2023 District of Columbia Code › Title 1 - Government Organization › Chapter 11A - Ethics and Government Accountability › Subchapter III - Campaign Finance › Part C-i - Fair Elections Program › § 1–1163.32d. Base amount payments

§ 1–1163.32d. Base amount payments.
(a)(1)(A) Within 5 business days after a participating candidate is certified under § 1-1163.32c(b), the Director of Campaign Finance shall direct the Office of the Chief Financial Officer to disburse to the participating candidate half of the base amount described in paragraph (2) of this subsection. The Office of the Chief Financial Officer shall disburse the funds within 5 business days after receiving direction to do so from the Director of Campaign Finance.
(B) Within 5 business days after the participating candidate qualifies for the ballot, the Director of Campaign Finance shall direct the Office of the Chief Financial Officer to disburse to the participating candidate the other half of the base amount described in paragraph (2) of this subsection. The Office of the Chief Financial Officer shall disburse the funds within 5 business days after receiving direction to do so from the Director of Campaign Finance.
(2) The base amount shall be:
(A) $160,000 for the office of Mayor;
(B) $40,000 for the office of Attorney General;
(C) $40,000 for the office of Chairman of the Council;
(D) $40,000 for the office of Councilmember elected at-large and from a ward; and
(E) $10,000 for the office of State Board of Education elected at-large and from a ward.
(b)(1) In an uncontested election, the participating candidate shall:
(A) Not receive the base amount described in subsection (a) of this section, except as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection; and
(B) Be eligible to receive matching payments for qualified small-dollar contributions pursuant to § 1-1163.32e.
(2) If an uncontested election becomes a contested election after a participating candidate is certified under § 1-1163.32c(b), the Director of Campaign Finance shall direct, no later than 5 business days after the uncontested election becomes a contested election, the Office of the Chief Financial Officer to disburse to the participating candidate, and the Office of the Chief Financial Officer shall disburse, within 5 business days after receiving direction to do so from the Director of Campaign Finance:
(A) The first half of the base amount, if the participating candidate has not qualified for the ballot; or
(B) Both halves of the base amount, if the participating candidate has qualified for the ballot.
(3)(A) If a contested election becomes an uncontested election after the participating candidate has received the first, but not the second, half of the base amount, the participating candidate may retain any unspent base amount funds to repay:
(i) Any authorized expenditures or the proper debts that were incurred in connection with the participating candidate's campaign; and
(ii) Personal funds of the participating candidate or the participating candidate's immediate family contributed under § 1-1163.32f(a)(6).
(B) If a contested election becomes an uncontested election, a participating candidate who has not yet qualified for the ballot shall not receive the second half of the base amount upon ballot qualification.
(c) Funds shall be distributed to participating candidates under this section through the use of an electronic funds transfer or a debit card.
(Apr. 27, 2012, D.C. Law 19-124, § 332d; as added May 5, 2018, D.C. Law 22-94, § 2(b)(5), 65 DCR 2847; Sept. 11, 2019, D.C. Law 23-16, § 1042(k), 66 DCR 8621; Mar. 16, 2021, D.C. Law 23-192, § 3(f), 68 DCR 001073.)
Applicability
Section 3 of D.C. Law 22-168 amended section 3 of D.C. Law 22-94, removing the applicability restriction impacting this section. Therefore the creation of this section by section 2(b)(5) of D.C. Law 22-94 has been implemented as of November 7, 2018.
Applicability of D.C. Law 22-94: § 3 of D.C. Law 22-94 provided that the creation of this section by § 2(b)(5) of D.C. Law 22-94 is subject to the inclusion of the law’s fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan. Therefore that amendment has not been implemented.
Emergency Legislation
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 803(b)(2) of Coronavirus Support Second Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2020 (D.C. Act 23-405, Aug. 19, 2020, 67 DCR 10235).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 803(b)(2) of Coronavirus Support Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2020 (D.C. Act 23-328, June 8, 2020, 67 DCR 7598).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 803(b)(2) of Coronavirus Support Emergency Amendment Act of 2020 (D.C. Act 23-326, May 27, 2020, 67 DCR 7045).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 1042(k) of Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Support Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2019 (D.C. Act 23-112, Sept. 4, 2019, 66 DCR 11964).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 1042(k) of Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2019 (D.C. Act 23-91, July 22, 2019, 66 DCR 8497).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(e) of Fair Elections Emergency Amendment Act of 2019 (D.C. Act 23-50, May 22, 2019, 66 DCR 6583).
Temporary Legislation
For temporary (225 days) amendment of this section, see § 803(b)(2) of Coronavirus Support Temporary Amendment Act of 2020 (D.C. Law 23-130, Oct. 9, 2020, 67 DCR 8622).
For temporary (225 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(e) of Fair Elections Temporary Amendment Act of 2019 (D.C. Law 23-13, Aug. 24, 2019, 66 DCR 8058).