163-278.19B. Political party headquarters building funds.

Notwithstanding the provisions of G.S. 163-278.19, a person prohibited by that section from making a contribution may donate to political parties and affiliated party committees and political parties and affiliated party committees may accept from such a person money and other things of value donated to a political party headquarters building fund. Donations to the political party headquarters building fund shall be subject to all the following rules:

(1) The donations solicited and accepted are designated to the political party headquarters building fund.

(2) Potential donors to that fund are advised that all donations will be exclusively for the political party headquarters building fund.

(3) The political party or affiliated party committee establishes a separate segregated bank account into which shall be deposited only donations for the political party headquarters building fund from persons prohibited by G.S. 163-278.19 from making contributions.

(4) The donations deposited in the separate segregated bank account for the political party headquarters building fund will be spent only to purchase a principal headquarters building, to construct a principal headquarters building, to renovate a principal headquarters building, to pay a mortgage on a principal headquarters building, to repay donors if a principal headquarters building is not purchased, constructed, or renovated, or to pay building rent or monthly or bimonthly utility expenses incurred to operate the principal headquarters building. Donations deposited into that account shall be used solely for the purposes set forth in the preceding sentence, and specifically shall not be used for headquarters equipment other than fixtures, personnel compensation, or travel or fundraising expenses or requirements of any kind. Notwithstanding the above, personnel compensation and in-kind benefits may be paid to no more than three personnel whose functions are primarily administrative in nature, such as providing accounting, payroll, or campaign finance reporting services, for the party and whose job functions require no more than ten percent (10%) of work time to be spent on political advocacy each calendar year.

(5) The political party executive committee or affiliated party committee shall report donations to and spending by a political party headquarters building fund on every report required to be made by G.S. 163-278.9. If a committee is excused from making general campaign finance reports under G.S. 163-278.10A, that committee shall nonetheless report donations in any amount to and spending in any amount by the political party headquarters building fund at the times required for reports in G.S. 163-278.9.

If all the criteria set forth in subdivisions (1) through (5) of this section are complied with, then donations to and spending by a political party headquarters building fund do not constitute contributions or expenditures as defined in G.S. 163-278.6. If those criteria are complied with, then donations may be made to a political party headquarters building fund.