HB 2328 — An Act amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code, in primary and election expenses, further providing for definitions and providing for candidate remuneration.

PRINTER'S NO.    3103

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 2328
                                               Session of
                                                 2026

     INTRODUCED BY INGLIS, MARCH 27, 2026

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 30, 2026


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), entitled
 2      "An act concerning elections, including general, municipal,
 3      special and primary elections, the nomination of candidates,
 4      primary and election expenses and election contests; creating
 5      and defining membership of county boards of elections;
 6      imposing duties upon the Secretary of the Commonwealth,
 7      courts, county boards of elections, county commissioners;
 8      imposing penalties for violation of the act, and codifying,
 9      revising and consolidating the laws relating thereto; and
10      repealing certain acts and parts of acts relating to
11      elections," in primary and election expenses, further
12      providing for definitions and providing for candidate
13      remuneration.
14      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
15   hereby enacts as follows:
16      Section 1.    Section 1621(d) of the act of June 3, 1937
17   (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code, is
18   amended by adding a clause and the section is amended by adding
19   a subsection to read:
20      Section 1621.    Definitions.--As used in this article, the
21   following words have the following meanings:
22      * * *
23      (d)   The word "expenditure" shall mean:
24      * * *
 1      (5)    Remuneration paid from the candidate's authorized
 2   political committee under section 1634.2.
 3      * * *
 4      (i.1)    The word "remuneration" shall mean direct payments
 5   made to a candidate unless the payments are otherwise permitted
 6   by law, such as candidate expense reimbursements and candidate
 7   loan repayments.
 8      * * *
 9      Section 2.    The act is amended by adding a section to read:
10      Section 1634.2.     Candidate Remuneration.--
11      (a)    A candidate for an office specified under this section
12   may make an expenditure from the candidate's authorized
13   political committee to pay remuneration to the candidate, to
14   which the following shall apply:
15      (1)    A candidate running for any of the following offices in
16   the Commonwealth may receive remuneration under this section:
17      (i)    Governor.
18      (ii)    Lieutenant Governor.
19      (iii)    Attorney General.
20      (iv)    Auditor General.
21      (v)    State Treasurer.
22      (vi)    Senator in the General Assembly.
23      (vii)    Representative in the General Assembly.
24      (viii)    Justice of the Supreme Court.
25      (ix)    Judge of the Superior Court.
26      (x)    Judge of the Commonwealth Court.
27      (2)    The candidate may only receive remuneration if the
28   candidate has filed a nomination:
29      (i)    petition;
30      (ii)    paper; or

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 1         (iii)    certificate for the office.
 2         (3)    The candidate's total remuneration from the authorized
 3   political committee may not exceed fifty (50) per cent of the
 4   base salary of a member of the House of Representatives of the
 5   Commonwealth in the year the candidate is running for office.
 6         (4)    (i)   Except as provided under subclause (iii), the
 7   candidate may only receive remuneration on a daily basis of an
 8   amount equal to the maximum total remuneration specified in
 9   clause (3) and divided by the number of days between the day
10   after nomination petitions are due and 20 days after the day of
11   the November election.
12         (ii)    Prior to the first day on which nomination petitions
13   can be circulated or filed, the Department of State shall each
14   year post on its publicly accessible Internet website the
15   maximum:
16         (A)    annual remuneration for a candidate under clause (3);
17   and
18         (B)    daily rate under subclause (i) for that year's election
19   cycle.
20         (iii)    For past days in the ongoing election cycle for which
21   the candidate qualified for, but did not receive, remuneration
22   under this section, the candidate may receive up to the maximum
23   daily rate.
24         (5)    The candidate may:
25         (i)    not receive advanced remuneration for future days not
26   yet served as a candidate; and
27         (ii)    only receive remuneration equal to the maximum daily
28   rate under clause (4) multiplied by the number of days the
29   candidate is authorized to receive remuneration under clause
30   (2).

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 1      (6)    (i)   The candidate may receive remuneration from the
 2   candidate's authorized political committee for up to twenty (20)
 3   days after the date in which the candidate wins a:
 4      (A)    general election;
 5      (B)    municipal election; or
 6      (C)    special election.
 7      (ii)    A candidate withdrawing the candidate's candidacy may
 8   not collect remuneration subject to this section if the
 9   candidate withdraws under:
10      (A)    section 633;
11      (B)    section 914; or
12      (C)    section 978.
13      (iii)    A candidate who has not formally withdrawn under
14   subclause (ii) may collect remuneration for up to twenty (20)
15   days after losing a:
16      (A)    general election;
17      (B)    primary election;
18      (C)    municipal election; or
19      (D)    special election.
20      (b)    A public official or public officer of the Commonwealth
21   may not receive remuneration under this section.
22      (c)    The Department of State may develop regulations to carry
23   out the provisions of this section. Regulations enacted by the
24   Department of State shall not be agency regulations for the
25   purposes of the act of June 25, 1982 (P.L.633, No.181), known as
26   the "Regulatory Review Act."
27      Section 3.    This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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