HB3622 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB095 03464 JAM 23633 b

95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
HB3622

Introduced 2/28/2007, by Rep. Lou Lang

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

10 ILCS 5/9-35 new

Amends the Election Code. Creates the Campaign Expenditure Limits Study Commission to determine, and report to the General Assembly upon, campaign expenditure limits for candidates for the offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Comptroller, State Treasurer, State Senator, and State Representative. Provides for appointment of 6 Senators and 6 Representatives to the Commission by the legislative leaders. Requires that the Commission report to the General Assembly within 2 years and that the General Assembly pass legislation containing campaign expenditure limits within 3 years.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning elections.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Election Code is amended by adding Section 9-35 as follows:

(10 ILCS 5/9-35 new)

Sec. 9-35. Campaign Expenditure Limits Study Commission.

(a) The General Assembly declares that:

(1) A well-informed electorate is the greatest bulwark of democracy, and a voter's ability to knowledgeably choose among candidates for elective office depends largely upon each candidate's access to communication with voters.

(2) The resources a candidate may expend on communications with voters affect that candidate's ability to convey his or her views to each voter.

(3) Campaigns for State executive and legislative offices are increasingly costly, and limiting those candidates expenditures would assure competing office seekers a more level and equal access to voters.

(b) The Campaign Expenditure Limits Study Commission is created, consisting of the following members: 6 State Senators, appointed 3 each by the President and Minority Leader of the Senate, and 6 State Representatives, appointed 3 each by the Speaker and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives. Each appointing authority shall designate one of his or her appointees as a co-chair of the Commission.

Each Commission member shall serve at the pleasure of his or her appointing authority but in no event past the conclusion of his or her current term of legislative office. A vacancy shall be filled by appointment of the original appointing authority, and a member who has been reelected to his or her legislative office or elected to a different legislative office may be reappointed to the Commission.

The Commission, and membership on the Commission, shall expire the day after the Commission reports to the General Assembly pursuant to subsection (d).

Commission members shall not receive compensation but shall be reimbursed for expenses incurred in the performance of their service from funds appropriated for that purpose. The Commission shall meet quarterly and may meet more frequently upon joint call of its co-chairs.

(c) The Commission shall study and determine appropriate campaign expenditure limits for each of the offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Comptroller, State Treasurer, State Senator, and State Representative. In determining the limits, the Commission may consider and make recommendations upon:

(1) Whether separate limits are needed for primary and general election campaigns.

(2) Whether separate limits are needed on expenditures by various entities, including without limitation the candidate (with respect to personal resources), the candidate's political committee, others authorized by the candidate or his or her political committee, and others acting on behalf of the candidate without authorization of the candidate or his or her political committee.

(3) Whether expenditure limits should apply to in-kind as well as monetary campaign expenditures.

(4) Any other issue deemed relevant by the Commission.

(d) Within 2 years after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly, the Commission shall report to the General Assembly its campaign expenditure limits and any recommendations for statutory changes. Within 3 years after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly, the General Assembly shall pass a bill or bills containing the campaign expenditure limits and any recommended changes, which shall take effect upon the effective date of the Public Act or Public Acts enacting that legislation.