Wisconsin Legislative Council
AMENDMENT MEMO
One Ea st Ma in Stre e t, Suite 401 • Ma dison, W I 53703 • (608) 266-1304 • le g.council@le gis.wisconsin.gov • http://www.le gis.wisconsin.gov/lc
Memo published: November 8, 2023 Contact: Katie Bender-Olson, Principal Attorney
2023 Senate Bill 334 Senate Amendment 1
2023 SENATE BILL 334
Senate Bill 334 requires the dissolution of a candidate’s or elected official’s candidate committee if that
candidate or official is convicted of a campaign finance or election fraud felony. Under the bill, if a court
adjudges a candidate or elected official guilty in a criminal action, the court action must: (1) order
termination of the individual’s candidate committee; (2) order the committee to return its residual
funds to donors or donate them to the common school fund; and (3) appoint a new treasurer for the
candidate committee.
SENATE AMENDMENT 1
Senate Amendment 1 modifies how a candidate committee must return or donate funds when a court
orders the termination of the committee, and requires courts to give notice to the Wisconsin Elections
Commission (WEC). The amendment requires that a terminated candidate committee must pay its
outstanding debts before returning residual funds to donors or donating them to the common school
fund.
Senate Amendment 1 also prohibits the committee from returning any contributions made from a
candidate’s or official’s personal funds to the committee, and prohibits a candidate, official, or previous
treasurer from accessing funds in the committee’s depository account. Finally, the amendment requires
a court that terminates a candidate committee and appoints a new treasurer to notify WEC of its
actions.
BILL HISTORY
Senator Knodl offered Senate Amendment 1 on November 6, 2023. On November 8, 2023, the Senate
Committee on Shared Revenue, Elections, and Consumer Protection voted to adopt Senate Amendment
1 and recommend passage of Senate Bill 334, as amended, on votes of Ayes, 5; Noes, 0.
For a full history of the bill, visit the Legislature’s bill history page.
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