S. 1149 Summary

• Restricts campaign fund expenditures to only bona fide purposes directly related to promoting a candidate's nomination or election, or performing unpaid duties of public office or party position.

• Defines personal use to include expenditures for the candidate's or officeholder's normal living expenses, commitments that would exist regardless of campaign status, and amounts treated as gross income under Internal Revenue Code section 61.

• Expands the list of prohibited personal use expenditures to include residential expenses, tuition, club dues, automobile purchases or long-term leases, entertainment admissions, and fines assessed under election law.

• Requires disposition of campaign funds upon a candidate's death within twelve months, allowing the estate representative to return funds to contributors, donate to charity or state university, donate to the state's general fund, transfer to a political party committee, or contribute to other candidates within contribution limits.

• Effective sixty days after enactment, with the state board of elections required to notify registered campaign committees within thirty days.