GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 249
Short Title: Exempt./Campaign Sales/Other Political Groups. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Alexander, Daniel, and Galey (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
March 10, 2025
*S249 -v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO EXEMPT OTH ER POLITICAL PARTY GROUPS IN THIS STATE FROM 2
CAMPAIGN SALES REPOR TING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PURCHASE PRICE OF 3
GOODS OR SERVICES UNDER THE CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS. 4
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
SECTION 1. G.S. 163-278.8A reads as rewritten: 6
"§ 163-278.8A. Campaign sales by political party executive committees.committees, 7
affiliated party committees, and other political party groups. 8
(a) Exempt Purchase Price Not Treated as "Contribution." – Notwithstanding the 9
provisions of G.S. 163-278.6(13), the purchase price of goods or services sold by a political party 10
executive committee or affiliated party committee committee, an affiliated party committee, or 11
other political party groups as provided in subsection (b) of this section shall not be treated as a 12
"contribution" for purposes of account-keeping under G.S. 163-278.8, for purposes of the 13
reporting of contributions under G.S. 163-278.11, or for the purpose of the limit on contributions 14
under G.S. 163-278.13. The treasurer is not required to obtain, maintain, or report the name or 15
other identifying information of the purchaser of the goods or services, as long as the 16
requirements of subsection (b) of this section are satisfied. However, the proceeds from the sales 17
of those goods and services shall be treated as contributions for other purposes, and expenditures 18
of those proceeds shall be reported as expenditures under this Article. For purposes of this 19
section, "political party groups" includes, but is not limited to, men, women, college, teen, senior, 20
young, African American, or Hispanic clubs or organizations. 21
(b) Exempt Purchase Price. – A purchase price for goods or services sold by a political 22
party executive committee or affiliated party committee committee, an affiliated party 23
committee, or other political party groups qualifies for the exemption provided in subsection (a) 24
of this section as long as the sale of the goods or services adheres to a plan that the treasurer has 25
submitted to and that has been approved in writing by the Executive Director of the State Board 26
of Elections. The Executive Director shall approve the treasurer's plan upon and only upon 27
finding that all the following requirements are satisfied: 28
(1) That the price to be charged for the goods or services is reasonably close to 29
the market price for the goods or services. 30
(2) That the total amount to be raised from sales under all plans by the committee 31
does not exceed twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) per election cycle. 32
(3) That no purchaser makes total purchases under the plan that exceed fifty 33
dollars ($50.00). 34
(4) That the treasurer include in the report under G.S. 163-278.11, covering the 35
relevant time period, all of the following: 36 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 249-First Edition
a. A description of the plan. 1
b. The amount raised from sales under the plan. 2
c. The number of purchases made. 3
(5) That the treasurer shall include in the appropriate report under 4
G.S. 163-278.11 any in-kind contribution made to the political party in 5
providing the goods or services sold under the plan and that no in-kind 6
contribution accepted as part of the plan violates any provision of this Article. 7
The Executive Director may require a format for submission of a plan, but that format shall 8
not place undue paperwork burdens upon the treasurer. As used in this subdivision, the term 9
"election cycle" has the same meaning as in G.S. 163-278.6(32)." 10
SECTION 2. This act is effective when it becomes law. 11