2012 Initiative Petitions
Approved for Circulation in Missouri

Statutory Amendment to RSMo Chapter 130, Relating to Campaign Finance, version 1
2012-049

Be it enacted by the people of the state of Missouri:

Section A. Section 130.032 is enacted and section 130.044, RSMo, is amended to read as follows:

            130.032. 1. In addition to the limitations imposed under section 130.031, the amount of contributions made by or accepted from any person other than the candidate in any one election shall not exceed the following:

(1) To elect an individual to the office of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, state auditor, or attorney general, five thousand dollars;

(2) To elect an individual to the office of state senator, five thousand dollars;

(3) To elect an individual to the office of state representative, five thousand dollars; and

(4) To elect an individual to any other office, including judicial office, five thousand dollars.

2. Contributions from persons under fourteen years of age shall be considered made by the parents or guardians of such person and shall be attributed toward any contribution limits prescribed in this chapter. Where the contributor under fourteen years of age has two custodial parents or guardians, fifty percent of the contribution shall be attributed to each parent or guardian, and where such contributor has one custodial parent or guardian, all such contributions shall be attributed to the custodial parent or guardian.

3. Any committee that accepts or gives contributions other than those allowed by this section shall be subject to a surcharge of one thousand dollars plus an amount equal to the contribution per nonallowable contribution, to be paid to the ethics commission and which shall be transferred to the director of revenue, upon notification of such nonallowable contribution by the ethics commission, and after the candidate has had ten business days after receipt of notice to return the contribution to the contributor. The candidate and the candidate committee treasurer owing a surcharge shall be personally liable for the payment of the surcharge or may pay such surcharge from campaign funds existing on the date of the receipt of notice. Such surcharge shall constitute a debt to the state enforceable under, but not limited to, the provisions of chapter 143.

 4. A person commits the crime of “evasion of campaign contribution limits” if he purposely forms or operates multiple committees or other entities for the purpose of evading the contribution limits of this section.  Evasion of campaign contribution limits shall be a class A misdemeanor.

5. Nothing in this section shall prohibit a political subdivision from imposing campaign contribution limits that are lower than those provided for in this section.

 6. The provisions of this section shall become effective on January 1, 2013.

130.044. 1. All individuals and committees required to file disclosure reports under section 130.041 shall electronically report any contribution by any single contributor which exceeds [five] two thousand dollars to the Missouri ethics commission within forty-eight hours of receiving the contribution.

2. Any individual currently holding office as a state representative, state senator, or any candidate for such office or such individual's campaign committee shall electronically report any contribution exceeding five hundred dollars made by any contributor to his or her campaign committee during the regular legislative session of the general assembly, within forty-eight hours of receiving the contribution.

3. Any individual currently holding office as the governor, lieutenant governor, treasurer, attorney general, secretary of state or auditor or any candidate for such office or such person's campaign committee shall electronically report any contribution exceeding five hundred dollars made by any contributor to his or her campaign committee during the regular legislative session or any time when legislation from the regular legislative session awaits gubernatorial action, within forty-eight hours of receiving the contribution.

4. Reports required under this section shall contain the same content required under section 130.041 and shall be filed in accordance with the standards established by the commission for electronic filing and other rules the commission may deem necessary to promulgate for the effective administration of this section.

5. Any rule or portion of a rule, as that term is defined in section 536.010, that is created under the authority delegated in this section shall become effective only if it complies with and is subject to all of the provisions of chapter 536 and, if applicable, section 536.028. This section and chapter 536 are nonseverable and if any of the powers vested with the general assembly pursuant to chapter 536 to review, to delay the effective date, or to disapprove and annul a rule are subsequently held unconstitutional, then the grant of rulemaking authority and any rule proposed or adopted after August 28, 2008, shall be invalid and void.