GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1995

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 382

Short Title:  Media Reporting of Endorsements.	(Public)

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Sponsors: Representatives Wood; Buchanan, Cocklereece, Culp, Decker, Eddins, Justus, Lemmond, K. Miller, Pulley, and Sharp.

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Referred to:  Judiciary II.

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March 8, 1995

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE REPORTING OF ENDORSEMENTS BY THE MEDIA AS INDEPENDENT CAMPAIGN EXPENDITURES.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  G.S. 163-278.12 reads as rewritten:
"§ 163-278.12.  Contributions and expenditures by an individual other than a candidate; media endorsements reported.
(a)	Subject to G.S. 163-278.16(f) and 163-278.14, it shall be permissible for an individual other than a candidate to make contributions or expenditures in support of, or in opposition to, any candidate, political committee, or referendum committee other than by contribution to a candidate, political committee, or referendum committee.  In the event an individual makes contributions or expenditures, other than by contribution to a candidate, political committee, or referendum committee, in excess of one hundred dollars ($100.00), then, within 10 days after making such a contribution or expenditure, he shall file a statement of such contribution or expenditure with the Board in accordance with the terms and conditions of G.S. 163-278.11.
(b)	The value of an endorsement of a candidate or party by a media, as defined in G.S. 163-278.6, shall be reported by that media to the same board that the candidate or party endorsed is required to file reports with under this Article.  The reports shall be made on the same schedule and cover the same time periods as reports made under G.S. 163-278.9.  The reports shall itemize the value of the endorsement of each candidate or party endorsed.  For the purpose of this section, the value of the endorsement is the amount that the media would have charged for a similarly placed commercial advertisement, except that if the Communications Act of 1934 would provide for a lower amount to be charged for a candidate's ad on a radio or television station, the value of the endorsement by the radio or television station shall be the amount that the Communications Act of 1934 would require to be charged to a candidate."
Sec. 2.  This act applies with respect to elections conducted on or after December 1, 1995.