17RS House Bill 398

House Bill 398

Actions

Last Action	to Elections, Const. Amendments & Intergovernmental Affairs (H)
Title	AN ACT relating to public financing of political campaigns and making an appropriation therefor.
Bill Documents	Introduced
Impact Statements	Local Mandate
Bill Request Number	1124
Sponsors	J. Wayne, M. Marzian
Summary of Original Version	Amend KRS 121.015 to define several terms; create new sections of KRS Chapter 121 to establish the campaign finance credit fund; give the power to appropriate money from the fund to the Registry of Election Finance; identify sources of revenue for the fund; establish the campaign finance credit program to give registered voters two campaign finance credits valued at $50 each to give to the candidate of their choice for statewide constitutional office and the General Assembly; establish the format of and information to be included on the campaign finance credits; determine how and to whom a voter can assign campaign finance credits; ensure confidentiality regarding the identity of voters who receive or are assigned campaign finance credits; restrict assignment of campaign finance credits to candidates certified by the registry as participating candidates and establish measures for assignment of campaign finance credits; indicate that a campaign finance credit expires if the holder is not a registered voter and resident of Kentucky and specify risks assumed by the voter; indicate that only candidates who have filed with the registry can receive campaign finance credits; create a new section of KRS Chapter 121 to require candidates to be certified as participating candidates by the registry to establish eligibility requirements; indicate that no candidate is eligible for campaign finance credits if he or she has spent funds other than those raised from qualified contributions; indicate that a candidate loses status as a participating candidate if he or she publicly withdraws from the campaign, abandons the race, or the registry finds violations of election laws, including the campaign finance credit program laws; indicate that the registry shall maintain a list of candidates and make it available to the public on the registry Web site or in a publication with statewide distribution; indicate that participating candidates and their registered representatives may receive campaign finance credits, and that registered representatives must be volunteers; indicate that the treasurer of a candidate committee shall keep copies of all campaign finance credits received; indicate that the registry shall redeem a campaign finance credit only after verifying the assignment by ensuring it was assigned to a participating candidate; provide that the registry shall redeem each campaign finance credit within three business days of verification; establish limits for total funds that can be distributed from the campaign finance credit fund; establish dollar limits for total amount of campaign finance credit funds that can be redeemed by all candidates; indicate that campaign finance credits may only be used for campaign costs or debts; indicate that participating candidates who withdraw, die, become ineligible, lose participating candidate status, are defeated in a primary, special election, or regular election or win a regular election shall restore to the registry unspent campaign finance credits; APPROPRIATION.
Index Headings of Original Version	County Clerks - Registry of Election Finance, voter registration lists, access to Elections and Voting - Registry of Election Finance, public campaign finance, administering General Assembly - Campaign finance credits, candidate, eligible for Governor - Campaign finance credit, candidate, eligible for Secretary of State - Campaign finance credit, candidate, eligible for Secretary of State - Registry of Election Finance, voter registration lists, access to Treasurer - Campaign finance credits, candidate, eligible for Ethics - Registry of Election Finance, public campaign finance, administering Agriculture - Commissioner of, campaign finance credit, candidate, eligible for Appropriations - Campaign finance credit fund Attorney General - Campaign finance credits, candidate, eligible for Auditor of Public Accounts - Campaign finance credits, candidate, eligible for Campaign Finance - Registry of Election Finance, public funding, administering Local Mandate - Registry of Election Finance, voter registration lists, access to Lieutenant Governor - Campaign finance credit, candidate, eligible for

02/15/17	introduced in House
02/16/17	to Elections, Const. Amendments & Intergovernmental Affairs (H)