102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB5448

 

Introduced 1/31/2022, by Rep. Kambium Buckner

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
10 ILCS 5/9-8.5

    Amends the Election Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning limitations on campaign contributions.


LRB102 26081 AWJ 35548 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5448LRB102 26081 AWJ 35548 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 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 a candidate seeking nomination to the Supreme
25    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        (2) As used in this subsection, "contribution" has the
7    meaning provided in Section 9-1.4 and also includes the
8    following that are subject to the limits of this Section:
9            (A) expenditures made by any person in concert or
10        cooperation with, or at the request or suggestion of,
11        a candidate, his or her designated committee, or their
12        agents; and
13            (B) the financing by any person of the
14        dissemination, distribution, or republication, in
15        whole or in part, of any broadcast or any written,
16        graphic, or other form of campaign materials prepared
17        by the candidate, his or her campaign committee, or
18        their designated agents.
19        (3) As to contributions to a candidate political
20    committee established to support a candidate seeking
21    nomination to the Supreme Court, Appellate Court, or
22    Circuit Court:
23            (A) No person shall make a contribution in the
24        name of another person or knowingly permit his or her
25        name to be used to effect such a contribution.
26            (B) No person shall knowingly accept a

 

 

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

 

 

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1    accept a contribution made for the benefit or use of a
2    candidate or knowingly make any expenditure in support of
3    or opposition to a candidate or for electioneering
4    communications in relation to a candidate in violation of
5    any limitation designated for contributions and
6    expenditures under this Section.
7        (5) Where the provisions of this subsection (b-5)
8    conflict with any other provision of this Code, this
9    subsection (b-5) shall control.
10    (c) During an election cycle, a political party 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, or association, or (iii)
14$50,000 from a political action committee. A political party
15committee may accept contributions in any amount from another
16political party committee or a candidate political committee,
17except as provided in subsection (c-5). Nothing in this
18Section shall limit the amounts that may be transferred
19between a political party committee established under
20subsection (a) of Section 7-8 of this Code and an affiliated
21federal political committee established under the Federal
22Election Code by the same political party. A political party
23committee may not accept contributions from a ballot
24initiative committee or from an independent expenditure
25committee. A political party committee established by a
26legislative caucus may not accept contributions from another

 

 

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

 

 

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1held on (insert date), (ii) the political party committee may
2accept unlimited contributions from candidate political
3committees and political party committees, provided that the
4political party committee does not make contributions to a
5candidate or candidates to be nominated at the primary
6election, and (iii) failure to abide by these requirements
7shall deem the political party committee in violation of this
8Article and subject the committee to a fine of no more than
9150% of the total contributions or coordinated expenditures
10made by the committee in violation of this Article. This
11subsection becomes inoperative on July 1, 2013 and thereafter
12no longer applies.
13    (d) During an election cycle, a political action committee
14may not accept contributions with an aggregate value over the
15following: (i) $10,000 from any individual, (ii) $20,000 from
16any corporation, labor organization, political party
17committee, or association, or (iii) $50,000 from a political
18action committee or candidate political committee. A political
19action committee may not accept contributions from a ballot
20initiative committee or from an independent expenditure
21committee.
22    (e) A ballot initiative committee may accept contributions
23in any amount from any source, provided that the committee
24files the document required by Section 9-3 of this Article and
25files the disclosure reports required by the provisions of
26this Article.

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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1to the contributor or transferor or donating the contribution
2or transfer, or an amount equal to the contribution or
3transfer, to a charity. A contribution or transfer received in
4violation of this Section that is not disposed of as provided
5in this subsection within 30 days after the Board sends
6notification to the political committee of the excess
7contribution by certified mail shall escheat to the General
8Revenue Fund and the political committee shall be deemed in
9violation of this Section and subject to a civil penalty not to
10exceed 150% of the total amount of the contribution.
11    (k) For the purposes of this Section, "statewide office"
12means the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General,
13Secretary of State, Comptroller, and Treasurer.
14    (l) This Section is repealed if and when the United States
15Supreme Court invalidates contribution limits on committees
16formed to assist candidates, political parties, corporations,
17associations, or labor organizations established by or
18pursuant to federal law.
19(Source: P.A. 102-664, eff. 1-1-22; 102-668, eff. 11-15-21.)