New Hampshire Revised Statutes 664:6 – Reporting by Political Committee
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I. Any political committee whose receipts or expenditures exceed $1,000 shall file with the secretary of state an itemized statement in the form prescribed by the secretary of state, signed by its chairman and treasurer showing each of its receipts exceeding $50 with the full name and postal address of the contributor in alphabetical order and the amount of the contribution, the date it was received, and the aggregate total for each election for each contributor of over $200. Statements shall be filed not later than the first Wednesday in June and December after the state general election and before the filing deadline established in N.H. Rev. Stat. § 655:14, after which statements shall be filed no later than the Wednesday 12 weeks immediately preceding a primary election, before 5 o’clock in the afternoon, and shall cover the period from the day of the committee registration up to and including the Monday before the statement is due. All receipts of $50 or under shall appear on the statements as unitemized receipts. Any listing that exceeds an individual’s aggregate total of $200 for each election shall be accompanied by the contributor’s occupation including official job title, the name of the contributor’s employer, and the city or town of the contributor’s principal place of business, if any. The statement shall also show each committee expenditure exceeding $50 with the full name and postal address of the payee or promise of payment, the date paid or obligated, and the election for which the expenditure was made, with the specific nature and amount of each expenditure since the date of the registration.
II. A political committee shall file an itemized statement in the same form as in paragraph I with the secretary of state not later than the Wednesday 3 weeks immediately preceding a primary and a general election, before 5 o’clock in the afternoon. The statement shall summarize the period under paragraph I if a statement is filed and shall itemize all receipts and expenditures since the cutoff of that statement up until the Monday preceding the filing of the statement under this paragraph.
II-a. A political committee shall file a statement in the same form as in paragraph I with the secretary of state not later than the Wednesday immediately preceding a primary and a general election, before 5 o’clock in the afternoon. The statement shall summarize the statements under paragraphs I and II if such statements are filed and itemize all receipts and expenditures since the cutoff of the statement under paragraph II up until the Monday preceding the filing of the statement under this paragraph. In addition to the reporting requirements contained in this section, the secretary of state shall be notified by the fiscal agent within 48 hours of any contribution exceeding $500 that is received after the statement under this paragraph is filed and prior to the day of election.
III. A political committee shall file an itemized statement in the same form as in paragraph I summarizing the previous statements if such statements are filed and itemizing all receipts and expenditures since the cutoff of the previous report and ending on the day of the primary or the general election with the secretary of state not later than the second Wednesday after the election, before 5 o’clock in the afternoon.
IV. Any political committee whose receipts or expenditures do not exceed $1,000 for a reporting period need not file. However, when a committee’s accumulated receipts or expenditures for an election exceed $1,000 the committee shall file a statement at the next reporting deadline, and shall continue to file at each reporting deadline.
IV-a. Any political committee whose independent expenditures, in aggregate, exceed $1,000 shall file an itemized statement with the secretary of state which shall be received by the secretary of state not later than 48 hours after such expenditures are made, and thereafter each time a further $1,000 is expended. Such itemized statements shall cover the period during which independent expenditures totaling $1,000 were made. Each statement shall include a certification by the chairman of the political committee that the independent expenditure meets the definition in N.H. Rev. Stat. § 664:2, XI. Each statement shall contain the date of each independent expenditure; the name and address of the person to whom the expenditure was made; the name of the candidate on whose behalf or against whom each independent expenditure was made; the amount of each expenditure; the purpose of each expenditure, and the aggregate amount of all previous independent expenditures. If the independent expenditure is made in support of or in opposition to more than one candidate, the statement made under this paragraph shall allocate the way in which the expenditure was made among the candidates on a reasonable basis. For the purposes of this paragraph, “reasonable basis” means a statement that reflects the benefit or the burden reasonably expected to be derived or suffered by each candidate. The filing requirements of this paragraph shall be in addition to all other filing requirements under this section, and shall not be limited to the filing periods during which expenditures must otherwise be reported.
V. Any political committee which has any outstanding debt, obligation, or surplus following the election shall file reports at least once every 6 months thereafter in the same form as in paragraph I until the obligation or indebtedness is entirely satisfied or surplus deleted, at which time a final report shall be filed.
VI. Copies of the statements required by paragraphs II through V of the state committee of a political party shall be filed with the secretary of state in sufficient numbers so as to provide a copy for the state committee of each party on the ballot, which they may obtain by application to the secretary of state.
VII. Any national political party committee of a party as defined in N.H. Rev. Stat. § 652:11 may make contributions or expenditures on behalf of state candidates without complying with the requirements of paragraphs I through V, provided that the total contribution or expenditure made in behalf of a candidate or political committee in this state whether directly or indirectly does not exceed the limit for personal contributions in N.H. Rev. Stat. § 664:4.
VIII. The provisions of this paragraph shall apply only to a political committee for an individual candidate who is seeking a federal office whose holder is chosen by the voters of this state only. Such a committee which is required by federal law to file with the federal government reports relative to receipts and expenditures in support of such one candidate may choose, at the time of registering under N.H. Rev. Stat. § 664:3, I, to file with the secretary of state copies of reports made to the federal government in accordance with the timetable established by federal laws for such reports in lieu of complying with the other reporting requirements of this section.
IX. 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.
II. A political committee shall file an itemized statement in the same form as in paragraph I with the secretary of state not later than the Wednesday 3 weeks immediately preceding a primary and a general election, before 5 o’clock in the afternoon. The statement shall summarize the period under paragraph I if a statement is filed and shall itemize all receipts and expenditures since the cutoff of that statement up until the Monday preceding the filing of the statement under this paragraph.
Terms Used In New Hampshire Revised Statutes 664:6
- Candidate: means any person publicly declared as such and for whom votes are sought in an election. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 664:2
- Contribution: shall mean a payment, gift, subscription, assessment, contract, payment for services, dues advance, forbearance or loan to a candidate or political committee made for the purpose of influencing the nomination or election of any candidate. 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
- Full name: means an individual's full first name, middle name or initial, if any, and full legal last name, making the identity of the contributor apparent by unambiguous reference. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 664:2
- 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
- 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
- person: may extend and be applied to bodies corporate and politic as well as to individuals. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 21:9
- 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
II-a. A political committee shall file a statement in the same form as in paragraph I with the secretary of state not later than the Wednesday immediately preceding a primary and a general election, before 5 o’clock in the afternoon. The statement shall summarize the statements under paragraphs I and II if such statements are filed and itemize all receipts and expenditures since the cutoff of the statement under paragraph II up until the Monday preceding the filing of the statement under this paragraph. In addition to the reporting requirements contained in this section, the secretary of state shall be notified by the fiscal agent within 48 hours of any contribution exceeding $500 that is received after the statement under this paragraph is filed and prior to the day of election.
III. A political committee shall file an itemized statement in the same form as in paragraph I summarizing the previous statements if such statements are filed and itemizing all receipts and expenditures since the cutoff of the previous report and ending on the day of the primary or the general election with the secretary of state not later than the second Wednesday after the election, before 5 o’clock in the afternoon.
IV. Any political committee whose receipts or expenditures do not exceed $1,000 for a reporting period need not file. However, when a committee’s accumulated receipts or expenditures for an election exceed $1,000 the committee shall file a statement at the next reporting deadline, and shall continue to file at each reporting deadline.
IV-a. Any political committee whose independent expenditures, in aggregate, exceed $1,000 shall file an itemized statement with the secretary of state which shall be received by the secretary of state not later than 48 hours after such expenditures are made, and thereafter each time a further $1,000 is expended. Such itemized statements shall cover the period during which independent expenditures totaling $1,000 were made. Each statement shall include a certification by the chairman of the political committee that the independent expenditure meets the definition in N.H. Rev. Stat. § 664:2, XI. Each statement shall contain the date of each independent expenditure; the name and address of the person to whom the expenditure was made; the name of the candidate on whose behalf or against whom each independent expenditure was made; the amount of each expenditure; the purpose of each expenditure, and the aggregate amount of all previous independent expenditures. If the independent expenditure is made in support of or in opposition to more than one candidate, the statement made under this paragraph shall allocate the way in which the expenditure was made among the candidates on a reasonable basis. For the purposes of this paragraph, “reasonable basis” means a statement that reflects the benefit or the burden reasonably expected to be derived or suffered by each candidate. The filing requirements of this paragraph shall be in addition to all other filing requirements under this section, and shall not be limited to the filing periods during which expenditures must otherwise be reported.
V. Any political committee which has any outstanding debt, obligation, or surplus following the election shall file reports at least once every 6 months thereafter in the same form as in paragraph I until the obligation or indebtedness is entirely satisfied or surplus deleted, at which time a final report shall be filed.
VI. Copies of the statements required by paragraphs II through V of the state committee of a political party shall be filed with the secretary of state in sufficient numbers so as to provide a copy for the state committee of each party on the ballot, which they may obtain by application to the secretary of state.
VII. Any national political party committee of a party as defined in N.H. Rev. Stat. § 652:11 may make contributions or expenditures on behalf of state candidates without complying with the requirements of paragraphs I through V, provided that the total contribution or expenditure made in behalf of a candidate or political committee in this state whether directly or indirectly does not exceed the limit for personal contributions in N.H. Rev. Stat. § 664:4.
VIII. The provisions of this paragraph shall apply only to a political committee for an individual candidate who is seeking a federal office whose holder is chosen by the voters of this state only. Such a committee which is required by federal law to file with the federal government reports relative to receipts and expenditures in support of such one candidate may choose, at the time of registering under N.H. Rev. Stat. § 664:3, I, to file with the secretary of state copies of reports made to the federal government in accordance with the timetable established by federal laws for such reports in lieu of complying with the other reporting requirements of this section.
IX. 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.