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2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
2023 SENATE BILL 604
October 30, 2023 - Introduced by Senators LARSON, SMITH, L. JOHNSON and
HESSELBEIN, cosponsored by Representatives SINICKI, SUBECK, C. ANDERSON, J.
ANDERSON, ANDRACA, BALDEH, BARE, BILLINGS, CABRERA, CLANCY, CONLEY,
DRAKE, JACOBSON, JOERS, MOORE OMOKUNDE, OHNSTAD, PALMERI, SHELTON and
SNODGRASS. Referred to Committee on Shared Revenue, Elections and
Consumer Protection.
AN ACT to amend 11.1101 (figure), 11.1101 (1) (intro.), 11.1101 (1) (a), 11.1101
(2) (intro.), 11.1101 (2) (a), 11.1101 (3), 11.1101 (4), 11.1103 (1) (intro.) and (2)
(intro.), 11.1103 (3), 11.1112 and 11.1113 (3) (b); to repeal and recreate
11.1104; and to create 11.1101 (5) and 11.1204 (4) of the statutes; relating to:
campaign contribution limits.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Current law allows unlimited campaign contributions to certain entities, such
as political action committees, legislative campaign committees, and political
parties, but prohibits a political action committee from contributing more than
$12,000 in any calendar year to a political party or legislative campaign committee.
This bill limits the contributions that an individual may make to a political party or
legislative campaign committee to the amounts that an individual may make to a
candidate committee, as provided under the bill. The bill also limits the contributions
that a political party or legislative campaign committee may make to a candidate
committee to the amounts that an individual may make to a candidate committee,
as provided under the bill. In addition, the bill limits the contributions that a
candidate committee may make to a political party or legislative campaign
committee to the amounts that the candidate committee may make under current
law to another candidate committee but retains the unlimited contributions under
current law for contributions that a candidate makes to his or her candidate
committee from the candidate's personal funds.
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The bill also decreases the individual and candidate committee contribution
limit from $20,000 to $10,000 for contributions made to candidates for governor,
lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, attorney general, state
superintendent, or justice of the supreme court and reduces by half the limits that
apply to political action committee contributions to candidates. The limits under the
bill are the same, generally, as those that applied to political action committee
contributions prior to 2016.
Finally, current law allows a political party or legislative campaign committee
to establish a segregated fund to use for general purposes but not for making
contributions to a candidate committee or for making disbursements for express
advocacy. Persons other than a political action committee, corporation, cooperative,
labor organization, or American Indian tribe may make unlimited contributions to
the segregated fund. A political action committee, corporation, cooperative, labor
organization, or American Indian tribe may make a contribution to the fund in
amounts not to exceed $12,000 in the aggregate in a calendar year. The bill
eliminates the provision allowing a political party or legislative campaign committee
to establish such a fund.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SECTION 1. 11.1101 (figure) of the statutes is amended to read:
Figure 11.1101:
INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTORS CANDIDATE COMMITTEE
CONTRIBUTORS
POLITICAL ACTION
COMMITTEE CONTRIBUTORS
GOVERNOR $20,000 $10,000 $20,000 $10,000 $86,000 $43,000
LT. GOVERNOR $20,000 $10,000 $20,000 $10,000 $26,000 $13,000
SECRETARY OF STATE $20,000 $10,000 $20,000 $10,000 $18,000 $9,000
STATE TREASURER $20,000 $10,000 $20,000 $10,000 $18,000 $9,000
ATTORNEY GENERAL $20,000 $10,000 $20,000 $10,000 $44,000 $22,000
STATE SUPERINTENDENT $20,000 $10,000 $20,000 $10,000 $18,000 $9,000
JUSTICE $20,000 $10,000 $20,000 $10,000 $18,000 $9,000
STATE SENATOR $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $1,000
ASSEMBLY
REPRESENTATIVE
$1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $500
APPEALS JUDGE −
POPULOUS DISTRICTS
$6,000 $6,000 $6,000 $3,000
APPEALS JUDGE −
OTHER DISTRICTS
$5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $2,500
CIRCUIT JUDGE −
POPULOUS AREA
$6,000 $6,000 $6,000 $3,000
DISTRICT ATTORNEY −
POPULOUS AREA
$6,000 $6,000 $6,000 $3,000
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CIRCUIT JUDGE −
OTHER AREA
$2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $1,000
DISTRICT ATTORNEY −
OTHER AREA
$2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $1,000
LOCAL OFFICES GREATER OF $500 OR 2 CENTS
TIMES THE POPULATION, BUT
NOT MORE THAN $6,000
GREATER OF $500 OR 2 CENTS
TIMES THE POPULATION, BUT
NOT MORE THAN $6,000
GREATER OF $400 $200 OR 2
CENTS ONE CENT TIMES THE
POPULATION, BUT NOT MORE
THAN $5,000 $2,500
SECTION 2. 11.1101 (1) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
11.1101 (1) INDIVIDUAL LIMITS. (intro.) An individual may contribute to a
candidate committee, political party, or legislative campaign committee no more
than the following amounts specified for the a candidate whose nomination or
election the individual committee or party supports [See Figure 11.1101 following]:
SECTION 3. 11.1101 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
11.1101 (1) (a) Candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state,
state treasurer, attorney general, state superintendent, or justice, $20,000 $10,000.
SECTION 4. 11.1101 (2) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
11.1101 (2) CANDIDATE COMMITTEES. (intro.) A candidate committee may
contribute to another candidate committee, a political party, or a legislative
campaign committee no more than the following amounts specified for the a
candidate whose nomination or election the other candidate committee, political
party, or legislative campaign committee supports [See Figure 11.1101 following]:
SECTION 5. 11.1101 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
11.1101 (2) (a) Candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state,
state treasurer, attorney general, state superintendent, or justice, $20,000 $10,000.
SECTION 6. 11.1101 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
11.1101 (3) POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES. A political action committee may
contribute to a political party or legislative campaign committee no more than
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SECTION 6 SENATE BILL 604
$12,000 in any calendar year, and to a candidate committee no more than the
following amounts specified for the candidate whose nomination or election the
committee supports [See Figure 11.1101 following]:
(a) Candidates for governor, $86,000 $43,000.
(b) Candidates for lieutenant governor, $26,000 $13,000.
(c) Candidates for attorney general, $44,000 $22,000.
(d) Candidates for secretary of state, state treasurer, state superintendent, or
justice, $18,000 $9,000.
(e) Candidates for state senator, $2,000 $1,000.
(f) Candidates for representative to the assembly, $1,000 $500.
(g) Candidates for court of appeals judge in districts which contain a county
having a population of more than 750,000, $6,000 $3,000.
(h) Candidates for court of appeals judge in other districts, $5,000 $2,500.
(i) Candidates for circuit judge in circuits having a population of more than
300,000, or candidates for district attorney in prosecutorial units having a
population of more than 300,000, $6,000 $3,000.
(j) Candidates for circuit judge in other circuits or candidates for district
attorney in other prosecutorial units, $2,000 $1,000.
(k) Candidates for local offices, an amount equal to the greater of the following:
1. Four Two hundred dollars.
2. Two cents One cent times the number of inhabitants of the jurisdiction or
district, according to the latest federal census or the census information on which the
district is based, as certified by the appropriate filing officer, but not more than
$5,000 $2,500.
SECTION 7. 11.1101 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
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11.1101 (4) OTHER PERSONS. A person, other than a person subject to sub. (1),
(2), or (3) or s. 11.1112, may contribute to a political party or legislative campaign
committee no more than $12,000 in any calendar year, and to a candidate committee
no more than the following amounts specified for the candidate whose nomination
or election the committee supports:
(a) Candidates for governor, $86,000 $43,000.
(b) Candidates for lieutenant governor, $26,000 $13,000.
(c) Candidates for attorney general, $44,000 $22,000.
(d) Candidates for secretary of state, state treasurer, state superintendent, or
justice, $18,000 $9,000.
(e) Candidates for state senator, $2,000 $1,000.
(f) Candidates for representative to the assembly, $1,000 $500.
(g) Candidates for court of appeals judge in districts that contain a county
having a population of more than 750,000, $6,000 $3,000.
(h) Candidates for court of appeals judge in other districts, $5,000 $2,500.
(i) Candidates for circuit judge in circuits having a population of more than
300,000, or candidates for district attorney in prosecutorial units having a
population of more than 300,000, $6,000 $3,000.
(j) Candidates for circuit judge in other circuits or candidates for district
attorney in other prosecutorial units, $2,000 $1,000.
(k) Candidates for local offices, an amount equal to the greater of the following:
1. Four Two hundred dollars.
2. Two cents One cent times the number of inhabitants of the jurisdiction or
district, according to the latest federal census or the census information on which the
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SECTION 7 SENATE BILL 604
district is based, as certified by the appropriate filing officer, but not more than
$5,000 $2,500.
SECTION 8. 11.1101 (5) of the statutes is created to read:
11.1101 (5) POLITICAL PARTIES AND LEGISLATIVE CAMPAIGN COMMITTEES. A political
party or legislative campaign committee may contribute to a candidate committee
no more than the following amounts specified for the candidate whose nomination
or election the candidate committee supports:
(a) Candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state
treasurer, attorney general, state superintendent, or justice, $10,000.
(b) Candidates for state senator, $1,000.
(c) Candidates for representative to the assembly, $1,000.
(d) Candidates for court of appeals judge in districts which contain a county
having a population of more than 750,000, $3,000.
(e) Candidates for court of appeals judge in other districts, $2,500.
(f) Candidates for circuit judge in circuits having a population of more than
300,000, or candidates for district attorney in prosecutorial units having a
population of more than 300,000, $3,000.
(g) Candidates for circuit judge in other circuits or candidates for district
attorney in other prosecutorial units, $1,000.
(h) Candidates for local offices, an amount equal to the greater of the following:
1. Two hundred dollars.
2. One cent times the number of inhabitants of the jurisdiction or district,
according to the latest federal census or the census information on which the district
is based, as certified by the appropriate filing officer, but not more than $2,500.
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SECTION 9
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SECTION 9. 11.1103 (1) (intro.) and (2) (intro.) of the statutes, as affected by 2021
Wisconsin Act 265, are amended to read:
11.1103 (1) (intro.) For an individual who is a candidate seeking reelection to
the office that the individual holds, the limits under s. 11.1101 (1) to (4) (5) apply as
follows:
(2) (intro.) For an individual who is a candidate for an office that the individual
does not hold, the limits under s. 11.1101 (1) to (4) (5) apply as follows:
SECTION 10. 11.1103 (3) of the statutes, as created by 2021 Wisconsin Act 265,
is amended to read:
11.1103 (3) For an individual seeking election to an office at a special election,
the limits under s. 11.1101 (1) to (4) (5) apply from the date on which the individual
becomes a candidate to the 22nd day after the election. If the individual is elected
at the special election, the limits under s. 11.1101 (1) to (4) (5) apply from the 23rd
day after the special election to the end of the applicable period under sub. (1).
SECTION 11. 11.1104 of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:
11.1104 Exceptions. (1) For the period beginning on the day after the day
of the general election and ending on the day of the next general election, no person
may make any of the following contributions in a total amount exceeding $10,000:
(a) Contributions to a political action committee.
(b) Contributions transferred between political action committees.
(c) Contributions to a legislative campaign committee.
(d) Contributions to a political party.
(e) Contributions made by a political party or legislative campaign committee
to a candidate committee.
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SECTION 11 SENATE BILL 604
(f) Contributions transferred between the candidates for governor and
lieutenant governor of the same political party.
(g) Contributions used to pay legal fees and other expenses incurred as a result
of a recount under s. 9.01.
(h) Contributions used to pay legal fees and other expenses incurred in
connection with or in response to circulating, offering to file, or filing a petition to
recall an office holder prior to the time that a recall primary or election is ordered,
or after that time if incurred to contest or defend the order.
(i) Contributions to a recall committee.
(j) Contributions to a referendum committee.
(k) Contributions to an independent expenditure committee.
(2) A candidate may make unlimited contributions from the candidate's
personal funds or property or the personal funds or property that are owned jointly
or as marital property with the candidate's spouse to his or her candidate committee.
SECTION 12. 11.1112 of the statutes is amended to read:
11.1112 Corporations, cooperatives, and tribes. No foreign or domestic
corporation, no association organized under ch. 185 or 193, no labor organization,
and no federally recognized American Indian Tribe may make a contribution to a
committee, other than an independent expenditure committee or referendum
committee, but may make a contribution to a segregated fund as provided under s.
11.1104 (6) in amounts not to exceed $12,000 in the aggregate in a calendar year.
SECTION 13. 11.1113 (3) (b) of the statutes, as affected by 2021 Wisconsin Act
265, is amended to read:
11.1113 (3) (b) A contribution made to a candidate committee, political party,
or legislative campaign committee by a single-member limited liability company in
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which the sole member is an individual is considered a contribution made by that
individual and subject to the individual limits under s. 11.1101 (1). A limited liability
company that makes a contribution under this paragraph shall affirm to the
candidate committee, political party, or legislative campaign committee that it is a
single-member limited liability company in which the sole member is an individual
and eligible to make the contribution.
SECTION 14. 11.1204 (4) of the statutes is created to read:
11.1204 (4) No person may make contributions to a political party or legislative
campaign committee except as provided under s. 11.1101 (1) to (5).
SECTION 15.0Initial applicability.
(1) This act first applies to contributions made on January 1, 2024.
(END)
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