Councilmember Charles Allen Councilmember Kenyan R. Mcduffie

______

Councilmember Charles Allen Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie

______

Councilmember Elissa Silverman Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr.

A PROPOSED RESOLUTION

______

IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

______

To declare the existence of an emergency with respect to the need to amend the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability Establishment and Comprehensive Ethics Reform Amendment Act of 2011 to enhance the reporting requirements of political action committees and independent expenditure committees during nonelection years, and to apply current contribution limitations to political action committees during nonelection years.

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution may be cited as the “Campaign Finance Reform and Transparency Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2016”.

Sec. 2. (a) Following the November 2016 General Election, the District of Columbia entered into a nonelection year.

(b) District law does not currently provide limitations on contributions to political action committees in nonelection years, nor do political action committees or independent expenditure committees report frequently to the Office of Campaign Finance during that time period.

(c) It is therefore imperative that the Council amend existing law to ensure that the activities of political action committees and independent expenditure committees are transparent and accountable.

(d) This emergency bill will apply the contribution limitations under Section 333 of the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability Establishment and Comprehensive Ethics Reform Amendment Act of 2011, effective April 27, 2012 (D.C. Law 19-124; D.C. Official Code § 1-1163.33), to political action committees in nonelection years.

(e) The bill will also bring transparency to contributions to and expenditures by political action committees and independent expenditure committees during nonelection years.

Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia determines that the circumstances enumerated in section 2 constitute emergency circumstances making it necessary that the Campaign Finance Reform and Transparency Emergency Amendment Act of 2016 be adopted after a single reading.

Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.

1