CSHB 241(STA): "An Act relating to the use of a state candidate's campaign account and to assets owned by a state campaign; and providing for an effective date."
00CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 241(STA) 01 "An Act relating to the use of a state candidate's campaign account and to assets 02 owned by a state campaign; and providing for an effective date." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. AS 15.13 is amended by adding a new section to read: 05 Sec. 15.13.105. USE OF BALANCE OF A STATE CANDIDATE'S 06 CAMPAIGN ACCOUNT AND DISPOSITION OF ASSETS. (a) A candidate for 07 state office may not take money from the surplus balance of the candidate's campaign 08 account as personal income. 09 (b) The disbursement of a surplus balance of the campaign account of a 10 candidate for state office shall be reported to the commission on the next required 11 report. 12 (c) A candidate for state office disbursing the surplus balance in the candidate's 13 campaign account may only 14 (1) give the money to a charitable organization or to an agency of the
01 state or a political subdivision of the state; 02 (2) use the money to repay contributors to the candidate's campaign; 03 a repayment under this paragraph may not exceed the amount of the initial contribution 04 from the contributor; 05 (3) use the money to repay the candidate, if the candidate made 06 contributions to the campaign, but only in an amount that does not exceed the 07 contributions the candidate made; a candidate may repay a contribution the candidate 08 made during a prior campaign for the same or a different state or municipal office if 09 the contribution has not yet been repaid; 10 (4) leave the money in a campaign account until the next time the 11 candidate campaigns for elective office; however, any interest realized from a surplus 12 in a campaign account shall remain in the account and be reported on the first report 13 required of the candidate when the candidate is again a candidate for elective office; 14 (5) contribute the money to another candidate or a group controlled by 15 a candidate, subject to the limitation of AS 15.13.070, to a political party, or to a 16 group supporting or opposing a ballot proposition or question; 17 (6) spend the money on costs associated with contesting the outcome 18 of an election or a ballot recount; 19 (7) spend the money on costs associated with a legal action to qualify 20 for placement on the ballot; 21 (8) transfer the money to the candidate's office allowance under (e) of 22 this section; or 23 (9) contribute the money to the state general fund. 24 (d) If a campaign acquires furniture, office equipment, or other tangible assets, 25 either by purchase or contribution to the campaign, and if the cumulative value of the 26 assets, valued at the time of acquisition, that were acquired during the calendar year 27 exceeded $5,000, the campaign shall report the information required by this subsection. 28 The campaign shall report the disposal of any item worth at least $1,000 at the time 29 of acquisition as part of the campaign's next required report. As part of the year-end 30 report, the campaign shall report the current location of any item worth at least $1,000 31 at the time of acquisition that is still owned by the campaign.
01 (e) A candidate for state office who is elected to office may transfer the 02 surplus balance of the candidate's campaign account to the candidate's office 03 allowance. The portion of the office allowance that is attributable to money from the 04 campaign account may only be spent on expenses relating to the candidate's office or 05 for a purpose permitted under (c) of this section. The candidate shall report 06 information concerning expenditures that are attributable to money from the campaign 07 account to the commission. The report must include the information that would have 08 been required had the money remained in the campaign account. Money that is 09 attributable to the campaign account that is remaining in an office allowance when a 10 candidate leaves state office may only be spent on a purpose permitted under (c) of 11 this section. 12 (f) In this section, 13 (1) "candidate for state office" means a candidate for governor, 14 lieutenant governor, or the state legislature; 15 (2) "charitable organization" means an entity that is exempt from 16 federal taxation under 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) (Internal Revenue Code) or an established, 17 recognized charitable organization as set out in regulations adopted by the commission; 18 (3) "personal income" means income that the candidate is required to 19 report as income on the candidate's personal income tax return to the federal 20 government. 21 * Sec. 2. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).