Bill 100126

..Title Amending Chapter 20-1000 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Political Contributions and Expenditures," by providing that expenditures incurred in the printing or distribution of sample ballots shall not be considered a contribution for purposes of the contribution limits of that Chapter, and clarifying that the requirement of a single candidate political committee does not prohibit other committees or entities from making expenditures for the printing or distribution of sample ballots listing the names of more than one candidate, all under certain terms and conditions. ..Body THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA HEREBY ORDAINS: SECTION 1. Chapter 20-1000 of The Philadelphia Code is hereby amended to read as follows: CHAPTER 20-1000. POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND EXPENDITURES. §20-1001. Definitions. For purposes of this Chapter, the following definitions shall apply: * * * (6) Contribution. Money, gifts, forgiveness of debts, loans, or things having a monetary value incurred or received by a candidate or his/her agent for use in advocating or influencing the election of the candidate. * * * (15) Sample Ballot. A ballot distributed by a political committee that lists more than one candidate in a specific covered election and recommends that voters vote for the listed candidates. * * * §20-1002. Contribution Limitations. * * * (13) If a candidate makes an expenditure to a political committee in order to have his or her name placed on a sample ballot distributed by that political committee, any expenditures made by the political committee for printing or distribution of the sample ballot on which the candidate appears shall not be counted as a contribution to the candidate for the purpose of calculating the contribution limits set forth in this section. (14) If a person or political committee makes an expenditure to a political committee in order that a candidate's name be placed on a sample ballot, the amount of the expenditure from that person or political committee shall be counted as a contribution to the candidate for the purpose of calculating the contribution limits set forth in this section. Any additional expenditures made by the political committee distributing the sample ballot to print or distribute the sample ballot shall not be counted as a contribution to the candidate. If the expenditure by the person or political committee is an independent expenditure, as defined by the Pennsylvania Election Code, it is not a contribution to the candidate. §20-1003. Candidate Political Committee Accounts. A candidate for City elective office shall have no more than one political committee and one checking account for the city office being sought, into which all contributions for such office shall be made, and out of which all expenditures for that office shall be made. If the candidate for office maintains other political or non-political accounts for which contributions are solicited, such funds collected in these accounts shall not be used the purpose of influencing the outcome of a covered election. It shall not be a violation of this section for a candidate for City elective office who is a ward leader to make expenditures through his or her ward's political committee for the printing or distribution of sample ballots where such sample ballots list the candidate as one of the endorsed candidates either of the candidate's party or of the candidate's ward. * * * ______________________ Explanation: Italics indicate new matter added. ..End 2