HB 2039 -- Ethics

Sponsor:  Kraus

This bill changes the laws regarding ethics, lobbying, and
campaign contributions.

ETHICS AND LOBBYING

The bill:

(1)  Prohibits the solicitation of expenditures and fund-raising
activities and events supporting or opposing any candidate,
ballot measure, political party, or political party committee on
any property or in any building owned or leased by the state or
any political subdivision;

(2)  Specifies that the crime of acceding to corruption by a
public servant includes when a member of the General Assembly
exchanges an official vote on a public matter for an appointment
to certain positions;

(3)  Prohibits statewide elected officials, members of the
General Assembly, and their employees or staff members from
performing services for a political campaign other than the
elected official's or the member's campaign;

(4)  Prohibits a statewide elected official or a legislator and
his or her spouse, dependent children, and parents from receiving
compensation during his or her term of office for actions as a
paid political consultant for another legislator or a statewide
elected official or committee as defined under the Campaign
Finance Disclosure Laws, Chapter 130, RSMo;

(5)  Prohibits members of the General Assembly from acting,
serving, or registering as a legislative lobbyist under the
Conflict of Interest and Lobbying Laws, Chapter 105, within two
years of leaving office; and

(6)  Specifies that any person who intentionally offers to or
accepts anything of value from an elected or appointed official
or employee of the state or any political subdivision in direct
exchange for voting for or against or engaging in any action
designed to benefit, delay, or hinder the passage or failure of
any specific state legislation, rule or regulation, or any local
legislation or ordinance will be guilty of a class D felony.

CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS

The bill:

(1)  Prohibits a committee from transferring any funds received
by the committee to any other committee as specified in Chapter
130.  Any person who transfers or attempts to transfer funds from
a committee to any other committee with the intent to conceal the
identity of the source of funds will be guilty of a class D
felony;

(2)  Limits campaign donations from any person other than the
candidate in any one election to candidates for statewide office
at $2,000; for state senator at $1,000; and for state
representative at $500.  Contribution limits for local candidate
donations are based on population and are specified in the bill;

(3)  Limits donations made or accepted by political party
committees in any one election to $2,000 for a statewide
candidate; $1,000 for a state senator candidate; $500 for a state
representative candidate; and 10 times the allowable individual
contribution for candidates for other local offices.  Political
party committees may also expend up to 50% of these limits on a
candidate who is unopposed in a primary election;

(4)  Requires contributions from children younger than 14 years
of age to be counted equally toward their parents' contribution
limits or, in the case of a single parent, counted fully against
that parent's contribution;

(5)  Prohibits all contributions between continuing committees;
and

(6)  Requires, beginning August 28, 2010, all committees to file
required disclosure reports in an electronic format as prescribed
by the Missouri Ethics Commission.

Missouri House of Representatives
95th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated September 14, 2010 at 3:12 pm