Bill Summaries: S725 (2011-2012 Session)

Tracking:
  • Summary date: Apr 20 2011 - View summary

    Amends GS Chapter 163 to make various changes to campaign finance laws as follows.
    Amends GS 163-277 to repeal immunity from prosecution for persons who testify or produce documents pursuant to an investigation, trial, or other proceeding involving violations of Article 22 of GS Chapter 163 (Corrupt Practices and Other Offenses against the Elective Franchise).
    Amends GS 163-278.19B to change the purpose for which allowable contributions may be made to political parties by persons otherwise prohibited from making contributions directly to political candidates by repealing the restriction that such contributions be limited to political party headquarters building funds, and instead allowing contributions to political parties to be spent for liabilities of the political party. Liabilities of the political party shall not include staff salaries, electioneering communications, independent expenditures, contributions, or get-out-the-vote efforts.
    Amends GS 163-278.34 to provide that any candidate for an elective office in the state (excluding federal offices) shall be jointly and severally liable for civil penalties assessed against the candidate’s campaign committee by the State Board of Elections if the candidate’s campaign committee has no monies with which to pay the civil penalty.
    Amends GS 163-278.35 to expand requirements for preservation of campaign expenditure and contribution reports by requiring reports to be preserved for at least two years after the date of the last report filed with the appropriate board of elections (current law requires preservation for at least two years after the date of the election), and further requires that records to be preserved include any underlying documentation upon which the information in the last campaign finance report filed is based.
    Repeals GS 163-278.13(e1) imposing a $1,000 limit on contributions to candidates for superior and district court judge; effect of repeal is to include candidates for superior court judge and district court judge under the $4,000 contribution limit in GS 163-278.13(a) and (b). Effective January 1, 2012, for elections held on or after that date.