DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part of
the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of
the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
CONFERENCE COMMI TTEE REPORT DIGEST
House Bill No. 1079 by Representative Tim Burns
Keyword and oneliner of the instrument as it left the House
CAMPAIGN FINANCE: Provides relative to the reporting of expenditures of campaign funds
Report adopts Senate amendments to:
1. Remove the proposed requirement that the report of an expenditure contain a detailed
explanation of the purpose of each expenditure containing sufficient information to relate
the expenditure to an acceptable use and provide instead that the report contain a
description of the purpose as it relates to the expenditure.
Report rejects Senate amendments which would have:
1. Added a provision that the report contain a brief description of the purpose of the
expenditure.
Digest of the bill as proposed by the Conference Committee
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 relative to the purpose of the expenditure, provides that a description of the
purpose as it relates to the expenditure be reported and otherwise retains present law.
Effective Jan. 1, 2015.
(Amends R.S. 18:1491.7(B)(13) and 1495.5(B)(12))