AN ACT RELATIVE TO CAMPAIGN FINANCE DISCLOSURE AND TRANSPARENCY
Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to strengthen forthwith campaign finance reporting and disclosure requirements, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same as follows:
SECTION 1. The first paragraph of section 53 of chapter 54 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the second to fifth sentences, inclusive, and inserting in place thereof the following 4 sentences:- The secretary shall cause to be printed and sent to all residential addresses and to each voter residing in group residential quarters, with copies of the measures to which they refer, a summary prepared by the attorney general, a ballot question title prepared jointly by the attorney general and state secretary, fair and neutral 1-sentence statements describing the effect of a yes or no vote prepared jointly by the attorney general and the state secretary, a statement of not more than 100 words prepared by the secretary of administration and finance regarding the fiscal consequences of the measure for state and municipal government finances and, as provided in section 54, arguments for and against measures to be submitted to the voters under Article XLVIII of the Articles of Amendment to the Constitution. The secretary shall make available for public examination a copy of the ballot question titles, 1-sentence statements describing the effect of a yes or no vote and fiscal effect statements and shall publish them in the Massachusetts register by the second Wednesday in May. Any 50 voters may petition the supreme judicial court for Suffolk county to require that a title or statement be amended; provided, however, that the petition shall be filed within 20 days after the publication of the title and statement. The court may issue an order requiring amendment by the attorney general and the state secretary only if it is clear that the title, 1-sentence statement or fiscal effect statement in question is false, misleading or inconsistent with the requirements of this section.
SECTION 2. Section 1 of chapter 55 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 89, the words “and (7) internet or email communications” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- (7) email communications; and (8) internet communications which are not paid advertisements.
SECTION 3. Said section 1 of said chapter 55, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the definition of “Electioneering communication” the following definition:-
“Electioneering communication expenditure”, any expenditure made or liability incurred by an individual, group, association, corporation, labor union or other entity as payment for an electioneering communication.
SECTION 4. Said section 1 of said chapter 55, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out the definition of “Independent expenditure” and inserting in place thereof the following definition:-
“Independent expenditure”, an expenditure made or liability incurred by an individual, group, association, corporation, labor union, political committee or other entity as payment for goods or services to expressly advocate the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate; provided, however, that the expenditure is made or incurred without cooperation or consultation with any candidate or a nonelected political committee organized on behalf of the candidate or an agent of the candidate and is not made or incurred in concert with or at the request or suggestion of the candidate, a nonelected political committee organized on behalf of the candidate or agent of the candidate.
SECTION 5. Said section 1 of said chapter 55, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the definition of “Independent expenditure” the following definition:-
“Joint contribution”, any contribution made by a check from more than 1 person to a candidate or political committee that includes either the signature or imprinted name of more than 1 individual contributor on a check.
SECTION 6. Said section 1 of said chapter 55, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the definition of “Legislative agent” the following definition:-
“People’s committee”, a political committee which is not a candidate's committee, a political party committee or a ballot question committee, that: (i) only receives contributions from individuals; (ii) limits contributions received from any individual to the indexed amount provided for in the definition of "political action committee”; (iii) has been in existence for 6 months or more; and (iv) contributes to 5 or more candidates; provided, however, that a “people’s committee” shall initially organize as a political action committee and may become a people’s committee after 6 months.
SECTION 7. Section 3 of said chapter 55, as amended by chapter 104 of the acts of 2014, is hereby further amended by adding the following paragraph:-
The director shall adopt regulations regarding electioneering communication expenditures and independent expenditures that involve the disclosure of any transfers of money or anything of value from 1 individual, group, association, corporation, labor union or other entity to another individual, group, association, corporation, labor union or other entity to make an electioneering communication expenditure or independent expenditure to ensure that the origin of the funds used to make the expenditure is disclosed in the manner and on the schedule for reports of the expenditures provided for in this chapter.
SECTION 8. Said chapter 55 is hereby further amended by inserting after section 5B the following section:-
Section 5C. The office of campaign and political finance shall prepare and update from time to time an online training program to provide information on the requirements of this chapter applicable to treasurers of political committees that file reports with the office. A treasurer of a political committee that files reports with the office shall, within 30 days after filing an acceptance of the position with the office in accordance with section 5 and every 2 years after filing the acceptance, complete the online training program.
The office shall establish procedures for implementing and ensuring compliance with this section.
SECTION 9. Section 6 of said chapter 55, as appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the first and second paragraphs and inserting in place thereof the following 3 paragraphs:-
A political committee organized or operating on behalf of a candidate for the office of governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, state secretary, treasurer and receiver general or state auditor may receive, pay and expend money or other things of value for reasonable and necessary expenses directly related to the campaign of the candidate but shall not make any expenditure that is primarily for the candidate’s or any other person’s personal use. Any other political committee duly organized on behalf of a candidate may receive, pay and expend money or other things of value for the enhancement of the political future of the candidate or the principle for which the committee was organized; provided, however, that the expenditure shall not be primarily for the candidate’s or any other person’s personal use. The director shall establish reasonable rules and regulations concerning the expenditures.
Any political committee duly organized on behalf of a candidate may contribute to other political committees and may contribute to the campaign fund of a candidate; provided, however, that the aggregate of all contributions made by a committee organized on behalf of a candidate to another nonelected political committee organized on behalf of a candidate shall not exceed $100 in any 1 calendar year.
Notwithstanding the second paragraph, a political committee organized on behalf of a candidate for statewide office that receives public financing under chapter 55C may not contribute to another political committee or the campaign fund of a candidate in the calendar year in which the political committee receives public financing; provided, however, that a committee that receives public financing may expend funds to a political party committee for goods or services provided by the political party committee to the political committee organized on behalf of a candidate.
SECTION 10. The fourth paragraph of section 7 of said chapter 55, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the second sentence.
SECTION 11. Section 7A of said chapter 55, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 4 and 5, the words “five hundred dollars” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $1,000.
SECTION 12. Subsection (a) of said section 7A of said chapter 55, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out paragraph (5).
SECTION 13. Section 8 of said chapter 55, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 22, the words “corporation violating any provision of this section” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- such corporation violating this chapter.
SECTION 14. The first paragraph of section 9 of said chapter 55, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the first sentence and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- No individual, candidate or political committee, or person acting on behalf of the individual, candidate or political committee, shall accept a contribution of money from any 1 person or political committee if the aggregate amount contributed in a calendar year exceeds $50 in cash or $100 by money order or bank check, except by a written instrument or by direct deposit pursuant to section 9A.
SECTION 15. Said section 9 of said chapter 55, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out the second paragraph and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-
A political committee may maintain and use a credit or debit card obtained in accordance with applicable banking laws and in the ordinary course of business to make expenditures for the purpose for which the committee was organized pursuant to section 6; provided, however, that no contribution of money shall be accepted by any individual, candidate or political committee or person acting on behalf of the individual, candidate or political committee other than in accordance with the first paragraph of this section. The director shall establish reasonable rules and regulations concerning the use of credit and debit cards and shall provide instruction on the disclosure of expenditures by credit and debit card to effectuate the purposes of this chapter.
SECTION 16. Said chapter 55 is hereby further amended by inserting after section 9A the following section:-
Section 9B. (a) Any joint contribution received by a candidate or political committee that does not indicate the amount to be attributed to each contributor may be attributed equally to each contributor; provided, however, that the attribution does not cause a contributor to make a contribution exceeding the limits in section 7A.
(b) The director shall establish reasonable rules and regulations concerning the making of joint contributions and corresponding contributor notification and recordkeeping requirements for candidates and political committees.
SECTION 17. The first paragraph of section 13 of said chapter 55, as appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the first sentence the following sentence:- A person so employed may not serve as the treasurer of a political committee.
SECTION 18. The first paragraph of section 18 of said chapter 55, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 6 to 10, inclusive, the words “with a total population, as determined by the most recent federal decennial census, of between 40,000 and 100,000 persons, if the candidate or the candidate's committee, during the election cycle, can reasonably expect to raise or spend more than $5,000,”.
SECTION 19. Said section 18 of said chapter 55, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the word “aforesaid”, in line 75, the following words:- other than political action committees and people’s committees as defined in section 1 and independent expenditure PACs organized pursuant to section 18A.
SECTION 20. Said chapter 55 is hereby further amended by striking out section 18A, as so appearing, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-
Section 18A. (a) Every individual, group, association, corporation, labor union, political committee or other entity that makes independent expenditures in an aggregate amount exceeding $250 during any calendar year for the express purpose of promoting the election or defeat of a candidate shall file with the director, except as provided in subsection (b), within 7 business days after the goods or services for which the independent expenditure was made are utilized to advocate for the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate, on a form prescribed by the director, a report stating: (i) the name and address of the individual, group, association, corporation, labor union, political committee or other entity making the expenditure; (ii) the name of the candidate whose election or defeat the expenditure promoted; (iii) the name and address of any person to whom the expenditure was made; (iv) the total amount or value; and (v) the purpose and the date of the expenditure.
(b) In addition to any reports required by subsection (a), any individual, group, association, corporation, labor union, political committee or other entity that makes an independent expenditure in an aggregate amount exceeding $250 after the tenth day, but more than 24 hours before the date of any election, shall file a preliminary report within 24 hours after the goods or services for which the independent expenditure was made are utilized that discloses: (i) the name and address of the individual, group, association, corporation, labor union, political committee or other entity making the expenditure; (ii) the name of the candidate whose election or defeat the expenditure promoted; (iii) the name and address of any person to whom the expenditure was made; and (iv) the purpose and the date of the expenditure.
(c) The reports required by this section shall be filed with the director as provided in section 18C if expenditures are made to promote the election or defeat of any candidate who files with the director. Reports required by this section shall be filed with the city or town clerk if the expenditures are made to promote the election or defeat of any candidate seeking public office at a city or town election who does not file with the director.
(d) For purposes of this section, an “independent expenditure PAC” shall be a political committee or other entity that receives contributions to make independent expenditures. An independent expenditure PAC shall organize in accordance with section 5 and file reports in accordance with the schedules in subsections (a) and (b) to disclose expenditures. The reports shall, in addition to disclosing expenditures, disclose contributions received and all campaign finance information required to be disclosed by other political action committees as listed in section 18. The reporting period for the first report filed by an independent expenditure PAC shall commence on the day the independent expenditure PAC was organized and shall be complete through the date of the expenditures disclosed in the report. The reporting period for the next report shall commence on the date following the last date included in the previous report and shall be complete through the date of the expenditures disclosed. An independent expenditure PAC shall also file a year-end report by January 20 of each year the independent expenditure PAC remains in existence and shall file a final report on dissolution. The reporting period for the year-end report shall be cumulative for the calendar year, commencing on January 1 and ending on December 31 of each calendar year. The director shall adopt regulations regarding independent expenditure PACs.
(e) A violation of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than $5,000 or by imprisonment in a house of correction for not more than 1 year.
SECTION 21. Said chapter 55 is hereby further amended by striking out section 18C, as so appearing, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-
Section 18C. (a) The director shall develop an electronic reporting system for the submission, retrieval, storage and public disclosure of campaign finance reports and financial activity statements required to be filed with the director.
(b) The following individuals and political committees shall be required to file electronically by modem or via computer terminals provided or approved by the director:
(i) a candidate that files with the director and the committee organized on behalf of the candidate;
(ii) a ballot question committee that files with the director;
(iii) each state committee referred to in section 1 of chapter 52;
(iv) each local party committee referred to in sections 2 and 3 of said chapter 52 that raises or spends more than $5,000 in an election cycle;
(v) a political committee, other than a candidate’s committee or a ballot question committee, if the political committee aids or promotes the success or defeat of 1 or more candidates that file with the director;
(vi) reports of late contributions received by a political committee organized on behalf of a candidate that files with the director, including a committee required to designate a depository on behalf of a candidate and every ballot question committee that files with the director, which receives and deposits a contribution of $500 or more after the eighteenth day but more than 72 hours before the date of a special, preliminary, primary or general election within 72 hours of depositing the contribution;
(vii) reports of late contributions received by a state committee referred to in section 1 of chapter 52 required to designate a depository under section 19 which receives a contribution of $500 or more after the eighteenth day but more than 24 hours before the date of a special, preliminary, primary or general election, within 72 hours of depositing the contribution;
(viii) for a political committee required to file campaign finance reports electronically with the director, any reports filed pursuant to section 18D made to disclose expenditures by vendors of the committee to subvendors;
(ix) an individual, group, association, corporation, labor union, political committee or other entity that is required to file a report of independent expenditures with the director in accordance with section 18A; and
(x) an individual, group, association, corporation, labor union or other entity that makes an electioneering communication expenditure in an aggregate amount exceeding $250 during any calendar year in accordance with section 18F.
SECTION 22. Said chapter 55 is hereby further amended by striking out section 18D, as so appearing, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-
Section 18D. (a) For the purposes of this section the following words shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise:-
“Expenditure”, any payment made or liability incurred by a vendor on behalf of a political committee or on behalf of an individual or group required to file a report of ballot question expenditures under section 22.
“Person”, a natural person, corporation, association, partnership or other legal entity.
“Subvendor”, a person providing goods or services to a vendor or who contracts with a vendor to provide goods or services to a committee or to an individual or group required to file a report of ballot question expenditures pursuant to section 22.
“Vendor”, any person including, but not limited to, a consultant who provides goods or services to a political committee or to an individual or group required to file a report of ballot question expenditures pursuant to section 22 and either receives or is promised $5,000 or more in the aggregate during a calendar year by the committee, individual or group for such goods or services or contracts with another on behalf of the committee, individual or group for such goods or services valued at $5,000 or more in the aggregate to be provided to the committee, individual or group.
(b) A vendor that makes an expenditure on behalf of a political committee or on behalf of an individual or group required to file a report of ballot question expenditures under section 22 shall within 5 days of making the expenditure provide the political committee, individual or group with a detailed account of the expenditure including, but not limited to, the date of the expenditure, the person who received payment, the full name and address of the subvendor, the purpose of the expenditure and the amount of the expenditure.
(c) A political committee or an individual or group required to file a report of ballot question expenditures under section 22 that makes a payment or incurs a liability to a vendor shall file reports with the director or, if the expenditure concerns a local candidate who does not file with the director or a local ballot question, with the clerk, disclosing the full name and address listed alphabetically of each subvendor receiving payments of more than $500 in the aggregate during a calendar year from the vendor and of each subvendor to whom a liability of more than $500 was incurred. The contents of the report shall include the information required by section 18 and shall be disclosed on a form prescribed by the director. For committees required to designate a depository account under section 19, the reports shall be filed on or before the fifth day of each month covering the preceding month; provided, however, that for other committees, individuals or groups, the report must be filed in accordance with the schedule established by sections 18 and 22.
(d) Vendors shall keep detailed accounts of all expenditures made on behalf of political committees or on behalf of individuals or groups required to file a report of ballot question expenditures under section 22.
SECTION 23. Section 18E of said chapter 55, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “candidate”, in line 1, the following words:- , a state party committee.
SECTION 24. Said chapter 55 is hereby further amended by striking out section 18F, as so appearing, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-
Section 18F. Every individual, group, association, corporation, labor union or other entity not defined as a political committee who makes an electioneering communication expenditure in an aggregate amount exceeding $250 during a calendar year shall electronically file with the director, within 7 days after making the expenditure, a report stating the name and address of the individual, group, association, corporation, labor union or other entity making the electioneering communication, the name of any candidate clearly identified in the communication, the total amount or value of the communication, the name and address of the vendor to whom the payments were made and the purpose and date of the expenditure. In addition, any individual, group, association, corporation, labor union or other entity not defined as a political committee who makes electioneering communication expenditures in an aggregate amount exceeding $250 during a calendar year who receives funds to make electioneering communications shall include in the electronic filing the date the funds were received, the name and address of the provider of funds in excess of $250, if any, and the value of the funds received. Reports required under this section shall be filed with the director as provided in section 18C if electioneering communications refer to any candidate who files with the director. Reports required under this section shall be filed with the city or town clerk if the electioneering communications refer to any candidate seeking public office in a city or town election who does not otherwise file with the director.
Any person, group, association, corporation, labor union or other entity that makes or contracts to make electioneering communications aggregating $1,000 or more within 7 days before the date of an election shall file a report containing the information required under this section within 48 hours after making the expenditure.
A violation of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than $5,000 or by imprisonment in the house of correction for not more than 1 year.
SECTION 25. Section 18G of said chapter 55, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the first paragraph the following paragraph:-
An independent expenditure or electioneering communication that is transmitted through paid television, internet advertising or print advertising appearing larger than 15 square inches shall include a written statement at the bottom of the advertisement that contains the words “Top Contributors” and a written statement that lists the 5 persons or entities or, if fewer than 5 persons or entities, all such persons or entities, that made the largest contributions to that entity; provided, however, that only contributions in excess of $5,000 reportable under this chapter during the 12-month period before the date of the advertisement or communication shall be listed. If no such contribution is received by the entity making an independent expenditure or electioneering communication, the advertisement or communication may exclude the statement. The advertisement or communication shall also include a written statement, as specified by the director, at the bottom of the advertisement that directs viewers to the official web address of the office of campaign and political finance. This paragraph shall also apply to advertisements purchased to influence or affect the vote on any question submitted to the voters.
SECTION 26. Said chapter 55 is hereby further amended by striking out section 19, as so appearing, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-
Section 19. (a) Candidates for nomination or election to the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, state secretary, attorney general, state treasurer and receiver general, state auditor, governor’s council, district attorney, clerk of court, register of probate, registrar of deeds, county commissioner, county treasurer and sheriff, mayor or city council or alderman in a city with a total population, as determined by the most recent decennial federal census, of 75,000 or more persons and the treasurer of each state committee referred to in section 1 of chapter 52, the treasurer of the nonelected political committee authorized by any of the aforesaid candidates and the treasurers of people’s committees and political action committees that file with the director other than independent expenditure PACs shall immediately, upon the organization of the political committee or upon becoming a candidate in accordance with clauses (1) and (2) of the definition of candidate in section 1, designate a financial institution as a depository for the campaign funds of the candidate or political committee. The financial institution shall be: (i) a national bank, federal savings bank, federal savings and loan association or federal credit union; provided, however, that the bank, association or credit union may transact business and has its main office or a branch office in the commonwealth; or (ii) a trust company, credit union, co-operative bank or savings bank; provided, however, that the company, credit union or bank is organized and exists under the laws of the commonwealth or any other state or otherwise may transact business in the commonwealth and has its main office or a branch office in the commonwealth. A candidate and the treasurer of a political committee shall file with the director, on or before the third business day following the designation of the depository, a certificate of appointment containing the name of the financial institution so designated and the name of the candidate or political committee and shall authorize the financial institution to submit the reports required by subsection (d). The certificate of appointment reflecting the financial institution’s agreement to comply with this section shall also be signed by an authorized employee of the financial institution.
(b) A candidate and the treasurer of a political committee required to designate a depository shall deposit contributions in the form received within 7 days of receipt. Any candidate or treasurer required to designate a depository shall file with the director, by the fifth and twentieth days of each month, the following information: (i) a list of all contributions of more than $50 deposited as of the first and fifteenth days of the month and since the last statement, including an alphabetical list of names and addresses of each person making a contribution; (ii) for a person who has made a contribution in an amount of or with a value of $200 or more in any calendar year, the occupation and employer of the contributor and the information for each contribution of less than $200 if the aggregate of all contributions received from the contributor within any calendar year is $200 or more; and (iii) a summary of all contributions of $50 or less deposited that are not itemized on the report.
(c) Except as otherwise provided in this section, all payments for campaign purposes made by or for the benefit of a candidate or by the treasurer of a political committee which are in excess of $100 shall be made only from funds on deposit in the depository through checks drawn on the depository and indicating that the checks are drawn on the campaign account of the candidate or the political committee involved. All checks drawn on the campaign account shall be payable either to the order of a named payee, not the candidate or treasurer, or, if the check is for not more than $100, may be payable to the candidate or treasurer. The memo line of the check shall be used by the political committee issuing the check to indicate the specific purpose of the expenditure.
A candidate or treasurer of a political committee required to designate a depository may make expenditures by wire transfer or other electronic means for broadcast, cablecast or other media services and for payroll services made in connection with employee deductions and withholdings. Expenditures may also be made by credit or debit card; provided, however, that a candidate or treasurer making an expenditure shall ensure that the date, amount and specific purpose of the expenditure is disclosed in accordance with regulations to be issued by the director.
(d) The cashier or treasurer of the bank selected by any candidate or political committee as provided in this section shall file with the director by the fifth day and twentieth day of each month the following information: (i) a statement of the balance as of the preceding first day or fifteenth day of the month; (ii) a summary of all credits to the account since the last statement; and (iii) a list of all the debits to the account since the last statement. The bank shall also report, to the extent such information is available, the names and addresses of the payees, the amount of each check and the purposes for which the money was paid as indicated on the check.
(e) The accounts shall remain in existence until the election and so long thereafter as a candidate or political committee has unpaid obligations still outstanding. Candidates and treasurers required to file reports under this section shall continue to file year-end campaign finance reports in accordance with section 18 every year the committee remains in existence.
(f) A committee required to designate a depository on behalf of a candidate that files with the director in accordance with this section and which receives and deposits a contribution of $500 or more after the eighteenth day but more than 72 hours before the date of a special, preliminary, primary or general election shall file a report to disclose the information required by this section within 72 hours of depositing the contribution. In addition, a state committee referred to in section 1 of chapter 52 required to designate a depository pursuant to this section and which receives a contribution of $500 or more after the eighteenth day but more than 24 hours before the date of a special, preliminary, primary or general election shall file a report to disclose the information required by this section within 72 hours of depositing the contribution.
A candidate or a political committee that fails to file any report required by this section shall be assessed and shall pay to the state treasurer a penalty not greater than $25 for each day the candidate or political committee has not filed the report.
A violation of this section shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than 6 months or by a fine of not more than $500.
SECTION 27. The fifth paragraph of section 22 of said chapter 55, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the following sentence:- A person, corporation, association, organization or group required to file a report under this section is also subject to subvendor disclosure requirements under section 18D.
SECTION 28. Said chapter 55 is hereby further amended by striking out section 27, as so appearing, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-
Section 27. The director shall make available to city and town clerks a summary of this chapter and forms approved by the director and the attorney general suitable for the submission of the statements and reports required by this chapter. The city and town clerk shall transmit forms to a candidate for nomination or election to a city or town office who is known to the city or town clerk and to a political committee required to file with the city or town clerk.
The director shall make available to all candidates and political committees required to file with the director forms for filing and a summary of this chapter.
SECTION 29. There shall be a campaign finance and disclosure task force to consist of the director of campaign and political finance, who shall serve as chair; the speaker of the house of representatives or a designee; the minority leader of the house of representatives or a designee; the senate president or a designee; the minority leader of the senate or a designee; the state secretary or a designee; and a representative of the election laws advocacy community designated by the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on election laws.
The task force shall undertake a study of campaign finance and disclosure issues which shall include, but not be limited to: (i) the use of email communications sent using a paid email service provider or email marketing service provider; (ii) disclosure requirements for internet advertisements which are of limited size, including requiring disclosure to be placed on a landing page, rollover display or other technological means that provide the user with disclosure information rather than requiring such information in the original advertisement; and (iii) the feasibility, merits and administrative requirements of applying limits on contributions for each special election primary and general election rather than per calendar year.
The task force shall submit its report and its recommendations, if any, together with drafts of legislation necessary to carry its recommendations into effect, to the clerks of the house of representatives and senate on or before January 1, 2015.
SECTION 30. Sections 1, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 18, 19 and 26 shall take effect on January 1, 2015.
Approved, August 1, 2014.