THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY GOODMAN, SHAPIRO, SANTARSIERO, BRIGGS, CALTAGIRONE, CARROLL, D. COSTA, DALEY, DEASY, DELISSIO, DePASQUALE, FABRIZIO, GERBER, GERGELY, GIBBONS, HARHAI, HARKINS, HENNESSEY, HORNAMAN, JOSEPHS, KAVULICH, KORTZ, KULA, MAHONEY, MARSHALL, MATZIE, McGEEHAN, MIRABITO, MOUL, MUNDY, MURPHY, M. O'BRIEN, PASHINSKI, PAYTON, RAVENSTAHL, READSHAW, SAMUELSON, K. SMITH, STEPHENS, SWANGER, WAGNER, WATSON AND WHITE, JUNE 10, 2011

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, JUNE 10, 2011  

AN ACT

Amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), entitled

"An act concerning elections, including general, municipal,

special and primary elections, the nomination of candidates,

primary and election expenses and election contests; creating

and defining membership of county boards of elections;

imposing duties upon the Secretary of the Commonwealth,

courts, county boards of elections, county commissioners;

imposing penalties for violation of the act, and codifying,

revising and consolidating the laws relating thereto; and

repealing certain acts and parts of acts relating to

elections," providing for limitations on certain

contributions.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  The act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known

as the Pennsylvania Election Code, is amended by adding a

section to read:

Section 1627.1.  Limitations on Certain Contributions.--

(a)  No individual shall make contributions:

(1)  To a candidate, or the candidate's political committee,

which, in the aggregate, exceed two thousand five hundred

dollars ($2,500) per election.

(2)  To a single political action committee which, in the

aggregate, exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) per calendar

year.

(3)  To a single political party committee which, in the

aggregate, exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000) per calendar

year.

(4)  Aggregating more than forty-six thousand two hundred

dollars ($46,200) to all candidates for public office of the

Commonwealth combined in a two-year period beginning with the

first day of an odd-numbered year and ending on the last day of

the next even-numbered year.

(5)  Aggregating more than seventy thousand eight hundred

dollars ($70,800) in all other contributions, excluding

contributions for Federal office, in a two-year period beginning

with the first day of an odd-numbered year and ending on the

last day of the next even-numbered year.

(b)  No political action committee with more than 50

contributors and which has made contributions to five or more

candidates for public office of this Commonwealth shall make

contributions:

(1)  To a candidate, or the candidate's political committee,

which, in the aggregate, exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000)

per election.

(2)  To a single political action committee which, in the

aggregate, exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) per calendar

year.

(3)  To a single political party committee which, in the

aggregate, exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) per calendar

year.

(c)  Except for political action committees under subsection

(b), no political action committee shall make contributions:

(1)  To a candidate, or the candidate's political committee,

which, in the aggregate, exceed two thousand five hundred

dollars ($2,500) per election.

(2)  To a single political action committee which, in the

aggregate, exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) per calendar

year.

(3)  To a single political party committee which, in the

aggregate, exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000) per calendar

year.

(d)  No political party committee shall make contributions:

(1)  To a candidate, or the candidate's political committee,

which, in the aggregate, exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000)

per election.

(2)  To a single political action committee which, in the

aggregate, exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) per calendar

year.

(e)  No candidate, or the candidate's political committee,

shall make contributions:

(1)  To another candidate which, in the aggregate, exceed two

thousand dollars ($2,000) per election.

(2)  To a single political action committee which, in the

aggregate, exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) per calendar

year.

(f)  No candidate, political action committee, or political

party committee shall knowingly accept contributions in

violation of any limitation imposed on contributions under this

section.

(g)  The provisions of this section shall be applicable to a

contribution made for the purpose of influencing any election to

all public offices of the Commonwealth except Federal offices.

(h)  Aggregate contributions shall include the value of in-

kind contributions.

(i)  For purposes of this section, any contribution made to a

candidate in a year other than the calendar year in which the

election is held with respect to which the contribution is made

shall be considered to be made for the next election to be held.

(j)  (1)  The Secretary of the Commonwealth shall adjust the

limitation on contributions under subsection (a)(1), (4) and (5)

and (c)(1) for inflation in each odd-numbered year beginning

with the first odd-numbered year after the end of the year

during which this section takes effect. The adjustment shall be

equal to the adjustment process applicable to contributions made

by individuals to candidates for Federal office under section

315(c) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (Public Law

92-225, 2 U.S.C. § 441a(c)) on the effective date of this

section.

(2)  Each adjustment shall remain in effect for the two-year

period beginning the first day following the date of the general

election in the even-numbered year preceding the adjustment and

ending on the date of the general election in the even-numbered

year following the adjustment.

(3)  The Secretary of the Commonwealth shall publish the

adjustment as a notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.

(k)  Whenever at least one of the candidates for a particular

public office makes a contribution or expenditure of his or her

own funds to finance his or her campaign that exceeds three

hundred fifty thousand dollars ($350,000), the contribution

limit for that particular public office under subsection (a)(1)

shall be tripled.

(l)  For the purpose of this section, the term "political

party committee" shall mean a political committee of any State,

county, city, borough, township, ward or other regularly

constituted party committee of any political party or political

body.

Section 2.  This act shall take effect January 1, 2012, or

immediately, whichever is later.