An Act establishing The Elections Transparency Act, concerning campaign contribution limits and reporting requirements, amending various parts of the statutory law, supplementing P.L.1973, c.83 (C.19:44A-1 et seq.), repealing section 1 of P.L.2005, c.271, and requiring an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 7 of P.L.1973, c.83 (C.19:44A-7) is amended to read as follows:
C.19:44A-7 Spending limits.
7. The amount which may be spent in aid of the candidacy of any qualified candidate for Governor in a primary election shall not exceed $7,300,000. The amount which may be spent in aid of the candidacy of any qualified joint candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor in a general election shall not exceed $15,600,000; but such sums shall not include the traveling expenses of the candidate or candidates or of any person other than the candidate or candidates if such traveling expenses are voluntarily paid by such person without any understanding or agreement with the candidate or candidates that they shall be, directly or indirectly, repaid to him by the candidate or candidates.
2. Section 22 of P.L.1993, c.65 (C.19:44A-7.2) is amended to read as follows:
C.19:44A-7.2 Adjustment, amounts, offices other than Governor, Lieutenant Governor.
22. a. Not later than December 1, 2023 and every two years thereafter, the Election Law Enforcement Commission shall adjust the amounts, set forth in subsection b. of this section, which shall be applicable under P.L.1973, c.83 (C.19:44A-1 et al.) to primary and general elections for any public office other than the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor at a percentage which shall be calculated in the same manner as the percentage of change that the commission applies to the amounts used for the primary election for the office of Governor and the general election for the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor, pursuant to section 19 of P.L.1980, c.74 (C.19:44A-7.1), and any amount so adjusted shall be rounded in the same manner as provided in that section.
b. The amounts subject to adjustment as provided under this section shall be:
(1) the minimum amount raised or expended by any two or more persons acting jointly who qualify as a political committee and the minimum amount contributed or expected to be contributed in any calendar year by any group of two or more persons acting jointly who qualify as a continuing political committee as defined in section 3 of P.L.1973, c.83 (C.19:44A-3);
(2) (Deleted by amendment, P.L.2004, c.28);
(3) the minimum amount of a contribution to a political committee, continuing political committee, legislative leadership committee or a political party committee received during the period between the 13th day prior to the election and the date of the election, the minimum amount of an expenditure by a political committee during that period, and the minimum amount of an expenditure by a continuing political committee during the period beginning after March 31 and ending on the date of the primary election and the period beginning after September 30 and ending on the date of the general election which triggers an obligation to report that contribution to the commission pursuant to section 8 of P.L.1973, c.83 (C.19:44A-8), and the minimum amount of a contribution to a candidate, candidate committee or joint candidates committee received during the period between the 13th day prior to the election and the date of the election which triggers an obligation to report that contribution to the commission pursuant to section 16 of P.L.1973, c.83 (C.19:44A-16);
(4) the maximum amount which may be expended by the campaign organizations of two or more candidates forming a joint candidates committee without being required to file contribution reports, pursuant to section 8 of P.L.1973, c.83 (C.19:44A-8);
(5) the maximum amount that a person, not acting in concert with any other person or group, may spend to support or defeat a candidate or to aid the passage or defeat of a public question without being required to report all such expenditures and expenses to the commission pursuant to section 11 of P.L