Bill No. 20-24 - Public Campaign Financing - Amendments

Sep 17, 2026

Uploaded by Mack Lee

Bill No. 20-24 for Montgomery County, Maryland amends the Public Campaign Financing law to strengthen and modernize campaign finance rules. It increases the maximum funds certified candidates may retain for postelection expenses, requires periodic adjustments to permissible contribution limits and retention amounts using the Consumer Price Index, and applies updates and technical corrections. The act revises specific code sections including definitions, contribution collection, and distribution matching amounts for contested elections.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryForms

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time4 min

AccessFree to download

Act Overview

Objectives of the Act

Amendments to Montgomery County Code

Definitions (Sec. 16-18)

Collecting Qualifying Contributions (Sec. 16-20)

Distribution of Public Contribution (Sec. 16-23)

Consumer Price Index Adjustment (Sec. 16-23(j))

Bill No. 20-24 Concerning: Public Campaign Financing – Amendments Revised: 1 1/12/2024 Draft No. 6 Introduced: September 17, 2024 Enacted: November 12, 2024 Executive: Effective: Sunset Date: Ch. , Laws of Mont. Co. COUNTY COUNCIL FOR MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MARYLAND Lead Sponsors: Councilmember Glass, Council Vice-President Stewart, and Councilmembers Fani González, Albornoz, Mink, Balcombe, and Sayles AN ACT to: (1) increase the maximum amount of funds a certified candidate may retain to pay postelection expenses; (2) require periodic adjustments to permissible contribution limits and retention amounts based upon the Consumer Price Index; (3) make updates and technical corrections throughout the public campaign financing law; and (4) generally amend the County law related to public campaign financing. By amending Montgomery County Code Chapter 16, Public Campaign Financing Sections 16-18, 16-20, 16-23, 16-24, 16-27, 16-30, and 16-31 Boldface Heading or defined term. Underlining Added to existing law by original bill. [Single boldface brackets] Deleted from existing law by original bill. Double underlining Added by amendment. [[Double boldface brackets]] Deleted from existing law or the bill by amendment. * * * Existing law unaffected by bill. The County Council for Montgomery County, Maryland approves the following Act: 1 Sec. 1. Sections [[6-18]] 16-18, 16-20, 16-23, 16-24, 16-27, 16-30, and 16-31 are 2 amended as follows: 3 16-18. Definitions. 4 In this Article, the following terms have the meanings indicated: 5 * * * 6 Campaign finance entity means a political committee established under Title 7 13 of the Election Law Article of the Maryland Code, as amended. 8 * * * 9 Consumer Price Index means the Consumer Price Index for All Urban 10 Consumers (CPI-U) for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria Core Based 11 Statistical Area (CBSA), as published by the United States Department of 12 Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, or a successor index. 13 * * * 14 Contribution means the gift or transfer, or promise of gift or transfer, of 15 money or other thing of value to a campaign finance entity to promote or assist 16 in the promotion of the success or defeat of a candidate, political party, or 17 question. Contribution includes proceeds from the sale of tickets to a 18 campaign fund-raising event as defined in Section 1-101 of the Election Law 19 Article of the Maryland Code, as amended. 20 * * * 21 Eligible contribution means an aggregate donation in a 4-year election cycle of 22 [[$250]] $500, as adjusted under Section 16-23(j), or less from an individual, 23 including an individual who does not reside in the County. 24 * * * 25 16-20. Collecting qualifying contributions. 26 * * * 27 (b) Other than a contribution from an applicant candidate or the candidate’s 28 spouse, an applicant candidate must not accept an eligible contribution 29 from an individual greater than [[$250]] $500, as adjusted under Section 30 16-23(j) . 31 * * * 32 [[(d) Consumer Price Index adjustment. The Chief Administrative Officer 33 must adjust the contribution limit established in Subsection (b), 34 effective July 1, 2022, and July 1 of each subsequent fourth year, by the 35 annual average increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index for the 36 previous 4 calendar years. The Chief Administrative Officer must 37 calculate the adjustment to the nearest multiple of $10, and must publish 38 the amount of this adjustment not later than March 1 of each fourth 39 year.]] 40 * * * 41 16-23. Distribution of public contribution. 42 (a) Matching amounts. The Director must distribute a public contribution 43 from the Fund to each certified candidate in a contested election only 44 during the distribution period as follows: 45 (1) for a certified candidate for County Executive, the matching 46 dollars must equal: 47

FAQs

What does Bill No. 20-24 change in Montgomery County’s public campaign financing rules?

It increases the maximum funds certified candidates may retain for postelection expenses, updates contribution and retention limits, and makes technical corrections across the public campaign financing law.

How will contribution limits and retention amounts be adjusted under the bill?

The bill requires periodic adjustments based on the Consumer Price Index, using a defined CPI measure for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area.

How are matching public contributions calculated for certified candidates?

The Director must distribute matching amounts from the Fund during the distribution period, using different dollar-for-dollar match rates by contribution tiers for County Executive and County Council races.

Sep 17, 2026

Uploaded by Mack Lee