| 1 | 1 | | LRB-4839/1 |
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| 2 | 2 | | JK:amn |
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| 3 | 3 | | 2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE |
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| 4 | 4 | | 2023 ASSEMBLY BILL 599 |
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| 5 | 5 | | October 31, 2023 - Introduced by Representatives RATCLIFF, SINICKI, ORTIZ-VELEZ, |
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| 6 | 6 | | CONLEY, J. ANDERSON, EMERSON, SNODGRASS, SUBECK, BALDEH, BARE, SHELTON, |
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| 7 | 7 | | CABRERA, CONSIDINE, PALMERI, STUBBS, C. ANDERSON, JOERS and SHANKLAND, |
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| 8 | 8 | | cosponsored by Senators LARSON, SPREITZER, TAYLOR, ROYS, L. JOHNSON and |
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| 9 | 9 | | HESSELBEIN. Referred to Committee on Campaigns and Elections. |
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| 10 | 10 | | ***AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE*** |
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| 11 | 11 | | AN ACT to renumber 11.1208 (4); and to create 11.1208 (4) (b) of the statutes; |
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| 12 | 12 | | relating to: expressly prohibiting a foreign national from making a |
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| 13 | 13 | | contribution to a referendum committee. |
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| 14 | 14 | | Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau |
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| 15 | 15 | | Current law provides that no person may make or accept a contribution, make |
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| 16 | 16 | | a disbursement, make an expenditure, or incur an obligation in violation of the |
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| 17 | 17 | | federal law that prohibits a foreign national from making a contribution in |
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| 18 | 18 | | connection with any federal, state, or local election. This bill provides, in addition, |
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| 19 | 19 | | that no foreign national may make a contribution to a referendum committee and no |
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| 20 | 20 | | referendum committee may accept a contribution from a foreign national. A recent |
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| 21 | 21 | | decision by the Federal Elections Commission allowed a foreign national to make a |
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| 22 | 22 | | contribution to a ballot initiative committee because the FEC determined that a |
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| 23 | 23 | | ballot initiative is not an “election” for purposes of the federal law prohibiting |
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| 24 | 24 | | contributions from foreign nationals. |
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| 25 | 25 | | The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do |
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| 26 | 26 | | enact as follows: |
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| 27 | 27 | | SECTION 1. 11.1208 (4) of the statutes is renumbered 11.1208 (4) (a). |
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| 28 | 28 | | SECTION 2. 11.1208 (4) (b) of the statutes is created to read: |
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| 33 | 33 | | 5 - 2 -2023 - 2024 Legislature LRB-4839/1 |
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| 34 | 34 | | JK:amn |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 2 ASSEMBLY BILL 599 |
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| 36 | 36 | | 11.1208 (4) (b) No foreign national may make a contribution to a referendum |
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| 37 | 37 | | committee and no referendum committee may accept a contribution from a foreign |
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| 38 | 38 | | national. In this paragraph, “foreign national” has the meaning given in 11 CFR |
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| 39 | 39 | | 110.20 (a) (3) and 52 USC 30121 (b). |
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| 40 | 40 | | (END) |
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