| HB 1599 - Campaign contributions; natural gas marketer; prohibitions |
First Reader Summary
A BILL to amend Article 2 of Chapter 5 of Title 21 of the
Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to campaign
contributions, so as to define certain terms; to provide that no
natural gas marketer or person or political action committee
acting on behalf of a natural gas marketer shall make a campaign
contribution to a person holding or seeking the office of member
of the Public Service Commission or to a campaign committee of
such person; and for other purposes.
HB 1599 LC 27 1138
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
1- 1 To amend Article 2 of Chapter 5 of Title 21 of the Official
1- 2 Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to campaign
1- 3 contributions, so as to define certain terms; to provide
1- 4 that no natural gas marketer or person or political action
1- 5 committee acting on behalf of a natural gas marketer shall
1- 6 make a campaign contribution to a person holding or seeking
1- 7 the office of member of the Public Service Commission or to
1- 8 a campaign committee of such person; to provide for criminal
1- 9 penalties; to provide for related matters; to provide for an
1-10 effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other
1-11 purposes.
1-12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
1-13 SECTION 1.
1-14 Article 2 of Chapter 5 of Title 21 of the Official Code of
1-15 Georgia Annotated, relating to campaign contributions, is
1-16 amended by adding a new Code Section 21-5-30.3 to read as
1-17 follows:
1-18 "21-5-30.3.
1-19 (a) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the
1-20 definitions set forth in Code Section 21-5-3 shall be
1-21 applicable to the provisions of this Code section. As
1-22 used in this Code section, the term:
1-23 (1) 'Campaign committee' means the candidate, person, or
1-24 committee which accepts contributions to bring about the
1-25 nomination for election or election of an individual to
1-26 the office of member of the Public Service Commission.
1-27 (2) 'Contribution' means a gift, subscription,
1-28 membership, loan, forgiveness of debt, advance or
1-29 deposit of money, or anything of value conveyed or
1-30 transferred for the purpose of influencing the
1-31 nomination for election or election of an individual to
1-32 the office of member of the Public Service Commission or
1-33 encouraging the holder of such office to seek
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2- 1 reelection. The term 'contribution' shall include the
2- 2 payment of a qualifying fee for and on behalf of a
2- 3 candidate for the office of member of the Public Service
2- 4 Commission and any other payment or purchase made for
2- 5 and on behalf of the holder of the office of member of
2- 6 the Public Service Commission or for or on behalf of a
2- 7 candidate for that office when such payment or purchase
2- 8 is made for the purpose of influencing the nomination
2- 9 for election or election of the candidate and is made
2-10 pursuant to the request or authority of the holder of
2-11 such office, the candidate, the campaign committee of
2-12 the candidate, or any other agent of the holder of such
2-13 office or the candidate. The term 'contribution' shall
2-14 not include the value of personal services performed by
2-15 persons who serve on a voluntary basis without
2-16 compensation from any source.
2-17 (3) 'Natural gas marketer' shall have the same meaning
2-18 as the term 'marketer' defined in paragraph (13) of Code
2-19 Section 46-4-152.
2-20 (4) 'Political action committee' means any committee,
2-21 club, association, partnership, corporation, labor
2-22 union, or other group of persons which receives
2-23 donations aggregating in excess of $1,000.00 during a
2-24 calendar year from persons who are members or supporters
2-25 of the committee and which distributes these funds as
2-26 contributions to one or more campaign committees of
2-27 candidates for public office. Such term does not mean a
2-28 campaign committee.
2-29 (b) No natural gas marketer and no person or political
2-30 action committee acting on behalf of a natural gas
2-31 marketer shall make a contribution to or on behalf of a
2-32 person holding office as a member of the Public Service
2-33 Commission or to or on behalf of a candidate for the
2-34 office of a member of the Public Service Commission or to
2-35 or on behalf of a campaign committee of any such
2-36 candidate.
2-37 (c) Nothing contained in this Code section shall be
2-38 construed to prevent any person who may be employed by a
2-39 natural gas marketer, including a person in whose name a
2-40 license or lease is held, from voluntarily making a
2-41 campaign contribution from that person's personal funds to
2-42 or on behalf of a person holding office as a member of the
2-43 Public Service Commission or to or on behalf of a
2-44 candidate for the office of member of the Public Service
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3- 1 Commission or to or on behalf of a campaign committee of
3- 2 any such candidate. It shall be unlawful and a violation
3- 3 of this Code section for any natural gas marketer or other
3- 4 person to require another by coercive action to make any
3- 5 such contribution.
3- 6 (d) Any person who knowingly violates this Code section
3- 7 shall be guilty of a felony and shall be punished by
3- 8 imprisonment for not less than one nor more than five
3- 9 years or by a fine not to exceed $5,000.00, or both."
3-10 SECTION 2.
3-11 This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the
3-12 Governor or upon its becoming law without such approval.
3-13 SECTION 3.
3-14 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are
3-15 repealed.
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Clerk of the House
Robert E. Rivers, Jr., Clerk
Last Updated on 02/24/00
