103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB2975

 

Introduced 2/16/2023, by Rep. Christopher "C.D" Davidsmeyer

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
10 ILCS 5/9-8.5

    Amends the Election Code. Removes a provision that provides that the State Board of Elections shall adjust the amounts of the contribution limits for inflation.


LRB103 28265 BMS 54644 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB2975LRB103 28265 BMS 54644 b

1    AN ACT concerning elections.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Election Code is amended by changing
5Section 9-8.5 as follows:
 
6    (10 ILCS 5/9-8.5)
7    Sec. 9-8.5. Limitations on campaign contributions.
8    (a) It is unlawful for a political committee to accept
9contributions except as provided in this Section.
10    (b) During an election cycle, a candidate political
11committee may not accept contributions with an aggregate value
12over the following: (i) $5,000 from any individual, (ii)
13$10,000 from any corporation, labor organization, or
14association, or (iii) $50,000 from a candidate political
15committee or political action committee. A candidate political
16committee may accept contributions in any amount from a
17political party committee except during an election cycle in
18which the candidate seeks nomination at a primary election.
19During an election cycle in which the candidate seeks
20nomination at a primary election, a candidate political
21committee may not accept contributions from political party
22committees with an aggregate value over the following: (i)
23$200,000 for a candidate political committee established to

 

 

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1support a candidate seeking nomination to statewide office,
2(ii) $125,000 for a candidate political committee established
3to support a candidate seeking nomination to the Senate, the
4Supreme Court or Appellate Court in the First Judicial
5District, or an office elected by all voters in a county with
61,000,000 or more residents, (iii) $75,000 for a candidate
7political committee established to support a candidate seeking
8nomination to the House of Representatives, the Supreme Court
9or Appellate Court for a Judicial District other than the
10First Judicial District, an office elected by all voters of a
11county of fewer than 1,000,000 residents, and municipal and
12county offices in Cook County other than those elected by all
13voters of Cook County, and (iv) $50,000 for a candidate
14political committee established to support the nomination of a
15candidate to any other office. A candidate political committee
16established to elect a candidate to the General Assembly may
17accept contributions from only one legislative caucus
18committee. A candidate political committee may not accept
19contributions from a ballot initiative committee or from an
20independent expenditure committee.
21    (b-5) Judicial elections.
22        (1) In addition to any other provision of this
23    Section, a candidate political committee established to
24    support or oppose a candidate seeking nomination to the
25    Supreme Court, Appellate Court, or Circuit Court may not:
26            (A) accept contributions from any entity that does

 

 

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1        not disclose the identity of those who make
2        contributions to the entity, except for contributions
3        that are not required to be itemized by this Code; or
4            (B) accept contributions from any out-of-state
5        person, as defined in this Article.
6        (1.1) In addition to any other provision of this
7    Section, a political committee that is self-funding, as
8    described in subsection (h) of this Section, and is
9    established to support or oppose a candidate seeking
10    nomination, election, or retention to the Supreme Court,
11    the Appellate Court, or the Circuit Court may not accept
12    contributions from any single person, other than the
13    judicial candidate or the candidate's immediate family, in
14    a cumulative amount that exceeds $500,000 in any election
15    cycle. Any contribution in excess of the limits in this
16    paragraph (1.1) shall escheat to the State of Illinois.
17    Any political committee that receives such a contribution
18    shall immediately forward the amount that exceeds $500,000
19    to the State Treasurer who shall deposit the funds into
20    the State Treasury.
21        (1.2) In addition to any other provision of this
22    Section, an independent expenditure committee established
23    to support or oppose a candidate seeking nomination,
24    election, or retention to the Supreme Court, the Appellate
25    Court, or the Circuit Court may not accept contributions
26    from any single person in a cumulative amount that exceeds

 

 

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1    $500,000 in any election cycle. Any contribution in excess
2    of the limits in this paragraph (1.2) shall escheat to the
3    State of Illinois. Any independent expenditure committee
4    that receives such a contribution shall immediately
5    forward the amount that exceeds $500,000 to the State
6    Treasurer who shall deposit the funds into the State
7    Treasury.
8        (1.3) In addition to any other provision of this
9    Section, if a political committee established to support
10    or oppose a candidate seeking nomination, election, or
11    retention to the Supreme Court, the Appellate Court, or
12    the Circuit Court receives a contribution in excess of
13    $500 from: (i) any committee that is not required to
14    disclose its contributors under this Act; (ii) any
15    association that is not required to disclose its
16    contributors under this Act; or (iii) any other
17    organization or group of persons that is not required to
18    disclose its contributors under this Act, then that
19    contribution shall be considered an anonymous contribution
20    that shall escheat to the State, unless the political
21    committee reports to the State Board of Elections all
22    persons who have contributed in excess of $500 during the
23    same election cycle to the committee, association,
24    organization, or group making the contribution. Any
25    political committee that receives such a contribution and
26    fails to report this information shall forward the

 

 

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1    contribution amount immediately to the State Treasurer who
2    shall deposit the funds into the State Treasury.
3        (2) As used in this subsection, "contribution" has the
4    meaning provided in Section 9-1.4 and also includes the
5    following that are subject to the limits of this Section:
6            (A) expenditures made by any person in concert or
7        cooperation with, or at the request or suggestion of,
8        a candidate, his or her designated committee, or their
9        agents; and
10            (B) the financing by any person of the
11        dissemination, distribution, or republication, in
12        whole or in part, of any broadcast or any written,
13        graphic, or other form of campaign materials prepared
14        by the candidate, his or her campaign committee, or
15        their designated agents.
16        (3) As to contributions to a candidate political
17    committee established to support a candidate seeking
18    nomination to the Supreme Court, Appellate Court, or
19    Circuit Court:
20            (A) No person shall make a contribution in the
21        name of another person or knowingly permit his or her
22        name to be used to effect such a contribution.
23            (B) No person shall knowingly accept a
24        contribution made by one person in the name of another
25        person.
26            (C) No person shall knowingly accept reimbursement

 

 

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1        from another person for a contribution made in his or
2        her own name.
3            (D) No person shall make an anonymous
4        contribution.
5            (E) No person shall knowingly accept any anonymous
6        contribution.
7            (F) No person shall predicate (1) any benefit,
8        including, but not limited to, employment decisions,
9        including hiring, promotions, bonus compensation, and
10        transfers, or (2) any other gift, transfer, or
11        emolument upon:
12                (i) the decision by the recipient of that
13            benefit to donate or not to donate to a candidate;
14            or
15                (ii) the amount of any such donation.
16        (4) No judicial candidate or political committee
17    established to support a candidate seeking nomination to
18    the Supreme Court, Appellate Court, or Circuit Court shall
19    knowingly accept any contribution or make any expenditure
20    in violation of the provisions of this Section. No officer
21    or employee of a political committee established to
22    support a candidate seeking nomination to the Supreme
23    Court, Appellate Court, or Circuit Court shall knowingly
24    accept a contribution made for the benefit or use of a
25    candidate or knowingly make any expenditure in support of
26    or opposition to a candidate or for electioneering

 

 

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1    communications in relation to a candidate in violation of
2    any limitation designated for contributions and
3    expenditures under this Section.
4        (5) Where the provisions of this subsection (b-5)
5    conflict with any other provision of this Code, this
6    subsection (b-5) shall control.
7    (c) During an election cycle, a political party committee
8may not accept contributions with an aggregate value over the
9following: (i) $10,000 from any individual, (ii) $20,000 from
10any corporation, labor organization, or association, or (iii)
11$50,000 from a political action committee. A political party
12committee may accept contributions in any amount from another
13political party committee or a candidate political committee,
14except as provided in subsection (c-5). Nothing in this
15Section shall limit the amounts that may be transferred
16between a political party committee established under
17subsection (a) of Section 7-8 of this Code and an affiliated
18federal political committee established under the Federal
19Election Code by the same political party. A political party
20committee may not accept contributions from a ballot
21initiative committee or from an independent expenditure
22committee. A political party committee established by a
23legislative caucus may not accept contributions from another
24political party committee established by a legislative caucus.
25    (c-5) During the period beginning on the date candidates
26may begin circulating petitions for a primary election and

 

 

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1ending on the day of the primary election, a political party
2committee may not accept contributions with an aggregate value
3over $50,000 from a candidate political committee or political
4party committee. A political party committee may accept
5contributions in any amount from a candidate political
6committee or political party committee if the political party
7committee receiving the contribution filed a statement of
8nonparticipation in the primary as provided in subsection
9(c-10). The Task Force on Campaign Finance Reform shall study
10and make recommendations on the provisions of this subsection
11to the Governor and General Assembly by September 30, 2012.
12This subsection becomes inoperative on July 1, 2013 and
13thereafter no longer applies.
14    (c-10) A political party committee that does not intend to
15make contributions to candidates to be nominated at a general
16primary election or consolidated primary election may file a
17Statement of Nonparticipation in a Primary Election with the
18Board. The Statement of Nonparticipation shall include a
19verification signed by the chairperson and treasurer of the
20committee that (i) the committee will not make contributions
21or coordinated expenditures in support of or opposition to a
22candidate or candidates to be nominated at the general primary
23election or consolidated primary election (select one) to be
24held on (insert date), (ii) the political party committee may
25accept unlimited contributions from candidate political
26committees and political party committees, provided that the

 

 

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1political party committee does not make contributions to a
2candidate or candidates to be nominated at the primary
3election, and (iii) failure to abide by these requirements
4shall deem the political party committee in violation of this
5Article and subject the committee to a fine of no more than
6150% of the total contributions or coordinated expenditures
7made by the committee in violation of this Article. This
8subsection becomes inoperative on July 1, 2013 and thereafter
9no longer applies.
10    (d) During an election cycle, a political action committee
11may not accept contributions with an aggregate value over the
12following: (i) $10,000 from any individual, (ii) $20,000 from
13any corporation, labor organization, political party
14committee, or association, or (iii) $50,000 from a political
15action committee or candidate political committee. A political
16action committee may not accept contributions from a ballot
17initiative committee or from an independent expenditure
18committee.
19    (e) A ballot initiative committee may accept contributions
20in any amount from any source, provided that the committee
21files the document required by Section 9-3 of this Article and
22files the disclosure reports required by the provisions of
23this Article.
24    (e-5) An independent expenditure committee may accept
25contributions in any amount from any source, provided that the
26committee files the document required by Section 9-3 of this

 

 

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1Article and files the disclosure reports required by the
2provisions of this Article.
3    (e-10) A limited activity committee shall not accept
4contributions, except that the officer or a candidate the
5committee has designated to support may contribute personal
6funds in order to pay for maintenance expenses. A limited
7activity committee may only make expenditures that are: (i)
8necessary for maintenance of the committee; (ii) for rent or
9lease payments until the end of the lease in effect at the time
10the officer or candidate is confirmed by the Senate; (iii)
11contributions to 501(c)(3) charities; or (iv) returning
12contributions to original contributors.
13    (f) Nothing in this Section shall prohibit a political
14committee from dividing the proceeds of joint fundraising
15efforts; provided that no political committee may receive more
16than the limit from any one contributor, and provided that an
17independent expenditure committee may not conduct joint
18fundraising efforts with a candidate political committee or a
19political party committee.
20    (g) (Blank). On January 1 of each odd-numbered year, the
21State Board of Elections shall adjust the amounts of the
22contribution limitations established in this Section for
23inflation as determined by the Consumer Price Index for All
24Urban Consumers as issued by the United States Department of
25Labor and rounded to the nearest $100. The State Board shall
26publish this information on its official website.

 

 

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1    (h) Self-funding candidates. If a public official, a
2candidate, or the public official's or candidate's immediate
3family contributes or loans to the public official's or
4candidate's political committee or to other political
5committees that transfer funds to the public official's or
6candidate's political committee or makes independent
7expenditures for the benefit of the public official's or
8candidate's campaign during the 12 months prior to an election
9in an aggregate amount of more than (i) $250,000 for statewide
10office or (ii) $100,000 for all other elective offices, then
11the public official or candidate shall file with the State
12Board of Elections, within one day, a Notification of
13Self-funding that shall detail each contribution or loan made
14by the public official, the candidate, or the public
15official's or candidate's immediate family. Within 2 business
16days after the filing of a Notification of Self-funding, the
17notification shall be posted on the Board's website and the
18Board shall give official notice of the filing to each
19candidate for the same office as the public official or
20candidate making the filing, including the public official or
21candidate filing the Notification of Self-funding. Notice
22shall be sent via first class mail to the candidate and the
23treasurer of the candidate's committee. Notice shall also be
24sent by e-mail to the candidate and the treasurer of the
25candidate's committee if the candidate and the treasurer, as
26applicable, have provided the Board with an e-mail address.

 

 

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1Upon posting of the notice on the Board's website, all
2candidates for that office, including the public official or
3candidate who filed a Notification of Self-funding, shall be
4permitted to accept contributions in excess of any
5contribution limits imposed by subsection (b). If a public
6official or candidate filed a Notification of Self-funding
7during an election cycle that includes a general primary
8election or consolidated primary election and that public
9official or candidate is nominated, all candidates for that
10office, including the nominee who filed the notification of
11self-funding, shall be permitted to accept contributions in
12excess of any contribution limit imposed by subsection (b) for
13the subsequent election cycle. For the purposes of this
14subsection, "immediate family" means the spouse, parent, or
15child of a public official or candidate.
16    (h-5) If a natural person or independent expenditure
17committee makes independent expenditures in support of or in
18opposition to the campaign of a particular public official or
19candidate in an aggregate amount of more than (i) $250,000 for
20statewide office or (ii) $100,000 for all other elective
21offices in an election cycle, as reported in a written
22disclosure filed under subsection (a) of Section 9-8.6 or
23subsection (e-5) of Section 9-10, then the State Board of
24Elections shall, within 2 business days after the filing of
25the disclosure, post the disclosure on the Board's website and
26give official notice of the disclosure to each candidate for

 

 

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1the same office as the public official or candidate for whose
2benefit or detriment the natural person or independent
3expenditure committee made independent expenditures. Upon
4posting of the notice on the Board's website, all candidates
5for that office in that election, including the public
6official or candidate for whose benefit or detriment the
7natural person or independent expenditure committee made
8independent expenditures, shall be permitted to accept
9contributions in excess of any contribution limits imposed by
10subsection (b).
11    (h-10) If the State Board of Elections receives
12notification or determines that a natural person or persons,
13an independent expenditure committee or committees, or
14combination thereof has made independent expenditures in
15support of or in opposition to the campaign of a particular
16public official or candidate in an aggregate amount of more
17than (i) $250,000 for statewide office or (ii) $100,000 for
18all other elective offices in an election cycle, then the
19Board shall, within 2 business days after discovering the
20independent expenditures that, in the aggregate, exceed the
21threshold set forth in (i) and (ii) of this subsection, post
22notice of this fact on the Board's website and give official
23notice to each candidate for the same office as the public
24official or candidate for whose benefit or detriment the
25independent expenditures were made. Notice shall be sent via
26first class mail to the candidate and the treasurer of the

 

 

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1candidate's committee. Notice shall also be sent by e-mail to
2the candidate and the treasurer of the candidate's committee
3if the candidate and the treasurer, as applicable, have
4provided the Board with an e-mail address. Upon posting of the
5notice on the Board's website, all candidates of that office
6in that election, including the public official or candidate
7for whose benefit or detriment the independent expenditures
8were made, may accept contributions in excess of any
9contribution limits imposed by subsection (b).
10    (i) For the purposes of this Section, a corporation, labor
11organization, association, or a political action committee
12established by a corporation, labor organization, or
13association may act as a conduit in facilitating the delivery
14to a political action committee of contributions made through
15dues, levies, or similar assessments and the political action
16committee may report the contributions in the aggregate,
17provided that: (i) contributions made through dues, levies, or
18similar assessments paid by any natural person, corporation,
19labor organization, or association in a calendar year may not
20exceed the limits set forth in this Section; (ii) the
21corporation, labor organization, association, or a political
22action committee established by a corporation, labor
23organization, or association facilitating the delivery of
24contributions maintains a list of natural persons,
25corporations, labor organizations, and associations that paid
26the dues, levies, or similar assessments from which the

 

 

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1contributions comprising the aggregate amount derive; and
2(iii) contributions made through dues, levies, or similar
3assessments paid by any natural person, corporation, labor
4organization, or association that exceed $1,000 in a quarterly
5reporting period shall be itemized on the committee's
6quarterly report and may not be reported in the aggregate. A
7political action committee facilitating the delivery of
8contributions or receiving contributions shall disclose the
9amount of contributions made through dues delivered or
10received and the name of the corporation, labor organization,
11association, or political action committee delivering the
12contributions, if applicable. On January 1 of each
13odd-numbered year, the State Board of Elections shall adjust
14the amounts of the contribution limitations established in
15this subsection for inflation as determined by the Consumer
16Price Index for All Urban Consumers as issued by the United
17States Department of Labor and rounded to the nearest $100.
18The State Board shall publish this information on its official
19website.
20    (j) A political committee that receives a contribution or
21transfer in violation of this Section shall dispose of the
22contribution or transfer by returning the contribution or
23transfer, or an amount equal to the contribution or transfer,
24to the contributor or transferor or donating the contribution
25or transfer, or an amount equal to the contribution or
26transfer, to a charity. A contribution or transfer received in

 

 

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1violation of this Section that is not disposed of as provided
2in this subsection within 30 days after the Board sends
3notification to the political committee of the excess
4contribution by certified mail shall escheat to the General
5Revenue Fund and the political committee shall be deemed in
6violation of this Section and subject to a civil penalty not to
7exceed 150% of the total amount of the contribution.
8    (k) For the purposes of this Section, "statewide office"
9means the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General,
10Secretary of State, Comptroller, and Treasurer.
11    (l) This Section is repealed if and when the United States
12Supreme Court invalidates contribution limits on committees
13formed to assist candidates, political parties, corporations,
14associations, or labor organizations established by or
15pursuant to federal law.
16(Source: P.A. 102-664, eff. 1-1-22; 102-668, eff. 11-15-21;
17102-909, eff. 5-27-22.)