Campaign
Finance Guide
Section
7: Initiative, Referendum, Recall and Proposed Charter Amendment Committees
What
are Initiative,
Referendum, Recall and Proposed Charter Amendment Committees?
(DC Official Code § 1-1101.01(5))
Initiative,
Referendum, Recall and Proposed Charter Amendment Committees
are committees organized for the purpose of, or engaged in,
promoting or opposing initiative, referendum or recall measures
or proposed charter amendments for ballot placement.
Registration
and Reporting Requirements
(DC Official Code § 1-1102.06)
The proposer of an
initiative or referendum measure or any political committee
organized in support of a measure is required to file a Verified
Statement of Contributions with the Office of Campaign Finance
on or before the submission of the measure for filing. The Verified
Statement of Contributions consists of the Statement of Organization
and an initial Report of Receipts and Expenditures. The Board
of Elections and Ethics (BOEE) must reject any proposed initiative
or referendum measure for filing if the Statement of Organization
and Report of Receipts and Expenditures have not been filed
with the Office of Campaign Finance. The proposer of a recall
measure must file a Verified Statement of Contributions with
the Office of Campaign Finance prior to the submission of a
petition supporting the measure for filing.
Each committee supporting
or opposing an initiative, referendum, recall or proposed charter
amendment must file a Report of Receipts and Expenditures during
the consideration of the respective measure for ballot placement
for any one election.
Filing
Deadlines
(DC
Official Code § 1-1102.06(d))
Each
committee supporting an initiative, referendum, recall or proposed
charter amendment must file the initial Report of Receipts and
Expenditures on or before the commencement of the process to
qualify the measure for ballot placement. In the case of an
opponent, the first Report of Receipts and Expenditures must
be filed ten (10) days after making an expenditure or accepting
a contribution in opposition to the measure. Thereafter, each
committee supporting or opposing an initiative, referendum,
recall or proposed charter amendment measure must file Reports
of Receipts and Expenditures as follows: the tenth (10th) day
of the fourth (4th) month preceding the election; on the tenth
(10th) day of the second (2nd) month preceding the election;
and eight (8) days prior to the election.
Initiative,
referendum and recall committees must continue to file Reports
of Receipts and Expenditures following the election, on January
31st and July 31st of each year until all debts are satisfied.
Things
to Remember
- A Verified Statement
of Contributions must be filed with the Office of Campaign
Finance by the proposer or any political committee organized
in support of an initiative or referendum measure on or before
submission of the measure for filing.
- A Verified Statement
of Contributions for a recall measure must be filed prior
to the submission of a petition supporting the measure for
filing.
- Reports of Receipts
and Expenditures must be filed periodically during the consideration
of a measure for ballot placement for any one election.
- Filing of Reports
of Receipts and Expenditures continues until all outstanding
debts are satisfied.
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