Source: http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2008_SESSIONS/2X/BILLS/hb219%20enr.htm
Timestamp: 2018-01-18 21:49:37
Document Index: 343136514

Matched Legal Cases: ['§3', '§3', '§3', '§3', '§3', '§3', '§3', '§3', '§3', '§3', '§3', '§3', '§441', '§3']

hb219 enr
H. B. 219
[Passed June 28, 2008; in effect ninety days from passage.]
AN ACT to amend and reenact §3-8-1, §3-8-1a, §3-8-4, §3-8-5 and §3- 8-8 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; and to amend and reenact §3-9-14 of said code, all relating to the regulation and control of elections, generally; legislative findings related to the particular characteristics of West Virginia which warrant regulation of non-broadcast media; defining terms; clarifying that statutory prohibitions and criminal provisions relating to corporate election communications apply only to express advocacy; clarifying offenses and penalties; and establishing effective dates.
That §3-8-1, §3-8-1a, §3-8-4, §3-8-5 and §3-8-8 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted; and that §3-9-14 of said code be amended and reenacted, all to read as follows:
(2) State Senate districts have a population of approximately one hundred six thousand three hundred seventy-three, and the average Delegate district has a population of approximately thirty- one thousand, one hundred seventy-eight. The size of these districts is substantially smaller than the United States Senatorial and Congressional Districts.
(8) The regulation of the various types of non-broadcast media embodied within the amendments enacted during the second extraordinary session of two thousand eight, in addition to broadcast media, is tailored to meet the circumstances found in the State of West Virginia.
(16) Independent expenditures intended to influence candidates' campaigns in the State are increasingly utilizing non- broadcast media to support or defeat candidates.
(2) "Billboard" means a commercially available outdoor advertisement, sign or similar display regularly available for lease or rental to advertise a person, place or product.
(6) "Clearly identified" means that the name, nickname, photograph, drawing or other depiction of the candidate appears or the identity of the candidate is otherwise apparent through an unambiguous reference, such as "the Governor," "your Senator" or "the incumbent" or through an unambiguous reference to his or her status as a candidate, such as "the Democratic candidate for Governor" or "the Republican candidate for Supreme Court of Appeals."
(7) "Contribution" means a gift subscription, assessment, payment for services, dues, advance, donation, pledge, contract, agreement, forbearance or promise of money or other tangible thing of value, whether conditional or legally enforceable, or a transfer of money or other tangible thing of value to a person, made for the purpose of influencing the nomination, election or defeat of a candidate. An offer or tender of a contribution is not a contribution if expressly and unconditionally rejected or returned. A contribution does not include volunteer personal services provided without compensation: Provided, That a nonmonetary contribution is to be considered at fair market value for reporting requirements and contribution limitations.
(B) The cost of airtime on broadcast, cable or satellite radio and television stations, the costs of disseminating printed materials, establishing a telephone bank, studio time, use of facilities and the charges for a broker to purchase airtime.
(A) The first date during any calendar year on which any electioneering communication is disseminated after the person paying for the communication has spent a total of five thousand dollars or more for the direct costs of purchasing, producing or disseminating electioneering communications; or
(B) Any other date during that calendar year after any previous disclosure date on which the person has made additional expenditures totaling five thousand dollars or more for the direct costs of purchasing, producing or disseminating electioneering communications.
(12) (A) "Electioneering communication" means any paid communication made by broadcast, cable or satellite signal, mass mailing, telephone bank, billboard advertising, or published in any newspaper, magazine or other periodical that:
(iii) Is targeted to the relevant electorate: Provided, That for purposes of the general election of two thousand eight the amendments to this article shall be effective the first day of October, two thousand eight.
(A) Uses phrases such as "vote for the Governor," "re-elect your Senator," "support the Democratic nominee for Supreme Court," "cast your ballot for the Republican challenger for House of Delegates," "Smith for House," "Bob Smith in '04," "vote Pro-Life" or "vote Pro-Choice" accompanied by a listing of clearly identified candidates described as Pro-Life or Pro-Choice, "vote against Old Hickory," "defeat" accompanied by a picture of one or more candidates, "reject the incumbent," or communications of campaign slogans or individual words, that in context can have no other reasonable meaning than to urge the election or defeat of one or more clearly identified candidates, such as posters, bumper stickers, advertisements, etc. which say "Smith's the One," "Jones '06," "Baker"; or
(B) When considered in its entirety, the communication can only be interpreted by a reasonable person as advocating the election or defeat of one or more clearly identified candidates because:
(ii) Reasonable minds could not differ as to whether it encourages actions to elect or defeat one or more clearly identified candidates.
Supporting or opposing the election of a clearly identified candidate includes supporting or opposing the candidates of a political party. An expenditure which does not meet the criteria for an independent expenditure is considered a contribution. (17) "Mass mailing" means a mailing by United States mail, facsimile or electronic mail of more than five hundred pieces of mail matter of an identical or substantially similar nature within any thirty-day period. For purposes of this subdivision, substantially similar includes communications that contain substantially the same template or language, but vary in non-material respects such as communications customized by the recipient's name, occupation, or geographic location.
(20) "Person" means an individual, partnership, committee, association and any other organization or group of individuals.
(C) An unaffiliated political action committee, as that term is defined by subdivision(29) of this section.
(26) "Targeted to the relevant electorate" means a communication which refers to a clearly identified candidate for statewide office or the Legislature and which can be received by ten thousand or more individuals in the state in the case of a candidacy for statewide office and five hundred or more individuals in the district in the case of a candidacy for the Legislature.
(28) "Two-year election cycle" means the 24-month period that begins the day after a general election and ends on the day of the subsequent general election.
(1) Of all financial transactions, whenever the total exceeds five hundred dollars, which have taken place before the last Saturday in March, to be filed within six days thereafter and annually whenever the total of all financial transactions relating to an election exceeds five hundred dollars;
(3) Of all financial transactions which have taken place before the thirteenth day after each primary or other election and subsequent to the previous statement, if any, to be filed within four business days after the thirteenth day; and
(4) Of all financial transactions, whenever the total exceeds five hundred dollars or whenever any loans are outstanding, which have taken place before the forty-third day preceding the general election day, to be filed within four business days after the forty-third day.
(e) Candidates for the office of conservation district supervisor elected pursuant to the provisions of article twenty-one-a, chapter nineteen of this code are required to file only the reports required by subdivisions (2) and (3), subsection (b) of this section immediately prior to and after the primary election: Provided, That during the election in the year two thousand eight, the statements required by this subsection shall be filed immediately prior to and after the general election.
(a) Notwithstanding any provision of section two-b of this article, no officer, agent or person acting on behalf of any corporation, whether incorporated under the laws of this or any other state or of a foreign country, may pay, give, lend or authorize to be paid, given or lent any money or other thing of value belonging to the corporation for the purpose of expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate for state, district, county or municipal office, to any candidate, financial agent, political committee or other person. No person may solicit or receive any payment, contribution or other thing from any corporation or from any officer, agent or other person acting on behalf of the corporation.
(b)(1) The provisions of this section do not prohibit a corporation from:
(A) Directly communicating with its stockholders and executive or administrative personnel and their families on any subject: Provided, That the communication is not by newspapers of general circulation, radio, television or billboard advertising likely to reach the general public;
(B) Conducting nonpartisan registration and get-out-the-vote campaigns aimed at its stockholders and executive or administrative personnel and their families;
(C) Soliciting, through any officer, agent or person acting on behalf of the corporation, contributions to a separate segregated fund to be used for political purposes. Any separate segregated fund is considered a political action committee for the purpose of this article and is subject to all reporting requirements applicable to political action committees; and
(D) Corporations may make disbursements for political purposes, as such are defined by the provisions of subdivision (25), subsection (a), section one-a of this article, that do not expressly advocate for the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate. A disbursement for political purposes is permissible if it:
(iii) Focuses on a legislative, executive, or judicial matter or issue which either:
(I) Urges a candidate to take a particular position or action with respect to the matter or issue; or
(iv) Proposes a commercial transaction, such as purchase of a book, video, or other product or service, or attendance (for a fee) at a film exhibition or other event.
(A) A separate segregated fund to make a primary or other election contribution or expenditure by using money or anything of value secured: (i) By physical force, job discrimination or financial reprisal; (ii) by the threat of force, job discrimination or financial reprisal; (iii) as a condition of employment; or(iv) in any commercial transaction;
(B) Any person soliciting a stockholder or executive or administrative personnel and members of their families for a contribution to a separate segregated fund to fail to inform the person solicited of the political purposes of the separate segregated fund at the time of the solicitation;
(C) Any person soliciting any other person for a contribution to a separate segregated fund to fail to inform the person solicited at the time of the solicitation of his or her right to refuse to contribute without any reprisal;
(D) A corporation or a separate segregated fund established by a corporation: (i) To solicit contributions to the fund from any person other than the corporation's stockholders and their families and its executive or administrative personnel and their families; or (ii) to contribute any corporate funds;
(E) A corporation or a separate segregated fund established by a corporation to receive contributions to the fund from any person other than the corporation's stockholders and their immediate families and its executive or administrative personnel and their immediate families;
(F) A corporation to engage in job discrimination or to discriminate in job promotion or transfer because of an employee's failure to make a contribution to a separate segregated fund;
(G) A separate segregated fund to make any contribution, directly or indirectly, in excess of one thousand dollars in connection with or on behalf of any campaign for nomination or election to any elective office in the state or any of its subdivisions, or in connection with or on behalf of any committee or other organization or person engaged in furthering, advancing, supporting or aiding the nomination or election of any candidate for any such office;
(H) A corporation to pay, give or lend or to authorize payment, giving or lending of any moneys or other things of value belonging to the corporation to a separate segregated fund for any purpose. This provision does not prohibit a separate segregated fund from using the property, real or personal, facilities and equipment of a corporation solely to establish, administer and solicit contributions to the fund, subject to the rules of the State Election Commission as provided in subsection (d) of this section: Provided, That any such corporation shall also permit any group of its employees represented by a bona fide political action committee to use the real property of the corporation solely to establish, administer and solicit contributions to the fund of the political action committee, subject to the rules of the State Election Commission promulgated in accordance with said subsection. No corporation may use its property, real or personal, facilities, equipment, materials or services for the purpose of expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate for state, district, county or municipal office.
(c) Any person or corporation violating any provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, on conviction, shall be fined not more than ten thousand dollars. No corporation may reimburse any person the amount of any fine imposed pursuant to this section.
(d) To ensure uniform administration and application of the provisions of this section and of those of the Federal Election Campaign Act Amendments of 1976 relating to corporate contributions, the State Election Commission shall propose rules for legislative approval in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code to implement the provisions of this section consistent, insofar as practicable, with the rules and regulations promulgated by the Federal Election Commission to carry out similar or identical provisions of 2 U.S.C. §441b.
(e) In addition to the powers and duties set forth in article one-a of this chapter, the State Election Commission has the following powers and duties:
(f) The Attorney General shall, when requested, provide legal and investigative assistance to the State Election Commission.
(g) Any investigation, either upon complaint or initiative, shall be conducted in an executive session of the State Election Commission and shall remain undisclosed except upon an indictment by a grand jury.
(h) Any person who discloses the fact of any complaint, investigation or report or any part thereof, or any proceedings thereon, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be fined not less than one thousand dollars, nor more than five thousand dollars, and shall be imprisoned in jail not less than six months nor more than one year.
(i) The amendments to this section enacted during the second extraordinary session of two thousand eight are intended to conform to the existing proscription to constitutionally permissible limits and not to create a new offense or offenses.
(j) The effective date of the amendments to this section enacted during the second extraordinary legislative session of two thousand eight shall be the first day of October, two thousand eight.
ARTICLE 9. OFFENSES AND PENALTIES
§3-9-14. Unlawful acts by corporations; penalties.
(a) Except as provided in section eight, article eight of this chapter, any corporation which shall, by its officers, agents or otherwise, offer, give or use, or cause to be offered, given or used, or place or cause to be placed, in the possession, under the control or at the disposal of another, to be offered, given or used, directly or indirectly, money or other thing of value, for the purpose of expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate for a state, district, county or municipal office, it shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than five thousand nor more than twenty thousand dollars for every such offense, at the discretion of the jury.
(b) As used in this section, the terms "clearly identified," and "expressly advocating" shall have the meaning ascribed thereto by the provisions of section one-a, article eight of this chapter.
(c) The amendments to this section enacted during the second extraordinary session of two thousand eight are intended to conform the existing proscription to constitutionally permissible limits and not to create a new offense or offenses.
(d) The effective date of the amendments to this section enacted during the second extraordinary legislative session of two thousand eight shall be the first day of October, two thousand eight.