Brief ⁽¹⁾

HB 2346 amends the Campaign Finance Act by prohibiting legislators, members elect, or candidates for election to the Legislature from serving as officers or directors of a political committee which expressly advocates, or makes contributions or expenditures, for the nomination, election, or defeat of a clearly identified candidate for the Legislature. The bill excludes candidate committees and party committees from the definition of political committee.

Background

Representative Carmody, the sponsor of the bill, testified before the House Committee. A representative of the Governor testified in support of the bill. No opponents of the bill presented testimony at the House Committee hearing.

The House Committee on Governmental Organization and Elections amended the bill by deleting provisions that would have prohibited legislators from establishing political committees dedicated to legislative elections. That provision was replaced by a provision that would prohibit legislators, members elect, and candidates for election from serving as officers or directors of such political committees.

Other Committee amendments are technical.

The Division of the Budget's fiscal note on HB 2346 states that the Governmental Ethics Commission indicates that enactment of the bill would have no fiscal impact.

1. *Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at http://www.ink.org/public/legislative/bill_search.html