(a) Qualified small-dollar contributions received in an election cycle before a candidate is certified as a participating candidate pursuant to § 1-1163.32c(b) shall not be matched until the candidate is certified.

(b) After the candidate is certified, the participating candidate shall receive matching payments from the Fair Elections Fund for the qualified small-dollar contributions that the participating candidate received in that election cycle before the participating candidate was certified and those qualified small-dollar contributions received after the participating candidate was certified, in an amount equal to 500% of the amount of the qualified small-dollar contributions, subject to subsection (d) of this section.

(c) Contributions from non-District resident individuals shall not be matched.

(d) The maximum amount participating candidates may receive under this section shall be:

(1) For candidates for Mayor and Chairman of the Council, 110% of the average expenditures of the winning candidates for that covered office, respectively, in the prior 4 election cycles (not including special elections);

(2) For candidates for Attorney General, 110% of the average expenditures of the winning candidates for that covered office in all prior election cycles, until such time as 4 election cycles for that covered office have been held, after which time, 110% of the average expenditures of the winning candidates for that covered office in the prior 4 election cycles (not including special elections); and

(3) For candidates for member of the Council elected at-large or by ward, and for candidates for member of the State Board of Education elected at-large or by ward, 110% of the average expenditures of all winning candidates for that covered office, respectively, in the prior 2 election cycles (not including special elections).

(e) Within 5 days after the receipt of a report made under § 1-1163.09(a) and (b-1), the Director of Campaign Finance shall direct the Office of the Chief Financial Officer to disburse payments under this section. The Office of the Chief Financial Officer shall disburse the payments within 5 business days after receiving direction to do so from the Director of Campaign Finance.

(f) The Director of Campaign Finance shall provide a written explanation with respect to any denial of any payment under this section and shall provide an opportunity to appeal the denial within 10 business days.

(g) Funds shall be distributed to participating candidates under this section through the use of an electronic funds transfer or a debit card.

(Apr. 27, 2012, D.C. Law 19-124, § 332e; Apr. 27, 2012, D.C. Law 19-124, § 332l; as added May 5, 2018, D.C. Law 22-94, § 2(b)(5), 65 DCR 2847; Sept. 11, 2019, D.C. Law 23-16, § 1042(l), 66 DCR 8621.)

Section 3 of D.C. Law 22-168 amended section 3 of D.C. Law 22-94, removing the applicability restriction impacting this section. Therefore the creation of this section by section 2(b)(5) of D.C. Law 22-94 has been implemented as of November 7, 2018.

Applicability of D.C. Law 22-94: § 3 of D.C. Law 22-94 provided that the creation of this section by § 2(b)(5) of D.C. Law 22-94 is subject to the inclusion of the law’s fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan. Therefore that amendment has not been implemented.

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 1042(l) of Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2019 (D.C. Act 23-91, July 22, 2019, 66 DCR 8497).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(f) of Fair Elections Emergency Amendment Act of 2019 (D.C. Act 23-50, May 22, 2019, 66 DCR 6583).

For temporary (225 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(f) of Fair Elections Temporary Amendment Act of 2019 (D.C. Law 23-13, Aug. 24, 2019, 66 DCR 8058).