South Carolina General Assembly
119th Session, 2011-2012

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Bill 593

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

Indicates Matter Stricken

Indicates New Matter

COMMITTEE REPORT

June 1, 2011

S. 593

Introduced by Senators Hayes, Campsen and Ford

S. Printed 6/1/11--S.

Read the first time February 22, 2011.

            

THE COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY

To whom was referred a Bill (S. 593) to amend Section 8-13-1300, as amended, Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, relating to definitions in regard to campaign practices, so as to revise, etc., respectfully

REPORT:

That they have duly and carefully considered the same and recommend that the same do pass:

GEORGE E. CAMPSEN III for Committee.

            

STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED FISCAL IMPACT

ESTIMATED FISCAL IMPACT ON GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES:

$0 (No additional expenditures or savings are expected)

ESTIMATED FISCAL IMPACT ON FEDERAL & OTHER FUND EXPENDITURES:

$0 (No additional expenditures or savings are expected)

EXPLANATION OF IMPACT:

The State Ethics Commission estimates this bill will have no fiscal impact on the state general fund or on federal and/or other funds.

Approved By:

Harry Bell

Office of State Budget

A BILL

TO AMEND SECTION 8-13-1300, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS IN REGARD TO CAMPAIGN PRACTICES, SO AS TO REVISE THE DEFINITIONS OF "COMMITTEE", "NONCANDIDATE COMMITTEE", AND "BALLOT MEASURE COMMITTEE", AND TO ADD A DEFINITION OF "INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURE COMMITTEE".

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    A. Section 8-13-1300(6) of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 76 of 2003, is further amended to read:

"(6)    'Committee' means an association, a club, an organization, or a group of persons which, to influence the outcome of an, the major purpose of which is to support or oppose the nomination or election of a candidate to elective office, that receives contributions or makes expenditures in excess of five hundred dollars in the aggregate during an election cycle. It also means a person who, to influence the outcome of an elective office, makes:

(a)    contributions aggregating at least twenty-five thousand dollars during an election cycle to or at the request of a candidate or a committee, or a combination of them; or

(b)    independent expenditures aggregating five hundred dollars or more during an election cycle for the election or defeat of a candidate.

'Committee' includes a party committee, a legislative caucus committee, a noncandidate committee, or a committee that is not a campaign committee for a candidate but that is organized for the purpose of influencing an election and has as its major purpose the support of or opposition to the nomination or election of a candidate to elective office."

B.    Section 8-13-1300(23) of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 6 of 1995, is further amended to read:

"(23)    'Noncandidate committee' means a committee that is not a campaign committee for a candidate but is organized to influence an election or to support or oppose a candidate or public official, the major purpose of which is to support or oppose the nomination or election of a candidate to elective office, which that receives contributions or makes expenditures in excess of five hundred dollars in the aggregate during an election cycle. 'Noncandidate committee' does not include political action committees that contribute solely only to federal campaigns."

C.    Section 8-13-1300(32) of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 76 of 2003, is amended to read:

"(32)    'Ballot measure committee' means:

(a)    an association, club, an organization, or a group of persons which, to influence the outcome, the major purpose of which is to support or oppose the passage of a ballot measure, that receives contributions or makes expenditures in excess of two thousand five hundred dollars in the aggregate during an election cycle;

(b)    a person, other than an individual, who, to influence the outcome of a ballot measure, makes contributions aggregating at least fifty thousand dollars during an election cycle to or at the request of a ballot measure committee; or

(c)    a person, other than an individual, who, to influence the outcome of a ballot measure, makes independent expenditures aggregating two thousand five hundred dollars or more during an election cycle."

D.    Section 8-13-1300 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding an item to read:

"(35)    'Independent expenditure committee' means an association, a club, an organization, a group of persons or a person, the major purpose of which is to support or oppose the nomination or election of a candidate to elective office, that makes independent expenditures in excess of five thousand dollars in the aggregate during an election cycle."

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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