§ 3599.03

political purposes.
Effective: September 29, 2015
Legislation: House Bill 64 - 131st General Assembly


(A)(1) Except to carry on activities specified in sections 3517.082, 3517.101, and 3517.1011,
division (A)(2) of section 3517.1012, division (B) of section 3517.1013, division (C)(1) of
section 3517.1014, and section 3599.031 of the Revised Code and except as provided in
divisions (D), (E), and (F) of this section, no corporation, no nonprofit corporation, and no
labor organization, directly or indirectly, shall pay or use, or offer, advise, consent, or agree to
pay or use, the corporation's money or property, or the labor organization's money, including
dues, initiation fees, or other assessments paid by members, or property, for or in aid of or
opposition to a political party, a candidate for election or nomination to public office, a political
action committee including a political action committee of the corporation or labor
organization, a legislative campaign fund, or any organization that supports or opposes any
such candidate, or for any partisan political purpose, shall violate any law requiring the filing
of an affidavit or statement respecting such use of those funds, or shall pay or use the
corporation's or labor organization's money for the expenses of a social fund-raising event for
its political action committee if an employee's or labor organization member's right to attend
such an event is predicated on the employee's or member's contribution to the corporation's
or labor organization's political action committee.
(2) Whoever violates division (A)(1) of this section shall be fined not less than five hundred
nor more than five thousand dollars.
(B)(1) No officer, stockholder, attorney, or agent of a corporation or nonprofit corporation, no
member, including an officer, attorney, or agent, of a labor organization, and no candidate,
political party official, or other individual shall knowingly aid, advise, solicit, or receive money
or other property in violation of division (A)(1) of this section.
(2) Whoever violates division (B)(1) of this section shall be fined not more than one thousand
dollars, or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
(C) A corporation, a nonprofit corporation, or a labor organization may use its funds or
property for or in aid of or opposition to a proposed or certified ballot issue. Such use of funds
or property shall be reported on a form prescribed by the secretary of state. Reports of
contributions in connection with statewide ballot issues shall be filed with the secretary of
state. Reports of contributions in connection with local issues shall be filed with the board of

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elections of the most populous county of the district in which the issue is submitted or to be
submitted to the electors. Reports made pursuant to this division shall be filed by the times
specified in divisions (A)(1) and (2) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code.
(D) A nonprofit corporation that is a membership association and that is exempt from taxation
under subsection 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code may transfer contributions received
as part of a regular dues payment from member partnerships and other unincorporated
businesses as defined in division (I)(6) of section 3517.10 of the Revised Code to its political
action committee. Contributions received under this division shall be itemized and allocated to
individuals subject to contribution limits.
(E)(1) Any gift made pursuant to section 3517.101 of the Revised Code does not constitute a
violation of this section or of any other section of the Revised Code.
(2) Any gift made pursuant to division (A)(2) of section 3517.1012 of the Revised Code does
not constitute a violation of this section.
(3) Any gift made pursuant to division (B) of section 3517.1013 of the Revised Code does not
constitute a violation of this section.
(4) Any donation made pursuant to division (C)(1) of section 3517.1014 of the Revised Code
does not constitute a violation of this section.
(F) Any compensation or fees paid by a financial institution to a state political party for
services rendered pursuant to division (B) of section 3517.19 of the Revised Code do not
constitute a violation of this section or of any other section of the Revised Code.
(G)(1) The use by a nonprofit corporation of its money or property for communicating
information for a purpose specified in division (A) of this section is not a violation of that
division if the stockholders, members, donors, trustees, or officers of the nonprofit corporation
are the predominant recipients of the communication.
(2) The placement of a campaign sign on the property of a corporation, nonprofit corporation,
or labor organization is not a use of property in violation of division (A) of this section by that
corporation, nonprofit corporation, or labor organization.
(3) The use by a corporation or labor organization of its money or property for communicating
information for a purpose specified in division (A) of this section is not a violation of that
division if it is not a communication made by mass broadcast such as radio or television or
made by advertising in a newspaper of general circulation but is a communication sent
exclusively to members, employees, officers, or trustees of that labor organization or
shareholders, employees, officers, or directors of that corporation or to members of the



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immediate families of any such individuals or if the communication intended to be so sent
exclusively is unintentionally sent as well to a de minimis number of other individuals.
(H) In addition to the laws listed in division (A) of section 4117.10 of the Revised Code that
prevail over conflicting agreements between employee organizations and public employers,
this section prevails over any conflicting provisions of agreements between labor
organizations and public employers that are entered into on or after March 31, 2005, pursuant
to Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code.
(I) As used in this section, "labor organization" has the same meaning as in section 3517.01
of the Revised Code.




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