_____________ bill NO. _____________

INTRODUCED BY _________________________________________________

By Request of the ****

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT generally revising laws related to loans made by a candidate to the candidate's campaign; and PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE and A RETROACTIVE APPLICABILITY DATE."

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

NEW SECTION. Section 1. Candidate campaign debt. (1) If a candidate has unpaid primary election debt that consists solely of loans from the candidate to the candidate's campaign and if the candidate advances to the general election, the candidate is not required to pay off the primary election debt with primary election funds. Under these circumstances, leftover primary election funds may be used for general election purposes.

(2) Following the general election, the candidate may repay a loan the candidate made to the candidate's campaign with primary or general election funds.

NEW SECTION. Section 2. Codification instruction. [Section 1] is intended to be codified as an integral part of Title 13, chapter 37, part 2, and the provisions of Title 13, chapter 37, part 2, apply to [section 1].

NEW SECTION. Section 3. Effective date. [This act] is effective on passage and approval.

NEW SECTION. Section 4. Retroactive applicability. [This act] applies retroactively, within the meaning of 1-2-109, to January 1, 2015.