102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB4927

 

Introduced 1/27/2022, by Rep. Michael Halpin

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
10 ILCS 5/9-8.5

    Amends the Election Code. Provides that a foreign national may not make, directly or indirectly, a contribution to a ballot initiative committee or an independent expenditure committee for the purpose of influencing any question of public policy to be submitted to the voters, and neither a ballot initiative committee nor an independent expenditure committee may knowingly solicit or accept a contribution from a foreign national for the purpose of influencing any question of public policy to be submitted to the voters. Provides that a foreign national may not make an independent expenditure for the purpose of influencing any question of public policy to be submitted to the voters. Effective immediately.


LRB102 22388 HLH 31527 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB4927LRB102 22388 HLH 31527 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 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) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (h-15), a A
23ballot initiative committee may accept contributions in any
24amount from any source, provided that the committee files the
25document required by Section 9-3 of this Article and files the
26disclosure reports required by the provisions of this Article.

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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1notice to each candidate for the same office as the public
2official or candidate for whose benefit or detriment the
3independent expenditures were made. Notice shall be sent via
4first class mail to the candidate and the treasurer of the
5candidate's committee. Notice shall also be sent by e-mail to
6the candidate and the treasurer of the candidate's committee
7if the candidate and the treasurer, as applicable, have
8provided the Board with an e-mail address. Upon posting of the
9notice on the Board's website, all candidates of that office
10in that election, including the public official or candidate
11for whose benefit or detriment the independent expenditures
12were made, may accept contributions in excess of any
13contribution limits imposed by subsection (b).
14    (h-15) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a
15foreign national may not make, directly or indirectly, a
16contribution to a ballot initiative committee or an
17independent expenditure committee for the purpose of
18influencing any question of public policy to be submitted to
19the voters, and neither a ballot initiative committee nor an
20independent expenditure committee may knowingly solicit or
21accept a contribution from a foreign national for the purpose
22of influencing any question of public policy to be submitted
23to the voters. Additionally, a foreign national may not make
24an independent expenditure for the purpose of influencing any
25question of public policy to be submitted to the voters. As
26used in this subsection, "foreign national" means a foreign

 

 

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1national as defined in 52 U.S.C. 30121(b) and an entity with
2respect to which a foreign national holds, owns, controls, or
3otherwise has direct or indirect beneficial ownership of 50%
4or more of the total equity, outstanding voting shares,
5membership units, or other applicable ownership interests.
6    (i) For the purposes of this Section, a corporation, labor
7organization, association, or a political action committee
8established by a corporation, labor organization, or
9association may act as a conduit in facilitating the delivery
10to a political action committee of contributions made through
11dues, levies, or similar assessments and the political action
12committee may report the contributions in the aggregate,
13provided that: (i) contributions made through dues, levies, or
14similar assessments paid by any natural person, corporation,
15labor organization, or association in a calendar year may not
16exceed the limits set forth in this Section; (ii) the
17corporation, labor organization, association, or a political
18action committee established by a corporation, labor
19organization, or association facilitating the delivery of
20contributions maintains a list of natural persons,
21corporations, labor organizations, and associations that paid
22the dues, levies, or similar assessments from which the
23contributions comprising the aggregate amount derive; and
24(iii) contributions made through dues, levies, or similar
25assessments paid by any natural person, corporation, labor
26organization, or association that exceed $1,000 in a quarterly

 

 

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1reporting period shall be itemized on the committee's
2quarterly report and may not be reported in the aggregate. A
3political action committee facilitating the delivery of
4contributions or receiving contributions shall disclose the
5amount of contributions made through dues delivered or
6received and the name of the corporation, labor organization,
7association, or political action committee delivering the
8contributions, if applicable. On January 1 of each
9odd-numbered year, the State Board of Elections shall adjust
10the amounts of the contribution limitations established in
11this subsection for inflation as determined by the Consumer
12Price Index for All Urban Consumers as issued by the United
13States Department of Labor and rounded to the nearest $100.
14The State Board shall publish this information on its official
15website.
16    (j) A political committee that receives a contribution or
17transfer in violation of this Section shall dispose of the
18contribution or transfer by returning the contribution or
19transfer, or an amount equal to the contribution or transfer,
20to the contributor or transferor or donating the contribution
21or transfer, or an amount equal to the contribution or
22transfer, to a charity. A contribution or transfer received in
23violation of this Section that is not disposed of as provided
24in this subsection within 30 days after the Board sends
25notification to the political committee of the excess
26contribution by certified mail shall escheat to the General

 

 

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1Revenue Fund and the political committee shall be deemed in
2violation of this Section and subject to a civil penalty not to
3exceed 150% of the total amount of the contribution.
4    (k) For the purposes of this Section, "statewide office"
5means the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General,
6Secretary of State, Comptroller, and Treasurer.
7    (l) This Section is repealed if and when the United States
8Supreme Court invalidates contribution limits on committees
9formed to assist candidates, political parties, corporations,
10associations, or labor organizations established by or
11pursuant to federal law.
12(Source: P.A. 102-664, eff. 1-1-22; 102-668, eff. 11-15-21.)
 
13    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
14becoming law.