2011 Louisiana Laws
Revised Statutes
TITLE 18 — Louisiana election code
RS 18:1483 — Definitions

§1483. Definitions

As used in this Chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings herein given to each unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

(1) "Affiliated organization" means any organization which is not a political committee but which directly or indirectly establishes, administers, or financially supports a political committee.

(2) "Aggregating period" means:

(a) For a political committee, except a political committee which supports only one candidate, the period from January first of the calendar year through December thirty-first of the same calendar year.

(b) For a candidate, the period from the date on which he became a candidate as defined herein through the closing date for the current report.

(c) For a committee which supports only one candidate, the period from the time when the committee first participates in the election through the closing date for the current report.

(3)(a) "Candidate" means a person who seeks nomination or election to public office, except the office of president or vice president of the United States, presidential elector, delegate to a political party convention, United States senator, United States congressman, or political party office. An individual shall be deemed to seek nomination or election to such office if he has:

(i) Since prior participation in an election, if any, received and accepted a contribution or made an expenditure, or has given his consent for any other person or committee to receive a contribution or make an expenditure with a view to influencing his nomination or election to office whether or not the specific public office for which he will be a candidate is known at the time the contribution is received or the expenditure is made, or

(ii) Taken the action necessary under the laws of the state of Louisiana to qualify himself for nomination or election to public office.

(b) Notwithstanding any provision of R.S. 42:1101 et seq. and specifically notwithstanding any provision of R.S. 42:1115, for purposes of R.S. 42:1123(5) a "candidate" shall mean a "candidate" as defined in this Paragraph and shall also mean any public servant required to file reports under the provisions of this Chapter.

(4) "Chairman" means the principal executive officer of a political committee regardless of his title.

(5) "Closing date" means the date through which the report is complete.

(6)(a) "Contribution", except as otherwise provided in this Chapter, means a gift, conveyance, payment, or deposit of money or anything of value, or the forgiveness of a loan or of a debt, made for the purpose of supporting, opposing, or otherwise influencing the nomination or election of a person to public office, for the purpose of supporting or opposing a proposition or question submitted to the voters, or for the purpose of supporting or opposing the recall of a public officer, whether made before or after the election.

(b) "Contribution" shall also include, without limitation:

(i) Contributions in-kind made for any of the purposes stated in this Paragraph, having an attributable monetary value in excess of twenty-five dollars. Contributions in-kind shall include without limitation: the donation by any person, other than a candidate or a political committee, of the services of paid employees, the value of which services exceeds twenty-five dollars, such value to be the amount paid for such services; the donation of, or the donation of the right to use, any item of tangible property when the same is used or consumed and not exchanged or converted to cash or the equivalent of cash and when the accepting candidate, the chairman of the accepting political committee, or accepting person required to file reports under this Chapter and the campaign treasurer of such recipient, if any, determines that its value or the use value, when only the right of use is given, exceeds twenty-five dollars and such determination shall be prima facie evidence of the correctness of the valuation of the item or of the use value when applicable. In addition, successive donations made by the same person, which donations individually are valued below twenty-five dollars but which together exceed such amount, shall be deemed to be in-kind contributions and shall be aggregated for purposes of the requirements of this Chapter. Contributions shall also include expenditures made by any person in cooperation, consultation, or concert, with, or at the request or suggestion of, a candidate, his authorized political committees, or their agents and shall be considered to be a contribution to such candidate.

(ii) A promissory note or written contract to make a contribution as defined above.

(iii) A payment to purchase campaign paraphernalia, such as campaign pins, buttons, badges, flags, emblems, hats, shirts, banners, literature, and similar items, other than expenditures made by a candidate or political committee to purchase its own paraphernalia.

(iv) A payment for tickets to a testimonial or similar fund-raising event.

(c) "Contribution" shall not include:

(i) Personal services provided voluntarily by any person without compensation or by any person who is employed for purposes other than solely campaign purposes by the reporting candidate, by a partnership of which he is a member, or by a corporation of which he owns a majority of the stock.

(ii) Any dues or membership fees of any membership organization or corporation made by its members or stockholders, if such membership organization or corporation is not organized primarily for the purpose of supporting, opposing or otherwise influencing the nomination for election, or election, of any person to public office. However, any funds of such an organization or corporation used for the purpose of contributions to candidates or committees or to publicly advocate support or defeat of a candidate or for expenditures as defined in this Chapter shall be reportable and all contributions made by such membership organization or corporation which are otherwise reportable under the provisions of this Chapter shall be reported.

(iii) A transfer of funds between political committees.

(iv) A loan.

(d) A contribution of anything of value other than money or an in-kind contribution shall be considered for all purposes of this Chapter as a contribution of money in the amount of the fair market value thereof.

(7) "District office" means the following offices but shall not include any major office:

(a) The office of a member of the Louisiana Legislature.

(b) All public offices elected parishwide.

(c) All public offices elected in more than one parish.

(d) All public offices elected in any election district containing a population in excess of thirty-five thousand as determined by the most recently published decennial federal census. All public offices elected in any city or parish election in a parish containing a municipality with a population of three hundred thousand or more as determined by the most recent decennial federal census. All elected public offices to a board or governing authority which has, within its jurisdiction, a municipality with a population of two hundred twenty-five thousand or more as determined by the most recent decennial federal census.

(e) The offices of district court judge, except in a judicial district comprised of a single parish with a population in excess of four hundred fifty thousand persons as determined by the most recently published decennial federal census where the election district is parishwide, family court judge, juvenile court judge, city court judge, city court marshal, and city court constable, as long as these offices are elective offices.

(8) "Election" means any primary, general, or special election held, pursuant to the laws of this state or a parish or municipal charter or ordinance or a court order, to choose a public officer or nominee. For purposes of this Chapter, a primary election and a general election for a particular office shall constitute one election. For purposes of the reporting requirements for the support or opposition of a proposition or question submitted to the voters, "election" shall also mean any primary, general, or special election, except local option elections held pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 3 of Title 26 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, at which a proposition or question is submitted to the voters in accordance with Chapters 6-A, 6-B, and 6-C of this Code.

(9)(a) "Expenditure" means a purchase, payment, advance, deposit, or gift, of money or anything of value made for the purpose of supporting, opposing, or otherwise influencing the nomination or election of a person to public office, for the purpose of supporting or opposing a proposition or question submitted to the voters, or for the purpose of supporting or opposing the recall of a public officer, whether made before or after the election.

(b) "Expenditure" shall also include:

(i) A promissory note or written contract to make an expenditure as defined above.

(ii) Expenditures in-kind which have an attributable monetary value in excess of twenty-five dollars, made for any of the purposes stated in this Paragraph. Expenditures in-kind shall include without limitation: the donation by any person, candidate, or political committee of the services of paid employees, the value of which services exceeds twenty-five dollars, such value to be the amount paid for such services; the donation of, or the donation of the right to use, any item of tangible property when the same is used or consumed and not exchanged or converted to cash or the equivalent of cash and when the donating candidate, the chairman of the donating committee, or the donating person required to file reports under this Chapter, and the campaign treasurer of such donor, if any, determines that its value or the use value, when only the right to use is given, exceeds twenty-five dollars and such determination shall be prima facie evidence of the correctness of the valuation of the item or the use value when applicable. In addition, successive donations made to the same person, which donations individually are valued below twenty-five dollars but which together exceed such amount, shall be deemed to be in-kind expenditures and shall be aggregated for purposes of the requirements of this Chapter.

(c) Expenditures made by a public relations firm, an advertising agency, or agent for a candidate, political committee, or other person required to file reports under this Chapter shall be considered expenditures of the candidate, political committee, or such other person, and must be specifically reported as required by this Chapter. Each such firm, agency, or agent, which makes any expenditure for any candidate, political committee, or other person required to file reports under this Chapter, shall timely furnish to such candidate, political committee, or person such information relative thereto as may be required for compliance with this Chapter.

(d) "Expenditure" shall not include:

(i) Personal services provided voluntarily by any person without compensation or by any person who is employed for purposes other than solely campaign purposes by the reporting candidate, by a partnership of which he is a member, or by a corporation of which he owns a majority of the stock.

(ii) Any communication by any membership organization or business entity to its employees, members, or stockholders, if such membership organization or business entity is not organized primarily for the purpose of supporting, opposing, or otherwise influencing the nomination for election, or election, of any person to public office or for the purpose of supporting or opposing a proposition or question to be submitted to the voters. All other expenditures made by such membership organization or business entity which are otherwise reportable under the provisions of this Chapter shall be reported. For purposes of this definition, business entity means any proprietorship, partnership, corporation, or other legal entity, including their subsidiaries.

(iii) A transfer of funds between political committees.

(iv) A loan.

(e) An expenditure of anything of value other than money or an in-kind expenditure shall be considered for all purposes of this Chapter as an expenditure of money in the amount of the fair market value thereof.

(9.1) "Intentional criminal violation" means conduct which establishes that a violator was in the state of mind which exists when the circumstances indicated that the offender actively desired the prescribed criminal consequences to follow his act or failure to act.

(10) "Loan" means a transfer of money, property, or anything of value in exchange for an obligation to repay in whole or in part, made for the purpose of supporting, opposing, or otherwise influencing the nomination for election, or election, of any person to public office, for the purpose of supporting or opposing a proposition or question submitted to the voters, or for the purpose of supporting or opposing the recall of a public officer, whether made before or after the election.

(11) "Major office" means the following offices: governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state treasurer, commissioner of agriculture, commissioner of insurance, the superintendent of education, public service commissioner, justice of the supreme court, court of appeal judge, district court judge in a judicial district comprised of a single parish with a population in excess of four hundred fifty thousand persons as determined by the most recently published decennial federal census where the election district is parishwide, as long as these offices are elective offices, and any candidate for office with an election district containing a population in excess of two hundred fifty thousand persons as determined by the most recently published decennial federal census.

(12) "Participation" or "participating" in an election means the following:

(a) With regard to a candidate, that the candidate was opposed by another candidate in the election; however, any person who is a candidate as defined in this Chapter shall be deemed to participate in the primary election whether or not the candidate has failed to qualify for office after becoming a candidate, has withdrawn from the election, or is unopposed therefor. Additionally, any candidate who withdraws from a general election subsequent to the primary election and prior to the general election who would have been qualified to appear on the general election ballot shall be deemed to participate in the general election, as shall the person who would have been opposed by the one withdrawing.

(b) With regard to a political committee, that the committee:

(i) With regard to the primary election, gave or received a contribution prior to the primary election from, to, or for a candidate participating in that primary election, made an expenditure in support of or in opposition to a candidate participating in that primary election, made a loan to or received a loan from a candidate or committee participating in that primary election, or made a transfer of funds to or from another committee participating in that primary election.

(ii) With regard to the general election, that the committee gave or received a contribution subsequent to the primary election from, to, or for a candidate participating in the general election, made an expenditure in support of or in opposition to a candidate participating in the general election, made a loan to or received a loan from a candidate or committee participating in that general election, or made a transfer of funds to or from another committee participating in the general election.

(c) A candidate or committee which participates in a primary election or the general election shall be deemed to participate in the election.

(d) With regard to a person who solicits or receives any contribution or makes any expenditure in support of or in opposition to a proposition or question submitted to the voters, that said person solicited or received a contribution or made an expenditure of two hundred fifty dollars or more.

(13) "Person" means any individual, partnership, limited liability company or corporation, association, labor union, political committee, corporation, or other legal entity, including their subsidiaries.

(14)(a)(i) "Political committee" or "committee" means two or more persons, other than a husband and wife, and any corporation organized for the primary purpose of supporting or opposing one or more candidates, propositions, recalls of a public officer, or political parties, which accepts contributions in the name of the committee, or makes expenditures from committee funds or in the name of the committee, or makes a transfer of funds to or receives a transfer of funds from another committee, or receives or makes loans in an aggregate amount in excess of five hundred dollars within any calendar year.

(ii) "Political committee" or "committee" shall also include two or more persons, other than a husband or wife, and any corporation which supports or opposes one or more candidates, propositions, recalls of a public officer, or political parties, and which accepts direct payments for personal services related to an election or a campaign in the name of the committee in an aggregate amount in excess of five hundred dollars within any calendar year. Except that an entity that (aa) holds a license or permit duly issued by the appropriate governmental entity to provide the personal services provided, regularly does business in the area, and regularly has done business in the area for at least ninety days prior to the date the personal services are provided and (bb) the personal services provided are the same as the personal services regularly provided by the business in the normal and usual scope of its usual business activities shall not constitute a "political committee" for purposes of the requirements of R.S. 18:1491.1 through 1491.8 which would require such an entity to keep records and submit reports.

(iii) Any state central committee, parish executive committee, and any other committee of any political party which receives contributions or makes expenditures in such amount during such period shall be considered a "political committee" for the purposes of this Chapter.

(b) An entity that during the reporting period has supported candidates in states other than Louisiana; has received less than fifty percent of its total receipts for the applicable reporting period from Louisiana candidates or committees formed to support Louisiana candidates; and has expended less than fifty percent, but not more than twenty thousand dollars, of its total disbursements for the applicable reporting period in support of or in opposition to Louisiana candidates shall not constitute a "political committee" for purposes of requirements of R.S. 18:1491.1 through 1491.8 which would require such an entity to keep records and submit reports.

(c) Repealed by Acts 2008, No. 821, §2, eff. July 8, 2008.

(15) "Principal campaign committee" means a political committee designated by a candidate pursuant to R.S. 18:1491.3(A) or a political committee which has designated subsidiary committee(s).

(16) "Public office" means any state, parish, municipal, ward, district, or other office or position that is filled by election of the voters, except those specifically excepted in Paragraph (3) of this Section.

(17) "Reporting period" shall mean those periods established by R.S. 18:1491.6(G) and R.S. 18:1495.4(G).

(18) "Subsidiary committee" means a political committee other than a principal campaign committee, designated by a candidate or by a principal campaign committee pursuant to R.S. 18:1491.3(B) or R.S. 18:1491.3(C) to receive contributions or make expenditures on behalf of the candidate or the committee.

(19) "Supervisory committee" means the Board of Ethics established in R.S. 42:1132 when functioning as the Supervisory Committee on Campaign Finance Disclosure, as provided in R.S. 18:1511.1, to enforce the provisions of this Chapter.

(20) "Transfer of funds" means any money, regardless of amount, received by a committee from another committee or money given by a committee to another committee.

(21) Repealed by Acts 1988, No. 994, §3, eff. Jan. 1, 1989.

Acts 1980, No. 786, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1981. Amended by Acts 1981, No. 59, §1, eff. June 17, 1981; Acts 1982, No. 266, §1, eff. July 18, 1982; Acts 1984, No. 492, §1; Acts 1986, No. 669, §1; Acts 1987, No. 722, §1, eff. July 16, 1987; Acts 1987, No. 831, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1988; Acts 1988, No. 994, §§1, 3, eff. Jan. 1, 1989; Acts 1989, No. 179, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1990; Acts 1990, No. 180, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1991; Acts 1991, No. 252, §1, eff. July 2, 1991; Acts 1995, No. 1046, §1, eff. June 29, 1995; Acts 1997, No. 644, §1; Acts 1999, No. 1077, §1; Acts 2000, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 98, §1; Acts 2001, No. 292, §1; Acts 2001, No. 297, §1; Acts 2001, No. 451, §6, eff. Jan. 12, 2004; Acts 2003, No. 1045, §1; Acts 2004, No. 515, §1, eff. June 25, 2004; Acts 2004, No. 528, §1, eff. June 25, 2004; Acts 2004, No. 862, §1, eff. July 12, 2004; Acts 2008, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 26, §1, eff. April 26, 2008; Acts 2008, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 27, §1, eff. March 30, 2008; Acts 2008, No. 821, §§1, 2, eff. July 8, 2008; H.C.R. No. 14, 2008 R.S; Acts 2011, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 32, §1.