§ 163-278.19B. Political party headquarters building funds.

512 words·~2 min read·/nc/chapter-163/163-278-19b

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

(a)Notwithstanding the provisions of G.S. 163-278.19, a person prohibited by that section from making a contribution may donate to political parties, and affiliated party committees and political parties and affiliated party committees may accept from such a person, money and other things of value donated to a political party headquarters building fund.

(b)Donations made to the political party headquarters building fund in accordance with this section shall be subject to all the following rules:

(1)The donations solicited and accepted are designated to the political party headquarters building fund.

(2)Potential donors to the political party headquarters building fund are advised that all donations will be exclusively for the political party headquarters building fund.

(3)The political party or affiliated party committee establishes a separate segregated bank account into which shall be deposited only donations for the political party headquarters building fund from persons prohibited by G.S. 163-278.19 from making contributions.

(4)The donations deposited in the separate segregated bank account for the political party headquarters building fund shall be spent only as follows:

a. To purchase a principal headquarters building, to construct a principal headquarters building, to renovate a principal headquarters building, or to pay a mortgage on a principal headquarters building.

b. To pay building rent or monthly or bimonthly utility expenses incurred to operate the principal headquarters building.

c. To compensate personnel including in-kind benefits for no more than three personnel whose functions are primarily administrative in nature, such as providing accounting, payroll, or campaign finance reporting services, for the party and whose job functions require no more than ten percent (10%) of work time to be spent on political advocacy each calendar year.

d. To repay donors if a principal headquarters building is not purchased, constructed, renovated, or rented.

e. To fund legal actions as defined in G.S. 163-278.300(4).

f. To make a legal expense donation to a legal expense fund under Article 22M of this Chapter.

(5)The political party executive committee or affiliated party committee shall report donations to and spending by a political party headquarters building fund on every report required to be made by G.S. 163-278.9. If a committee is excused from making general campaign finance reports under G.S. 163-278.10A, that committee shall nonetheless report donations in any amount to and spending in any amount by the political party headquarters building fund at the times required for reports in G.S. 163-278.9.

(c)Donations deposited into a political party headquarters building fund shall be used solely for the purposes set forth in this section. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the political party headquarters building fund shall not be used for headquarters equipment other than fixtures, personnel compensation, travel, fundraising expenses, or other expenses of any kind.

(d)Donations made to, and spending by, a political party headquarters building fund in accordance with this section shall not constitute contributions or expenditures as defined in G.S. 163-278.6. (1999-426, s. 9(a); 2013-381, s. 43.1; 2015-258, s. 3(p); 2017-6, s. 3; 2018-146, s. 3.1(a), (b); 2024-57, s. 3A.5(a).)