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September 10, 2021 - Introduced by Representatives Sinicki, Subeck, Brostoff,
Anderson, Andraca, Baldeh, Cabrera, Conley, Considine, Hebl,
Hesselbein, Milroy, Neubauer, Ohnstad, Pope, Shankland, Shelton and
Snodgrass, cosponsored by Senators Larson, Agard, Carpenter and
Johnson. Referred to Committee on Campaigns and Elections.
AB531,1,4 1An Act to amend 11.1101 (figure), 11.1101 (1) (intro.), 11.1101 (1) (a), 11.1101
2(2) (intro.), 11.1101 (2) (a), 11.1101 (3), 11.1101 (4), 11.1103, 11.1112 and 11.1113
3(3) (b); to repeal and recreate 11.1104; and to create 11.1101 (5) and 11.1204
4(4) of the statutes; relating to: campaign contribution limits.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Current law allows unlimited campaign contributions to certain entities, such
as political action committees, legislative campaign committees, and political
parties, but prohibits a political action committee from contributing more than
$12,000 in any calendar year to a political party or legislative campaign committee.
This bill limits the contributions that an individual may make to a political party or
legislative campaign committee to the amounts that an individual may make to a
candidate committee, as provided under the bill. The bill also limits the contributions
that a political party or legislative campaign committee may make to a candidate
committee to the amounts that an individual may make to a candidate committee,
as provided under the bill. In addition, the bill limits the contributions that a
candidate committee may make to a political party or legislative campaign
committee to the amounts that the candidate committee may make under current
law to another candidate committee but retains the unlimited contributions under
current law for contributions that a candidate makes to his or her candidate
committee from the candidate's personal funds.
The bill also decreases the individual and candidate committee contribution
limit from $20,000 to $10,000 for contributions made to candidates for governor,

lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, attorney general, state
superintendent, or justice of the supreme court and reduces by half the limits that
apply to political action committee contributions to candidates. The limits under the
bill are the same, generally, as those that applied to political action committee
contributions prior to 2016.
Finally, current law allows a political party or legislative campaign committee
to establish a segregated fund to use for general purposes but not for making
contributions to a candidate committee or for making disbursements for express
advocacy. Persons other than a political action committee, corporation, cooperative,
labor organization, or American Indian tribe may make unlimited contributions to
the segregated fund. A political action committee, corporation, cooperative, labor
organization, or American Indian tribe may make a contribution to the fund in
amounts not to exceed $12,000 in the aggregate in a calendar year. The bill
eliminates the provision allowing a political party or legislative campaign committee
to establish such a fund.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB531,1 1Section 1. 11.1101 (figure) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB531,3,162 Figure 11.1101: - See PDF for table PDF
AB531,2 17Section 2. 11.1101 (1) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB531,3,2118 11.1101 (1) Individual limits. (intro.) An individual may contribute to a
19candidate committee, political party, or legislative campaign committee no more
20than the following amounts specified for the a candidate whose nomination or
21election the individual committee supports [See Figure 11.1101 following]:
AB531,3 22Section 3. 11.1101 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB531,3,2423 11.1101 (1) (a) Candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state,
24state treasurer, attorney general, state superintendent, or justice, $20,000 $10,000.
AB531,4 25Section 4 . 11.1101 (2) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB531,3,3026 11.1101 (2) Candidate committees. (intro.) A candidate committee may
27contribute to another candidate committee, a political party, or a legislative
28campaign committee
no more than the following amounts specified for the a
29candidate whose nomination or election the other candidate committee, political
30party, or legislative campaign committee
supports [See Figure 11.1101 following]:
AB531,5 31Section 5. 11.1101 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB531,3,3332 11.1101 (2) (a) Candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state,
33state treasurer, attorney general, state superintendent, or justice, $20,000 $10,000.
AB531,6 34Section 6. 11.1101 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB531,4,235 11.1101 (3) Political action committees. A political action committee may
36contribute to a political party or legislative campaign committee no more than
37$12,000 in any calendar year, and to a
candidate committee no more than the

1following amounts specified for the candidate whose nomination or election the
2committee supports [See Figure 11.1101 following]:
AB531,4,33 (a) Candidates for governor, $86,000 $43,000.
AB531,4,44 (b) Candidates for lieutenant governor, $26,000 $13,000.
AB531,4,55 (c) Candidates for attorney general, $44,000 $22,000.
AB531,4,76 (d) Candidates for secretary of state, state treasurer, state superintendent, or
7justice, $18,000 $9,000.
AB531,4,88 (e) Candidates for state senator, $2,000 $1,000.
AB531,4,99 (f) Candidates for representative to the assembly, $1,000 $500.
AB531,4,1110 (g) Candidates for court of appeals judge in districts which contain a county
11having a population of more than 750,000, $6,000 $3,000.
AB531,4,1212 (h) Candidates for court of appeals judge in other districts, $5,000 $2,500.
AB531,4,1513 (i) Candidates for circuit judge in circuits having a population of more than
14300,000, or candidates for district attorney in prosecutorial units having a
15population of more than 300,000, $6,000 $3,000.
AB531,4,1716 (j) Candidates for circuit judge in other circuits or candidates for district
17attorney in other prosecutorial units, $2,000 $1,000.
AB531,4,1818 (k) Candidates for local offices, an amount equal to the greater of the following:
AB531,4,1919 1. Four Two hundred dollars.
AB531,4,2320 2. Two cents One cent times the number of inhabitants of the jurisdiction or
21district, according to the latest federal census or the census information on which the
22district is based, as certified by the appropriate filing officer, but not more than
23$5,000 $2,500.
AB531,7 24Section 7. 11.1101 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB531,5,5
111.1101 (4) Other persons. A person, other than a person subject to sub. (1),
2(2), or (3) or s. 11.1112, may contribute to a political party or legislative campaign
3committee no more than $12,000 in any calendar year, and to a
candidate committee
4no more than the following amounts specified for the candidate whose nomination
5or election the committee supports:
AB531,5,66 (a) Candidates for governor, $86,000 $43,000.
AB531,5,77 (b) Candidates for lieutenant governor, $26,000 $13,000.
AB531,5,88 (c) Candidates for attorney general, $44,000 $22,000.
AB531,5,109 (d) Candidates for secretary of state, state treasurer, state superintendent, or
10justice, $18,000 $9,000.
AB531,5,1111 (e) Candidates for state senator, $2,000 $1,000.
AB531,5,1212 (f) Candidates for representative to the assembly, $1,000 $500.
AB531,5,1413 (g) Candidates for court of appeals judge in districts that contain a county
14having a population of more than 750,000, $6,000 $3,000.
AB531,5,1515 (h) Candidates for court of appeals judge in other districts, $5,000 $2,500.
AB531,5,1816 (i) Candidates for circuit judge in circuits having a population of more than
17300,000, or candidates for district attorney in prosecutorial units having a
18population of more than 300,000, $6,000 $3,000.
AB531,5,2019 (j) Candidates for circuit judge in other circuits or candidates for district
20attorney in other prosecutorial units, $2,000 $1,000.
AB531,5,2121 (k) Candidates for local offices, an amount equal to the greater of the following:
AB531,5,2222 1. Four Two hundred dollars.
AB531,6,223 2. Two cents One cent times the number of inhabitants of the jurisdiction or
24district, according to the latest federal census or the census information on which the

1district is based, as certified by the appropriate filing officer, but not more than
2$5,000 $2,500.
AB531,8 3Section 8. 11.1101 (5) of the statutes is created to read:
AB531,6,74 11.1101 (5) Political parties and legislative campaign committees. A political
5party or legislative campaign committee may contribute to a candidate committee
6no more than the following amounts specified for the candidate whose nomination
7or election the candidate committee supports:
AB531,6,98 (a) Candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state
9treasurer, attorney general, state superintendent, or justice, $10,000.
AB531,6,1010 (b) Candidates for state senator, $1,000.
AB531,6,1111 (c) Candidates for representative to the assembly, $1,000.
AB531,6,1312 (d) Candidates for court of appeals judge in districts which contain a county
13having a population of more than 750,000, $3,000.
AB531,6,1414 (e) Candidates for court of appeals judge in other districts, $2,500.
AB531,6,1715 (f) Candidates for circuit judge in circuits having a population of more than
16300,000, or candidates for district attorney in prosecutorial units having a
17population of more than 300,000, $3,000.
AB531,6,1918 (g) Candidates for circuit judge in other circuits or candidates for district
19attorney in other prosecutorial units, $1,000.
AB531,6,2020 (h) Candidates for local offices, an amount equal to the greater of the following:
AB531,6,2121 1. Two hundred dollars.
AB531,6,2422 2. One cent times the number of inhabitants of the jurisdiction or district,
23according to the latest federal census or the census information on which the district
24is based, as certified by the appropriate filing officer, but not more than $2,500.
AB531,9 25Section 9. 11.1103 of the statutes is amended to read:
AB531,7,3
111.1103 Applicable periods. (1) For an individual who is a candidate for an
2office that the individual holds, the limits under s. 11.1101 (1) to (3) (5) apply during
3the term of that office.
AB531,7,8 4(2) For an individual who is a candidate for an office that the individual does
5not hold, the limits under s. 11.1101 (1) to (3) (5) apply during the period beginning
6on the date on which the individual becomes a candidate under s. 11.0101 (1) (a) and
7ending on the day before the term of office begins for the office sought by the
8candidate.
AB531,10 9Section 10. 11.1104 of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:
AB531,7,12 1011.1104 Exceptions. (1) For the period beginning on the day after the day
11of the general election and ending on the day of the next general election, no person
12may make any of the following contributions in a total amount exceeding $10,000:
AB531,7,1313 (a) Contributions to a political action committee.
AB531,7,1414 (b) Contributions transferred between political action committees.
AB531,7,1515 (c) Contributions to a legislative campaign committee.
AB531,7,1616 (d) Contributions to a political party.
AB531,7,1817 (e) Contributions made by a political party or legislative campaign committee
18to a candidate committee.
AB531,7,2019 (f) Contributions transferred between the candidates for governor and
20lieutenant governor of the same political party.
AB531,7,2221 (g) Contributions used to pay legal fees and other expenses incurred as a result
22of a recount under s. 9.01.
AB531,8,223 (h) Contributions used to pay legal fees and other expenses incurred in
24connection with or in response to circulating, offering to file, or filing a petition to

1recall an office holder prior to the time that a recall primary or election is ordered,
2or after that time if incurred to contest or defend the order.
AB531,8,33 (i) Contributions to a recall committee.
AB531,8,44 (j) Contributions to a referendum committee.
AB531,8,55 (k) Contributions to an independent expenditure committee.
AB531,8,8 6(2) A candidate may make unlimited contributions from the candidate's
7personal funds or property or the personal funds or property that are owned jointly
8or as marital property with the candidate's spouse to his or her candidate committee.
AB531,11 9Section 11. 11.1112 of the statutes is amended to read:
AB531,8,15 1011.1112 Corporations, cooperatives, and tribes. No foreign or domestic
11corporation, no association organized under ch. 185 or 193, no labor organization,
12and no federally recognized American Indian Tribe may make a contribution to a
13committee, other than an independent expenditure committee or referendum
14committee, but may make a contribution to a segregated fund as provided under s.
1511.1104 (6) in amounts not to exceed $12,000 in the aggregate in a calendar year
.
AB531,12 16Section 12. 11.1113 (3) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB531,8,2417 11.1113 (3) (b) A contribution made to a candidate committee, political party,
18or legislative campaign committee
by a single-member limited liability company in
19which the sole member is an individual is considered a contribution made by that
20individual and subject to the individual limits under s. 11.1101 (1). A limited liability
21company that makes a contribution under this paragraph shall affirm to the
22candidate committee, political party, or legislative campaign committee that it is a
23single-member limited liability company in which the sole member is an individual
24and eligible to make the contribution.
AB531,13 25Section 13 . 11.1204 (4) of the statutes is created to read:
AB531,9,2
111.1204 (4) No person may make contributions to a political party or legislative
2campaign committee except as provided under s. 11.1101 (1) to (5).
AB531,14 3Section 14. Initial applicability.
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