GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2025

S                                                                                                                                                     1

SENATE BILL 249

Short Title:      Exempt./Campaign Sales/Other Political Groups.		(Public)
Sponsors:	Senators Alexander, Daniel, and Galey (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to:	Rules and Operations of the Senate

March 10, 2025

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT to exempt other political party groups in this state from campaign sales reporting requirements for the purchase price of goods or services under the campaign finance laws.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 163‑278.8A reads as rewritten:

"§ 163‑278.8A.  Campaign sales by political party executive committees.committees, affiliated party committees, and other political party groups.

(a)        Exempt Purchase Price Not Treated as "Contribution." – Notwithstanding the provisions of G.S. 163‑278.6(13), the purchase price of goods or services sold by a political party executive committee or affiliated party committee committee, an affiliated party committee, or other political party groups as provided in subsection (b) of this section shall not be treated as a "contribution" for purposes of account‑keeping under G.S. 163‑278.8, for purposes of the reporting of contributions under G.S. 163‑278.11, or for the purpose of the limit on contributions under G.S. 163‑278.13. The treasurer is not required to obtain, maintain, or report the name or other identifying information of the purchaser of the goods or services, as long as the requirements of subsection (b) of this section are satisfied. However, the proceeds from the sales of those goods and services shall be treated as contributions for other purposes, and expenditures of those proceeds shall be reported as expenditures under this Article. For purposes of this section, "political party groups" includes, but is not limited to, men, women, college, teen, senior, young, African American, or Hispanic clubs or organizations.

(b)        Exempt Purchase Price. – A purchase price for goods or services sold by a political party executive committee or affiliated party committee committee, an affiliated party committee, or other political party groups qualifies for the exemption provided in subsection (a) of this section as long as the sale of the goods or services adheres to a plan that the treasurer has submitted to and that has been approved in writing by the Executive Director of the State Board of Elections. The Executive Director shall approve the treasurer's plan upon and only upon finding that all the following requirements are satisfied:

(1)        That the price to be charged for the goods or services is reasonably close to the market price for the goods or services.

(2)        That the total amount to be raised from sales under all plans by the committee does not exceed twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) per election cycle.

(3)        That no purchaser makes total purchases under the plan that exceed fifty dollars ($50.00).

(4)        That the treasurer include in the report under G.S. 163‑278.11, covering the relevant time period, all of the following:

a.         A description of the plan.

b.         The amount raised from sales under the plan.

c.         The number of purchases made.

(5)        That the treasurer shall include in the appropriate report under G.S. 163‑278.11 any in‑kind contribution made to the political party in providing the goods or services sold under the plan and that no in‑kind contribution accepted as part of the plan violates any provision of this Article.

The Executive Director may require a format for submission of a plan, but that format shall not place undue paperwork burdens upon the treasurer. As used in this subdivision, the term "election cycle" has the same meaning as in G.S. 163‑278.6(32)."

SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.