Bill Text: IL SB1520 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Election Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2021-01-13 - Session Sine Die [SB1520 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2019-SB1520-Introduced.html

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101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2019 and 2020 SB1520 Introduced 2/15/2019, by Sen. Don Harmon SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
10 ILCS 5/9-1.8 from Ch. 46, par. 9-1.8
10 ILCS 5/9-6 from Ch. 46, par. 9-6
Amends the Election Code. Includes certain tax-exempt organizations under the federal Internal Revenue Code in the definitions of political action committees, ballot initiative committees, and independent expenditure committees. Allows the tax-exempt organizations to establish a separate political committee whose function is to receive or make contributions or make expenditures, or any combination thereof, to support or oppose candidates or questions of public policy. Sets forth certain requirements for these separate committees. Effective immediately.
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A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning elections.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Election Code is amended by changing
Sections 9-1.8 and 9-6 as follows:
(10 ILCS 5/9-1.8) (from Ch. 46, par. 9-1.8)
Sec. 9-1.8. Political committees.
(a) "Political committee" includes a candidate political
committee, a political party committee, a political action
committee, a ballot initiative committee, and an independent
expenditure committee.
(b) "Candidate political committee" means the candidate
himself or herself or any natural person, trust, partnership,
corporation, or other organization or group of persons
designated by the candidate that accepts contributions or makes
expenditures during any 12-month period in an aggregate amount
exceeding $5,000 on behalf of the candidate.
(c) "Political party committee" means the State central
committee of a political party, a county central committee of a
political party, a legislative caucus committee, or a committee
formed by a ward or township committeeperson of a political
party. For purposes of this Article, a "legislative caucus
committee" means a committee established for the purpose of

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electing candidates to the General Assembly by the person
elected President of the Senate, Minority Leader of the Senate,
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Minority Leader of the
House of Representatives, or a committee established by 5 or
more members of the same caucus of the Senate or 10 or more
members of the same caucus of the House of Representatives.
(d) "Political action committee" means any natural person,
trust, partnership, committee, association, corporation, or
other organization, including one organized for tax-exempt
status under Section 501(c)(4), 501(c)(5), or 501(c)(6) of the
Internal Revenue Code, or group of persons, other than a
candidate, political party, candidate political committee, or
political party committee, that accepts contributions or makes
expenditures during any 12-month period in an aggregate amount
exceeding $5,000 on behalf of or in opposition to a candidate
or candidates for public office. "Political action committee"
includes any natural person, trust, partnership, committee,
association, corporation, or other organization, including one
organized for tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(4),
501(c)(5), or 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code, or group
of persons, other than a candidate, political party, candidate
political committee, or political party committee, that makes
electioneering communications during any 12-month period in an
aggregate amount exceeding $5,000 related to any candidate or
candidates for public office.
(e) "Ballot initiative committee" means any natural

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person, trust, partnership, committee, association,
corporation, or other organization, including one organized
for tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(4), 501(c)(5), or
501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code, or group of persons
that accepts contributions or makes expenditures during any
12-month period in an aggregate amount exceeding $5,000 in
support of or in opposition to any question of public policy to
be submitted to the electors. "Ballot initiative committee"
includes any natural person, trust, partnership, committee,
association, corporation, or other organization, including one
organized for tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(4),
501(c)(5), or 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code, or group
of persons that makes electioneering communications during any
12-month period in an aggregate amount exceeding $5,000 related
to any question of public policy to be submitted to the voters.
The $5,000 threshold applies to any contributions or
expenditures received or made with the purpose of securing a
place on the ballot for, advocating the defeat or passage of,
or engaging in electioneering communication regarding the
question of public policy, regardless of the method of
initiation of the question of public policy and regardless of
whether petitions have been circulated or filed with the
appropriate office or whether the question has been adopted and
certified by the governing body.
(f) "Independent expenditure committee" means any trust,
partnership, committee, association, corporation, or other

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organization, including one organized for tax-exempt status
under Section 501(c)(4), 501(c)(5), or 501(c)(6) of the
Internal Revenue Code, or group of persons formed for the
exclusive purpose of making independent expenditures during
any 12-month period in an aggregate amount exceeding $5,000 in
support of or in opposition to (i) the nomination for election,
election, retention, or defeat of any public official or
candidate or (ii) any question of public policy to be submitted
to the electors. "Independent expenditure committee" also
includes any trust, partnership, committee, association,
corporation, or other organization, including one organized
for tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(4), 501(c)(5), or
501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code, or group of persons
that makes electioneering communications that are not made in
connection, consultation, or concert with or at the request or
suggestion of a public official or candidate, a public
official's or candidate's designated political committee or
campaign, or an agent or agents of the public official,
candidate, or political committee or campaign during any
12-month period in an aggregate amount exceeding $5,000 related
to (i) the nomination for election, election, retention, or
defeat of any public official or candidate or (ii) any question
of public policy to be submitted to the voters.
(Source: P.A. 100-1027, eff. 1-1-19.)
(10 ILCS 5/9-6) (from Ch. 46, par. 9-6)

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Sec. 9-6. Accounting for contributions.
(a) A person who collects or accepts a contribution for a
political committee shall, within 5 days after receipt of such
contribution, submit to the treasurer a detailed account of the
contribution, including (i) the amount, (ii) the name and
address of the person making such contribution, (iii) the date
on which the contribution was received, and (iv) the name and
address of the person collecting or accepting the contribution
for the political committee. A political committee shall
disclose on the quarterly statement the name, address, and
occupation of any person who collects or accepts contributions
from at least 5 persons in the aggregate of $3,000 or more
outside of the presence of a candidate or not in connection
with a fundraising event sanctioned or coordinated by the
political committee during a reporting period. This subsection
does not apply to a person who is an officer of the committee,
a compensated employee, a person authorized by an officer or
the candidate of a committee to accept contributions on behalf
of the committee, or an entity used for processing financial
transactions by credit card or other means.
(b) Within 5 business days of contributing goods or
services to a political committee, the contributor shall submit
to the treasurer a detailed account of the contribution,
including (i) the name and address of the person making the
contribution, (ii) a description and market value of the goods
or services, and (iii) the date on which the contribution was

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made.
(c) All funds of a political committee shall be segregated
from, and may not be commingled with, any personal funds of
officers, members, or associates of such committee.
(d) An organization that qualifies for tax-exempt status
under Section 501(c)(4), 501(c)(5), or 501(c)(6) of the
Internal Revenue Code may, in order to comply with the specific
reporting provisions that are required of political
committees, establish a separate political committee in the
manner described in Section 9-3 of this Code whose exclusive
function is to receive or make contributions or make
expenditures, or any combination thereof, to support or oppose
candidates or questions of public policy.
(1) To facilitate this option, nonprofit organizations
may create a separate segregated fund in which
contributions shall be deposited or made as defined in
Section 9-1.4 of this Code and from which expenditures
shall be disbursed as defined in Section 9-1.5 of this
Code.
(2) If a nonprofit organization chooses this option,
the disclosure of any deposits of money into the segregated
fund shall report the original source or sources of the
money and not the name of the parent nonprofit
organization.
(Source: P.A. 96-832, eff. 1-1-11.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon

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becoming law.