Subsection (1) does not apply to a candidate committee                  

                                                                                

20  for an officeholder who is a judge or a supreme court justice, or           

                                                                                

21  who holds an elective office for which the salary is less than              

                                                                                

22  $100.00 a month and who does not receive any contribution or make           

                                                                                

23  any expenditure during the time that would be otherwise covered             

                                                                                

24  in the statement.                                                           

                                                                                

25      (3) A committee, candidate, treasurer, or other individual                  

                                                                                

26  designated as responsible for the record keeping, report                    

                                                                                

27  preparation, or report filing for a candidate committee of a                


                                                                                

1   candidate for state elective office or a judicial office who                

                                                                                

2   fails to file a campaign statement under this section shall be              

                                                                                

3   assessed a late filing fee.  If the committee has raised                    

                                                                                

4   $10,000.00 or less during the previous 2 years, the late filing             

                                                                                

5   fee shall be $25.00 for each business day the campaign statement            

                                                                                

6   remains unfiled, but not to exceed $500.00.  If the committee has           

                                                                                

7   raised more than $10,000.00 during the previous 2 years, the late           

                                                                                

8   filing fee shall be $50.00 for each business day the campaign               

                                                                                

9   statement remains unfiled, but not to exceed $1,000.00.  The late           

                                                                                

10  filing fee assessed under this subsection shall be paid by the              

                                                                                

11  candidate, and the candidate shall not use committee funds to pay           

                                                                                

12  that fee.  A committee, treasurer, or other individual designated           

                                                                                

13  as responsible for the record keeping, report preparation, or               

                                                                                

14  report filing for a committee other than a candidate committee of           

                                                                                

15  a candidate for state elective office or a judicial office who              

                                                                                

16  fails to file a campaign statement under this section shall pay a           

                                                                                

17  late filing fee of $25.00 for each business day the campaign                

                                                                                

18  statement remains not filed in violation of this section.  The              

                                                                                

19  late filing fee shall not exceed $500.00.                                   

                                                                                

20      (4) A committee filing a written statement pursuant to                      

                                                                                

21  section 24(5) or (6) need not file a statement in accordance with           

                                                                                

22  subsection (1).  If a committee receives or expends more than               

                                                                                

23  $1,000.00  $5,000.00 during a time period prescribed by section            

                                                                                

24  24(5) or (6), the committee is then subject to the campaign                 

                                                                                

25  filing requirements under this act and shall file a campaign                

                                                                                

26  statement for the period beginning the day after the closing date           

                                                                                

27  of the last postelection campaign statement or an annual campaign           


                                                                                

1   statement that is waived pursuant to subsection (1), whichever              

                                                                                

2   occurred earlier.                                                           

                                                                                

3       (5) If a candidate, treasurer, or other individual designated               

                                                                                

4   as responsible for the record keeping, report preparation, or               

                                                                                

5   report filing fails to file 2 statements required by this section           

                                                                                

6   or section 33 and both of the statements remain unfiled for more            

                                                                                

7   than 30 days, that candidate, treasurer, or other designated                

                                                                                

8   individual is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of              

                                                                                

9   not more than $1,000.00, or imprisonment for not more than 90               

                                                                                

10  days, or both.                                                              

                                                                                

11      (6) If a treasurer or other individual designated as                        

                                                                                

12  responsible for the record keeping, report preparation, or report           

                                                                                

13  filing for a committee required to file a campaign statement                

                                                                                

14  under subsection (1) knowingly files an incomplete or inaccurate            

                                                                                

15  statement or report required by this section, that treasurer or             

                                                                                

16  other designated individual is subject to a civil fine of not               

                                                                                

17  more than $1,000.00.