New Hampshire Revised Statutes 664:3 – Registration of Political Committees
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I. Any political committee, except the political committee of a political party, shall register with the secretary of state as provided in this section. A political committee may register for an election cycle at any time after the final report is due following the then-most-recent general election. The committee’s registration shall be received by the secretary of state not later than 48 hours after the committee meets at least one of the criteria under N.H. Rev. Stat. § 664:2, III. The registration shall be accompanied by an itemized statement of the receipts and expenditures, if any, made by the political committee in the election cycle prior to registration. Such itemization shall be made pursuant to the manner set forth in N.H. Rev. Stat. § 664:6. The registration shall also be accompanied by a fee of $50, which shall be deposited by the secretary of state into the general fund; provided, however, that the political committee of a candidate that registers under this section shall not be required to pay the $50 fee. Each political committee shall designate a treasurer or agent who is a citizen of this state and who is authorized to receive all process and other legal documents on behalf of the political committee, and through whom may be obtained access to all books and records of the political committee. The political committee shall file with the secretary of state a statement of the purpose of the committee and shall indicate whether the committee will be making independent expenditures. The registration shall also include a statement of the name, address, occupation, and principal place of business of its chairperson and treasurer or agent, and the names and addresses of other officers. The committee shall file an amendment to its registration within 14 days of any change in the officers or purpose of the committee.
II. No member of a political committee which is required to register under N.H. Rev. Stat. § 664:3, I, except members of political committees of political parties, shall do any act directly or indirectly on behalf of the committee to promote the success or defeat of a political party, a measure or a candidate, unless the requirements of N.H. Rev. Stat. § 664:3, I are met.
III. Any political committee which is organized to support a candidate in any election shall secure the written consent of the candidate or his fiscal agent before it receives contributions or makes expenditures. Such written consent shall be filed with the secretary of state when the statements required by paragraph I are filed.
IV. All political committees’ registrations under this chapter shall be valid from the date of registration until 10 days after the primary or general election, whichever is appropriate, unless terminated sooner, in writing, by the chairman and the treasurer of the committee. However, any committee which has a continuing obligation to report as required under N.H. Rev. Stat. § 664:6 shall continue to exist for the purpose of making such reports.
V. Any political committee or political advocacy organization that is exempt from taxation under sections 501(c)(4), 501(c)(5), or 501(c)(6) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986 may disclose, but shall not be required to disclose in its itemized statement of receipts, the identity of its donors.
VI. For purposes of filing expenditure reports pursuant to N.H. Rev. Stat. § 664:6 and N.H. Rev. Stat. § 664:7, a candidate for office may choose to file as a candidate or, if such candidate creates a candidate committee, as a candidate committee.
II. No member of a political committee which is required to register under N.H. Rev. Stat. § 664:3, I, except members of political committees of political parties, shall do any act directly or indirectly on behalf of the committee to promote the success or defeat of a political party, a measure or a candidate, unless the requirements of N.H. Rev. Stat. § 664:3, I are met.
Terms Used In New Hampshire Revised Statutes 664:3
- Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
- Candidate: means any person publicly declared as such and for whom votes are sought in an election. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 664:2
- Contributions: shall include the use of any thing of value but shall not include the services of volunteers who receive no pay therefor or the use of personal resources by a candidate on behalf of his or her candidacy. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 664:2
- Election: means any general biennial or special election, political party primary, or presidential preference primary as provided in N. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 664:2
- Expenditure: shall mean the disbursement of money or thing of value or the making of a legally binding commitment to make such a disbursement in the future or the transfer of funds by a political committee to another political committee or to a candidate for the purpose of promoting the success or defeat of a candidate or candidates or measure or measures. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 664:2
- Expenditures: includes disbursements constituting independent expenditures, as defined in paragraph XI, and expenses incurred by a candidate for child care. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 664:2
- following: when used by way of reference to any section of these laws, shall mean the section next preceding or following that in which such reference is made, unless some other is expressly designated. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 21:13
- Independent expenditures: means expenditures that pay for the development and distribution of a communication that expressly advocates the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate or candidates or the success or defeat of a measure or measures, which are made without cooperation or consultation with any candidate, or any authorized committee or agent of such candidate, and which are not made in concert with, or at the request or suggestion of, any candidate, or any authorized committee or agent of such candidate. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 664:2
- Measure: shall mean any constitutional amendment or question which is submitted or intended to be submitted to a popular vote at an election. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 664:2
- Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
- Occupation: means an individual's official job title resulting from employment at or ownership of any agency or organization or other entity. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 664:2
- organization: includes , but is not limited to, one or more natural persons; entities formed under state law, except those entities qualified under section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986; committees formed by a candidate, exploratory campaign, or political party; and any other association of natural persons or entities formed under state law that is not registered as a business entity. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 664:2
- party: means any political organization or number of persons which can nominate candidates in any manner prescribed by law and has done so for the current election. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 664:2
- Political committee: means :
(a) Any organization of 2 or more persons that promotes the success or defeat of a candidate or candidates or measure or measures, including the political committee of a political party;
(b) Any segregated fund established by any organization the purpose of which is to promote the success or defeat of a candidate or candidates or measure or measures;
(c) Any organization that has as its major purpose to promote the success or defeat of a candidate or candidates or measure or measures and whose receipts or expenditures total $2,500 or more in a calendar year for that purpose;
(d) Any organization that does not have as its major purpose to promote the success or defeat of a candidate or candidates or measure or measures but that makes expenditures that total $5,000 or more in a calendar year; or
(e) Any segregated fund that is voluntarily registered with the secretary of state for the purpose of reporting its receipts and expenditures under this chapter or any organization that voluntarily registers with the secretary of state, without regard to whether such segregated fund or organization meets the receipt or expenditure thresholds described in this paragraph. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 664:2 - Political party: or "party" means any political organization or number of persons which can nominate candidates in any manner prescribed by law and has done so for the current election. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 664:2
- Principal place of business: means the primary organization or employer from which an individual derives his or her principal income and shall include the employer's official name and the employer's post office address. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 664:2
- Receipts: shall mean the receipt of money or thing of value or the receipt of a legally binding commitment to receive money or thing of value in the future for the purpose of promoting the success or defeat of a candidate or candidates or a measure or measures. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 664:2
- state: when applied to different parts of the United States, may extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories, so called; and the words "United States" shall include said district and territories. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 21:4
- United States: shall include said district and territories. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 21:4
III. Any political committee which is organized to support a candidate in any election shall secure the written consent of the candidate or his fiscal agent before it receives contributions or makes expenditures. Such written consent shall be filed with the secretary of state when the statements required by paragraph I are filed.
IV. All political committees’ registrations under this chapter shall be valid from the date of registration until 10 days after the primary or general election, whichever is appropriate, unless terminated sooner, in writing, by the chairman and the treasurer of the committee. However, any committee which has a continuing obligation to report as required under N.H. Rev. Stat. § 664:6 shall continue to exist for the purpose of making such reports.
V. Any political committee or political advocacy organization that is exempt from taxation under sections 501(c)(4), 501(c)(5), or 501(c)(6) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986 may disclose, but shall not be required to disclose in its itemized statement of receipts, the identity of its donors.
VI. For purposes of filing expenditure reports pursuant to N.H. Rev. Stat. § 664:6 and N.H. Rev. Stat. § 664:7, a candidate for office may choose to file as a candidate or, if such candidate creates a candidate committee, as a candidate committee.