Section 17-25-1. – Short title.
§ 17-25-1. Short title. This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Rhode Island Campaign Contributions and Expenditures Reporting Act”. History of Section.P.L. 1974, ch. 298, § 1.
Section 17-25-10. – Lawful methods of contributing to support of candidates — Reporting — Disposition of anonymous contributions.
§ 17-25-10. Lawful methods of contributing to support of candidates — Reporting — Disposition of anonymous contributions. (a) No contribution shall be made or received, and no expenditures shall be directly made or incurred, to support or defeat a candidate except through: (1) The candidate or duly appointed campaign treasurer or deputy campaign treasurer of […]
Section 17-25-10.1. – Political contributions — Limitations.
§ 17-25-10.1. Political contributions — Limitations. (a)(1) No person, other than the candidate to his or her own campaign, nor any political action committee shall make a contribution or contributions to any candidate, as defined by § 17-25-3, or political action committee or political party committee that, in the aggregate, exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) […]
Section 17-25-11. – Dates for filing of reports by treasurers of candidates or of committees.
§ 17-25-11. Dates for filing of reports by treasurers of candidates or of committees. (a) During the period between the appointment of the campaign treasurer for state and municipal committees and political action committees, or in the case of an individual the date on which the individual becomes a “declared or undeclared candidate” as defined […]
Section 17-25-11.1. – Preservation of candidate or committee records.
§ 17-25-11.1. Preservation of candidate or committee records. (a) For every report filed after the effective date of this chapter, the campaign treasurer of each candidate seeking nomination for election or election to public office shall maintain and preserve all records and supporting documentation for a period of four (4) years from the filing date. […]
Section 17-25-11.2. – Requirements for appointment of a treasurer or deputy treasurer — Examination and certification of accounts.
§ 17-25-11.2. Requirements for appointment of a treasurer or deputy treasurer — Examination and certification of accounts. (a) Appointment of treasurer or deputy treasurer. Whenever a campaign account containing campaign funds received and expended by a candidate, office holder, or treasurer, subject to the provisions of this chapter, receives or expends at least ten thousand […]
Section 17-25-12. – Prohibited contributions.
§ 17-25-12. Prohibited contributions. No contributions shall be made, and no expenditure shall be made or incurred, whether anonymously, in a fictitious name, or by one person or group in the name of another, to support or defeat a candidate in a primary, general, or special election. No treasurer or candidate shall solicit or knowingly […]
Section 17-25-13. – Penalties.
§ 17-25-13. Penalties. (a) Any person who willfully and knowingly violates the provisions of this chapter shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) per violation. (b) The state board may fine any person or entity who violates the provisions of this chapter in […]
Section 17-25-14. – Maintenance of party organization.
§ 17-25-14. Maintenance of party organization. Any state or municipal committee of any political party may receive and disburse moneys for the general purposes of maintaining the organization during the whole or any part of the year. History of Section.P.L. 1974, ch. 298, § 1.
Section 17-25-15. – Political action committee — Notice of formation.
§ 17-25-15. Political action committee — Notice of formation. (a) No political action committee shall accept any contributions or make any expenditures prior to filing notice of its organization with the board of elections. The notice shall contain: (1) The name or names of any candidates whose election or defeat the committee intends to advocate; […]
Section 17-25-16. – Enjoining of illegal acts — Forfeiture of contributions.
§ 17-25-16. Enjoining of illegal acts — Forfeiture of contributions. (a) Whenever the board of elections has reason to believe that a candidate, political party committee, or political action committee, or the campaign treasurer or deputy campaign treasurer of the candidate or committee, has accepted a contribution or made an expenditure in violation of the […]
Section 17-25-17. – Severability.
§ 17-25-17. Severability. (a) If the provisions of this chapter or their application to any person or circumstances is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the chapter which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of the chapter are declared […]
Section 17-25-18. – Public financing of election campaigns — General purpose.
§ 17-25-18. Public financing of election campaigns — General purpose. Whereas, the general assembly finds that the cost of running for statewide office has risen over the last decade at a rate far in excess of the increase in the cost of living; and Whereas, the general assembly finds that the need to raise ever […]
Section 17-25-19. – Public financing of election campaigns — Outlined.
§ 17-25-19. Public financing of election campaigns — Outlined. (a) To effectuate the purpose stated in § 17-25-18, public funds shall be made available under the terms and conditions of this section and §§ 17-25-20 — 17-25-27 to qualifying candidates for general office who agree to abide by a limitation on the total amount of […]
Section 17-25-2. – Declaration of policy.
§ 17-25-2. Declaration of policy. It is declared to be in the public interest and to be the policy of the state to require the reporting of certain contributions received and expenditures made to aid or promote the nomination, election, or defeat of all candidates for public office. History of Section.P.L. 1974, ch. 298, § […]
Section 17-25-20. – Eligibility criteria for matching public funds.
§ 17-25-20. Eligibility criteria for matching public funds. In order to receive matching public funds under § 17-25-19, a qualifying candidate must comply with the following requirements: (1) The candidate must sign a statement under oath, as provided for in § 17-25-19, pledging to comply with the limitations on contributions and expenditures for election purposes […]
Section 17-25-21. – Primary elections.
§ 17-25-21. Primary elections. Any candidate eligible to receive public funds and electing to receive these funds who is challenged for nomination for general office in a political party primary shall be permitted to raise and expend an additional amount of private funds equal to one-third (⅓) of the maximum allowable expenditure amount for the […]
Section 17-25-22. – Time period for payment of public funds.
§ 17-25-22. Time period for payment of public funds. (a) No public funds shall be dispersed to candidates until after the date of the primary election. In order to receive matching public funds, the candidate must be a candidate for general office who meets all of the requirements set forth in subdivision 17-25-20(6). The candidate […]
Section 17-25-23. – Funds expended by person, committee of a political party, or political action committee — Private expenditure.
§ 17-25-23. Funds expended by person, committee of a political party, or political action committee — Private expenditure. For the purposes of §§ 17-25-19 and 17-25-20, any funds expended by a person, committee of a political party, or political action committee to directly influence the outcome of the electoral contest involving the candidate shall be […]
Section 17-25-24. – Additional expenditures.
§ 17-25-24. Additional expenditures. Any candidate eligible to receive public funds and electing to receive these funds whose opponent does not elect to receive public funds shall be permitted to raise additional private contributions and make additional expenditures for election purposes in an amount in excess of the candidate’s maximum allowable expenditure limit equal to […]