SSB 1033

This bill relates to recurring contributions made to a political committee or a candidate’s committee. The bill prohibits a committee from accepting a recurring contribution from a person unless the committee has received the affirmative consent of the person to make a recurring contribution. Affirmative consent does not include passive action by the person making the contribution. The bill defines “recurring contribution”. The bill requires a committee to immediately cancel a recurring contribution upon request of the person making the contribution. The bill also requires a committee to return a recurring contribution made in response to a solicitation that violates the provisions of the bill to the person within days of receipt of a request from the person or the date on which the committee becomes aware that the solicitation violated the provisions of the bill, whichever is sooner, unless the recurring contribution was made prior to the effective date of the bill. Otherwise, the bill applies to recurring contributions created before, on, or after the effective date of the bill. The bill does not apply to a political committee soliciting or accepting a contribution from an employee or shareholder. By operation of law, a person who willfully violates a provision of the bill is guilty of a serious misdemeanor. A serious misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for no more than one year and a fine of at least $430 but not more than $2,560.