Pennsylvania Statutes § 3246 Reporting by candidate and political committees and other persons

Statute Text

(a) Each treasurer of a political committee and each candidate for election to public office shall file with the appropriate supervisor reports of receipts and expenditures on forms, designed by the Secretary of the Commonwealth, if the amount received or expended or liabilities incurred shall exceed the sum of two hundred fifty dollars ($250). Should such an amount not exceed two hundred fifty dollars ($250), then the candidate or the treasurer of the committee shall file a sworn statement to that effect with the appropriate supervisor rather than the report required by this section.

(b) Each report shall include the following information:

(1) The full name, mailing address, occupation and name of employer, if any, or the principal place of business, if self-employed, of each person who has made one or more contributions to or for such committee or candidate within the reporting period in an aggregate amount or value in excess of two hundred fifty dollars ($250), together with the amount and date of such contributions. The accuracy of the information furnished to the candidate or committee shall be the responsibility of the contributor.

(2) The full name and mailing address of each person who has made one or more contributions to or for such committee or candidate within the reporting period in an aggregate amount or value in excess of fifty dollars ($50), together with the amount and date of such contributions. The accuracy of the information furnished by the contributor shall be the responsibility of the contributor.

(3) The total sum of individual contributions made to or for such committee or candidate during the reporting period and not reported under clauses (1) and (2).

(4) Each and every expenditure, the date made, the full name and address of the person to whom made and the purpose for which such expenditure was made.

(5) Any unpaid debts and liabilities, with the nature and amount of each, the date incurred and the full name and address of the person owed.

(6) The account shall include any unexpended balance of contributions or other receipts appearing from the last account filed.

(c) Vouchers or copies of vouchers for all sums expended amounting to more than twenty-five dollars ($25) shall be retained by the candidate or the committee treasurer and shall be available for public inspection and copying as herein provided. Any person may inspect or copy such vouchers or copies thereof by filing a written request with the appropriate supervisory office which shall notify the candidate or political committee of such request. The candidate or political committee shall have the option of either forwarding such vouchers or copy of the same to the supervisor for such purpose or making the vouchers or copy of the same available to the requesting person. If a candidate or a treasurer of a political committee shall fail to make said vouchers or copies thereof available for inspection and copying when requested by the appropriate supervisory officer, such officer shall direct the candidate or political committee to promptly deliver the vouchers or copies thereof to the supervisory office for purposes of inspection and copying. Costs of copying and costs of delivery by the candidate or treasurer of the requested vouchers or copies thereof shall be borne by the person requesting same.

(d) Pre-election reports by candidates for offices to be voted for by the electors of the State at large and all political committees, which have expended money for the purpose of influencing the election of such candidate, shall be filed not later than the sixth Tuesday before and the second Friday before an election, provided that the initial pre-election report shall be complete as of fifty (50) days prior to the election and the subsequent pre-election report shall be complete as of fifteen (15) days prior to the election. Pre-election reports by all other candidates and political committees which have received contributions or made expenditures for the purpose of influencing an election shall be filed not later than the second Friday before an election, provided that such report be complete as of fifteen (15) days prior to the election.

(e) All candidates or political committees, required to file under this section, shall also file a post-election report not later than thirty (30) days after an election which shall be complete as of twenty (20) days after the election. In the case of a special election the post-election report shall be complete as of ten (10) days after such special election.

(f) Each report shall also contain a summary, on a separate page, of the information required by subsection (b).

(g) Every person, other than a political committee or candidate, who makes independent expenditures expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate, or question appearing on the ballot, other than by contribution to a political committee or candidate, in an aggregate amount in excess of one hundred dollars ($100) during a calendar year shall file with the appropriate supervisor, on a form prepared by the Secretary of the Commonwealth, a report which shall include the same information required of a candidate or political committee receiving such a contribution and, additionally, the name of the candidate or question supported or opposed. Reports required by this subsection shall be filed on dates on which reports by political committees making expenditures are required to report under this section.

(h) All reports required to be filed pursuant to this section shall be filed pursuant to section 1630. All reports and statements required by this section shall cover the campaign activity of a candidate only from the last prior report or statement.

(i) An expenditure from a candidate's political committee to another political committee shall be reported as a contribution by the political committee receiving the contribution but need not be reported by the contributing candidate's political committee until the time required by law for that candidate's political committee to report: Provided, however, That if the amount of the contribution exceeds two hundred fifty dollars ($250) to a single political committee or one thousand dollars ($1,000) in aggregate contributions to more than one political committee for any primary, general or special election, then receipts and expenditures shall be reported by the contributing committee at the same time as required by law for the committee receiving same.

(j) All "Political Action Committees" shall report to the Secretary of the Commonwealth all expenditures to or made on behalf of, any Statewide candidate, candidate for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, or candidate for the State Senate, in the same manner as indicated in this section as a candidate's political committee. This provision shall be in addition to any other filing and reporting provisions of this act which apply to such committees, their treasurers and chairmen.

History

1937, June 3, P.L. 1333, § 1626, added 1978, Oct. 4, P.L. 893, No. 171, § 2, effective 1/1/1979 . Amended 1979 , July 21, P.L. 189, No. 63 , § 8, imd. effective; 1980 , July 11, P.L. 591, No. 127 , § 6, imd. effective; 1980 , July 11, P.L. 600, No. 128 , § 8 , imd. effective; 1981 , July 10, P.L. 256, No. 84 , § 1 , imd. effective.

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