Tennessee § 2-10-302 - Contribution limits.

§ 2-10-302. Contribution limits.

No person shall make contributions to any candidate with respect to any election which, in the aggregate, exceed: For an office elected by statewide election, two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500); or For any other state or local public office, one thousand dollars ($1,000). No multicandidate political campaign committee shall make contributions to any candidate with respect to any election which, in the aggregate, exceed: For an office elected by statewide election or the senate, seven thousand five hundred dollars ($7,500); and For any other state or local public office, five thousand dollars ($5,000). With respect to contributions from multicandidate political campaign committees for each election: No candidate for an office elected by statewide election shall accept in the aggregate more than fifty percent (50%) of the candidate's total contributions from multicandidate political campaign committees; and No candidate for any other state or local public office shall accept in the aggregate more than seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) from multicandidate political campaign committees. In determining the aggregate limits established by this subsection (c), contributions made to a candidate by a committee controlled by a political party on the national, state, or local level or by a caucus of such political party established by members of either house of the general assembly are not included. Each contribution limit established in subsection (a), (b) or (c) shall be adjusted to reflect the percentage of change in the average consumer price index (all items-city average), as published by the United States department of labor, bureau of labor statistics, for the period of January 1, 1996, through December 31, 2010. Each such adjustment shall be rounded to the nearest multiple of one hundred dollars ($100). The registry of election finance shall publish each such adjusted amount on its web site. On January 1, 2013, and every two (2) years thereafter, each contribution limit established in subsection (a), (b) or (c), as adjusted pursuant to subdivision (d)(1), shall be further adjusted to reflect the percentage of change in the average consumer price index (all items-city average), as published by the United States department of labor, bureau of labor statistics, for the two-year period immediately preceding. Each such adjustment under this subdivision (d)(2) shall be rounded to the nearest multiple of one hundred dollars ($100). The registry of election finance shall publish each such adjusted amount on its web site. Acts 1995, ch. 531, § 1; 2003, ch. 416, § 1; 2011, ch. 389, § 4. Compiler's Notes. Acts 1995, ch. 531, § 16 provides that if any provision of (c)(1) [the former provisions of (c)(1) were deleted by 2003 amendment] or (d)(1) [now (c)(1)(A)] or their application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, then the provisions and applications of (c)(1) and (d)(1) are declared to be invalid and void. The website for the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance referenced in this section may be found at http://www.state.tn.us/tref. Attorney General Opinions. Anonymous campaign contributions, OAG 97-065 (5/12/97). State limits on candidate's personal campaign contributions unconstitutional, OAG 98-016 (1/15/98). Subsection (c)'s contribution limits unconstitutional, OAG 98-016 (1/15/98). Attribution and disclosure of post-election contribution to successful debt-free candidate, OAG 98-0122 (7/10/98). Application of campaign finance legislation to limited liability companies, OAG 99-086 (4/8/99). The Tennessee registry of election finance cannot constitutionally enforce the contribution limits of T.C.A. § 2-10-302(c) (deleted by 2003 amendment) on a candidate's loan to the candidate's campaign committee, OAG 01-161 (11/5/01). Legality of campaign contributions by limited partnership, OAG 04-050 (3/23/04). A contribution from a limited liability company or a partnership may be attributed to an individual member or partner for purposes of the contribution limits if particular facts and circumstances show the member directed the contribution through the company as a conduit or intermediary, OAG 05-003 (1/05/05). Application of campaign finance laws to limited liability companies. OAG 11-83, 2011 Tenn. AG LEXIS 85 (12/29/11).