Maryland HB 721: Election Law - Political Clubs

Bill Text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0721*

HOUSE BILL 721
G1 2lr1869
HB 576/21 – W&M
By: Delegate Hornberger
Introduced and read first time: February 3, 2022
Assigned to: Ways and Means

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Election Law – Political Clubs 2

FOR the purpose of requiring a political club to be established as a political committee and 3
to file a statement of organization and, subject to a certain exception, campaign 4
finance reports; applying to political clubs the prohibition on paying a person other 5
than a campaign finance entity to defray the costs of a campaign finance entity; 6
providing that a political club in existence before a certain date is not required to file 7
any campaign finance reports under this Act for any period before a certain date and 8
shall file a campaign finance report covering a certain period; and generally relating 9
to political clubs. 10

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 11
Article – Election Law 12
Section 1–101(a), (h), and (gg) 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2017 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 15

BY adding to 16
Article – Election Law 17
Section 1–101(ff–1) 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2017 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 20

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 21
Article – Election Law 22
Section 1–101(ss), 13–207, 13–208, 13–304(a)(1), 13–305, and 13–602(a)(4) 23
Annotated Code of Maryland 24
(2017 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 25

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 26
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 27

2 HOUSE BILL 721

Article – Election Law 1

1–101. 2

(a) In this article the following words have the meanings indicated unless a 3
different meaning is clearly intended from the context. 4

(h) “Campaign finance entity” means a political committee established under 5
Title 13 of this article. 6

(FF–1) “POLITICAL CLUB” MEANS A COMBINATION OF TWO OR MORE 7
INDIVIDUALS WHO PAY DUES OR MAKE CONTRIBUTIONS TO AN ENTITY FOR THE 8
PURPOSE OF PARTICIPATING IN A POLITICAL MATTER. 9

(gg) “Political committee” means a combination of two or more individuals that has 10
as its major purpose promoting the success or defeat of a candidate, political party, 11
question, or prospective question submitted to a vote at any election. 12

(ss) “Transfer” means a monetary contribution that is made by one campaign 13
finance entity to another campaign finance entity, [other than] INCLUDING one made by 14
or to a political club. 15

13–207. 16

(a) This section applies to a political committee [other than], INCLUDING a 17
political club. 18

(b) A political committee may not receive or disburse money or any other thing of 19
value unless the political committee is established in accordance with the requirements of 20
this section. 21

(c) To establish a political committee: 22

(1) a chairman and a treasurer shall be appointed on a form that the State 23
Board prescribes and that is signed by the chairman and treasurer and includes: 24

(i) the residence addresses of the chairman and the treasurer; 25

(ii) if the chairman and treasurer affirmatively consent to receiving 26
notice under this title only by electronic mail, the electronic mail address of the chairman 27
and the treasurer; and 28

(iii) the information required by § 13–208 of this subtitle; and 29

(2) the form shall be filed with the State Board. 30

HOUSE BILL 721 3

(3) The chairman or treasurer of a political committee shall notify the State 1
Board of a change in the residence address of the chairman or treasurer no later than 21 2
days before the day on which the political committee’s next campaign finance report is due 3
under § 13–309 of this title. 4

(4) The chairman or treasurer of a political committee shall notify the State 5
Board of a change in the electronic mail address of the chairman or treasurer by the date 6
specified in paragraph (3) of this subsection if the chairman and treasurer of the political 7
committee have affirmatively consented to receiving notice under this title only by 8
electronic mail. 9

(d) (1) A chairman or treasurer of a political committee may resign by 10
completing a resignation form that the State Board prescribes and filing the form with the 11
State Board. 12

(2) If a vacancy occurs in the office of chairman or the office of treasurer, 13
the political committee promptly shall appoint a new chairman or treasurer in accordance 14
with this section. 15

(3) A political committee may not receive or disburse money or any other 16
thing of value if there is a vacancy in the office of chairman or the office of treasurer. 17

13–208. 18

(a) This section applies to a political committee [other than], INCLUDING a 19
political club. 20

(b) A political committee shall provide, with the filing required by § 13–207(c) of 21
this subtitle, a statement of organization that includes its name and