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Prepared by Ashley Menou.
T. Burns HB No. 1079
(KEYWORD, SUMMARY, AND DIGEST as amended by Senate committee
amendments)
CAMPAIGN FINANCE. Provides relative to the reporting of expenditures of
campaign funds.
DIGEST
Present law (Campaign Finance Disclosure Law) requires political committees, candidates,
and other persons to file reports disclosing contributions, expenditures, receipts,
disbursements, and other specified information. Present law (R.S. 18:1505.2(I)) permits a
candidate or a political committee to expend campaign contributions for any lawful purpose,
but prohibits the use, loan, or pledging of such funds by any person for personal use
unrelated to a political campaign, the holding of a public office or party position, or, in the
case of a political committee other than a candidate's principal campaign committee or
subsidiary committee, the administrative costs or operating expenses of the political
committee. Provides that excess campaign funds may be returned to contributors on a pro
rata basis; given as a charitable contribution as provided in federal law (26 U.S.C. 170(c));
given to a charitable organization as defined in federal law (26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3)); expended
in support of or in opposition to a proposition, political party, or candidacy of any person;
or maintained in a segregated fund for use in future political campaigns or activity related
to preparing for future candidacy to elective office. Present law prohibits campaign funds
from being used to pay a fine, fee, or penalty imposed pursuant to the Code of Governmental
Ethics and prohibits a candidate from using campaign funds to make any payment or
expenditure to an immediate family member, with specified exceptions. Present law does not
apply to campaign funds received prior to July 15, 1988.
Present law (R.S. 18:1491.7(B)(13) and 1495.5(B)(12)) relative to the disclosure of
expenditures, requires that the amount, purpose, and date of each such expenditure be
reported and requires that political committees include the name and address of and office
sought by candidates on whose behalf each such expenditure was made.
Proposed law further requires that a brief description of the purpose of each expenditure be
reported.
Effective Jan. 1, 2015.
(Amends R.S. 18:1491.7(B)(13) and 1495.5(B)(12))
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Senate and
Governmental Affairs to the engrossed bill
1. Changes reporting requirements for campaign expenditures to require a brief
explanation of the purpose of the expenditure rather than a detailed
explanation of the purpose of each expenditure containing sufficient
information to relate the expenditure to an acceptable use.