2023 Campaign Finance Enactments

AR S 280: Authorizes the Arkansas Ethics Commission to set contribution limits for candidates. Changes the independent expenditure reporting deadline from 30 days prior to a primary or general election to 15 days after a $500 threshold is met. Adds a maximum fine of $3,500 for failing to place a disclaimer on who paid for a political communication and makes other minor updates to fines and complaint procedures.

CO H 1245: Sets the individual and party contribution limit for municipal candidates to $400 and sets the contribution limit from small donor committees to $4,000. Requires municipal clerks to retain statements and reports for six years after an elected official has left office and for 10 years from the date of filing for other candidates. Makes minor updates to some filing deadlines.

ME S 284: Changes the individual, committee, corporation and association contribution limits from $1,500 to $1,950 for gubernatorial candidates, $350 to $475 for legislative candidates, $500 to $575 for municipal candidates and from $750 to $975 for all other candidates. Stipulates that contributions from PAC or other entity under control of another corporation or entity will be considered contributions from the controlling entity.

RI S 846/RI H 5962: Increases the individual and political action committee contribution limit from $1,000 to $2,000. Increases the reporting threshold from $100 to $200. Makes primary candidates eligible for public financing. Prohibits a candidate from receiving public financing if they have outstanding fines to the board of elections.

CO S 276: Prohibits a candidate for county office from accepting or giving contributions to issue committees. Requires campaign accounts to be terminated one year after the election if the candidate did not get elected and one year after an elected official leaves office. Stipulates that campaign funds transferred from one campaign account to another for a different office in connection to the same candidate may not exceed the political party contribution limit for the original campaign account.

HI H 99: Specifies that a committee may not accept more than $100 in cash from any individual and must provide contribution receipts.

HI S 1493: Prohibits contributions and promises of contributions from lobbyists during legislative sessions.

IL H 3903: Prohibits any contractor who provides local automated law and traffic enforcement services or any political action committee created by such a contractor from contributing to any political committee established to promote a candidate or public official.

KS S 208: Allows contributions to be used for gifts, expenses, civil penalties, legal fees and compensation to volunteers, staff members or contractors. Adjusts annual registration fees for political committees. Updates various procedures relating to campaign finance complaint investigations, including types and amount of penalties.

LA S 184: Allows candidates to repay loans they made to their own campaign with campaign contributions.

MD H 192/MD SB 269: Prohibits monetary contributions in any form other than U.S. currency. Creates investigation procedures and penalty options for violators.

MN H 3: Prohibits foreign corporations from making contributions to influence an election.

ME S 146: Prohibits a public utility company from including lobbying expenses or contributions to candidates, parties or committees in their recoverable operating expenses. Requires public utilities to file political expenditure and activity reports.

ME H 683: Allows party committees, political action committees or ballot question committees to register with the Gambling Control Unit and hold a game night once a year for fundraising.

MT S 201: Allows any party to a legal proceeding to request a judicial officer be recused if an opposing party or law firm contributed more than $10,000 in support of a supreme court judge or more than $5,000 in support of any other judicial officer in an election that occurred within the last six years.

AR S 114: Requires contribution and expenditure disclosures to be made the last day of the month the month after the election instead of 30 days after the end of the month.

AR S 280: Changes the independent expenditure reporting deadline from 30 days prior to a primary or general election to 15 days after a $500 threshold is met. Authorizes the Arkansas Ethics Commission to set contribution limits for candidates. Adds a maximum fine of $3,500 for failing to place a disclaimer on who paid for a political communication and makes other minor updates to fines and complaint procedures.

AR H 1756: Requires monthly campaign finance reports to be filed 20 days after the end of each month instead of 15 days. Requires disclosure of donor information for donors whose contributions exceed an aggregate of $200 instead of $50. Imposes a $1,000 fine and other penalties on a candidate who fails to file a campaign finance report three times in an election. Updates procedures related to Arkansas Ethics Commission complaint filing.

HI S 182: Requires candidates to file a statement of financial interests 10 days after the nomination filing deadline instead of 20 days prior. Authorizes the state ethics commission to impose fines and penalties for late filing.

HI S 1189: Requires candidate committees to file a preliminary report on Feb. 28 of a general election year.

IN H 1336: Allows the use of digital and photocopied signatures on campaign finance statements.

ME S 121: Exempts candidates receiving public financing from having to file certain campaign finance reports 42 days prior to a primary election.

ME S 647:Requires legislative candidates to file an income source report and imposes civil penalties for candidates and legislators who fail to file. Requires candidates to disclose the number of hours and type of work a campaign staff member performs at least once a month if that staff member is paid at least $3,000. Requires electioneering text messages sent with the assistance of mass distribution technology and certain digital communications to state the name of the person who paid for the text message distribution, if any. Lays out criteria the state ethics commission may use to determine whether a challenged expenditure is an independent expenditure.

ME H 850: Requires ballot question committees to register and file reports if they make expenditures of $5,000 or more in a municipal referendum campaign in a municipality with a population of less than 15,000 people.

MS H 1306: Prohibits candidates from appearing on the ballot if they have failed to file any reports in the last five years. Exempts judicial candidates from annual filing requirements in an election year.

MT H 384—Allows a candidate or treasurer to file campaign finance reports by email or fax if they experience technical difficulties with the online reporting system.

ND H 1257—Requires school board candidates to file campaign contribution statements.

WY S 40—Clarifies that candidates for federal office, their campaign committees and federal political action committees who must otherwise comply with federal campaign finance law are exempt from state reporting requirements if they spend solely on federal candidates and issues.

AR H 1756: Requires disclosure of donor information for donors whose contributions exceed an aggregate of $200 instead of $50. Requires monthly campaign finance reports to be filed 20 days after the end of each month instead of 15 days. Imposes a $1,000 fine and other penalties on a candidate who fails to file a campaign finance report three times in an election. Updates procedures related to Arkansas Ethics Commission complaint filing.

HI H 463: Increases the reporting threshold for noncandidate committee organization’s contributions and expenditures from $500 to $1000 in a two-year election period.

MT S 393: Adjusts the contribution and expenditure reporting threshold from $250 to an amount equal to the contribution limit. Exempts unopposed candidates from filing reports.

RI S 846/RI H 5962: Increases the reporting threshold from $100 to $200. Increases the individual and political action committee contribution limit from $1,000 to $2,000. Makes primary candidates eligible for public financing. Prohibits a candidate from receiving public financing if they have outstanding fines to the board of elections.

AR H 1756: Requires disclosure of donor information for donors whose contributions exceed an aggregate of $200 instead of $50. Requires that monthly campaign finance reports be filed 20 days after the end of each month instead of 15 days. Imposes a $1,000 fine and other penalties on a candidate who fails to

CA S 678: Requires a disclaimer on social media posts by people who are paid by a committee and implements penalties for failing to include the disclaimer.

HI H 90: Requires committees to file fundraiser notices regardless of the price or suggested contribution amount for attending the fundraising event.

HI H 93: Requires the Campaign Spending Commission to post the names of candidates who fail to submit or correct their organizational reports on their website.

MT H 947: Decreases the time campaign treasurers are required to retain accounts after an election from four years to two years.

TN S 158: Requires disclosures be submitted on a form designed by the commission, made under oath and subject to the penalty of perjury.

TN H 486: Requires financial disclosure statements to include all expenditures paid with contributions.

TX H 2626: Requires a political governing body’s clerk or secretary to post candidate reports online.

TX H 3372: Creates reporting requirements for contributions made by credit card.

VA S 324/ H 970: Exempts public agencies under the Campaign Finance Disclosure Act of 2006 from requirement to protect and refrain from requesting personal information.

VA H 492: Requires campaign treasurers to retain contribution and expenditure records through July 1 of the year following the election.

WV S 516: Clarifies disclosure for contributions made for the specific purpose of electioneering communications. Defines terms and modifies the requirements for disclosing individual contributions to an independent expenditure.

ME S 121: Exempts candidates receiving public financing from having to file certain campaign finance reports 42 days prior to a primary election.

RI S 846/RI H 5962: Makes primary candidates eligible for public financing. Prohibits a candidate from receiving public financing if they have outstanding fines to the board of elections. Increases the reporting threshold from $100 to $200. Increases the individual and political action committee contribution limit from $1,000 to $2,000.

CO S 276: Prohibits a candidate for county office from accepting or giving contributions to issue committees. Requires campaign funds transferred from one campaign account to another for a different office in connection to the same candidate may not exceed the pollical party contribution limit for the original campaign account. Requires campaign accounts to be terminated one year after the election if the candidate did not get elected and one year after an elected official leaves office.

KS S 208: Allows contributions to be used for gifts, expenses, civil penalties, legal fees and compensation to volunteers, staff members or contractors. Adjusts annual registration fees for political committees. Updates various procedures relating to campaign finance complaint investigations, including types and amount of penalties.

MT H 387: Prohibits the use of constituent accounts for campaign expenditures. Allows expenditures to be made from a constituent account while the holder has an open campaign account.

MT H 493: Requires an elected official to pay back any outstanding loans from their campaign before creating a continuing service account.

TN S 160: Prohibits the transfer of funds from a federal campaign account to a state or local campaign fund. Prohibits the transfer of funds from a local campaign to a state campaign. Requires personal funds to be segregated from campaign funds. Requires personal credit transactions to be segregated from campaign transactions.

AR S 280: Adds a maximum fine of $3,500 for failing to place a disclaimer on who paid for a political communication and makes other minor updates to fines and complaint procedures. Authorizes the Arkansas Ethics Commission to set contribution limits for candidates. Changes the independent expenditure reporting deadline from 30 days prior to a primary or general election to 15 days after a $500 threshold is met.

AR H 1756: Imposes a $1,000 fine and other penalties on a candidate who fails to file a campaign finance report three times in an election. Updates procedures related to Arkansas Ethics Commission complaint filing. Requires that monthly campaign finance reports be filed 20 days after the end of each month instead of 15 days. Requires disclosure of donor information for donors whose contributions exceed an aggregate of $200 instead of $50.

CA S 29: Authorizes the Fair Political Practices Commission to establish and administer a political reform education program in some circumstances as an alternative to administrative, civil, or criminal penalties.

GA H 572: Renames the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission to the State Ethics Commission. Authorizes the commission to impose civil penalties on candidates for failing to file a disclosure report.

HI S 51: Creates a fine of $1,000 per violation for noncandidate committees that fail to report required information in their organizational report.

HI H 91: Provides that a respondent shall be afforded an opportunity to contest the Campaign Spending Commission's preliminary determination of probable cause by making a request for a contested case hearing within 30 days of receipt of the determination. Provides that any administrative fine shall not be issued without written notice and opportunity to be heard.

HI H 92: Allows the Campaign Spending Commission to fine a maximum of $5,000 to a noncandidate committee that only makes independent expenditures and has received at least one contribution of $10,000 or more has spent $10,000 for each unlawful contribution or expenditure they make. Allows the commission to order any fine to be paid from personal funds.

HI H 97: Requires the Campaign Spending Commission to serve preliminary determinations of probable cause via first-class mail and establishes a presumption of receipt when mailed to the address contained in the candidate or committee organizational report.

HI S 182: Authorizes the state ethics commission to impose fines and penalties for late filing. Requires candidates to file a statement of financial interests 10 days after the nomination filing deadline instead of 20 days prior.

HI S 203: Allows the Campaign Spending Commission to treat a respondent's failure to respond to a complaint alleging a violation of campaign spending laws as a rebuttable presumption that a violation has occurred.

MD H 192/MD S 269: Prohibits monetary contributions in any form other than U.S. currency and creates a civil penalty for doing so.

ME S 647: Lays out criteria the state ethics commission may use to determine whether a challenged expenditure is an independent expenditure. Requires legislative candidates to file an income source report and imposes civil penalties for candidates and legislators who fail to file. Requires candidates to disclose the number of hours and type of work a campaign staff member performs at least once a month if that staff member is paid at least $3,000. Requires electioneering text messages sent with the assistance of mass distribution technology and certain digital communications to state the name of the person who paid for the text message distribution, if any.

MS H 1306: Prohibits candidates from appearing on the ballot if they have failed to file any reports in the last five years. Exempts judicial candidates from annual filing requirements in an election year.

MT S 201: Allows any party to a legal proceeding to request a judicial officer be recused if an opposing party or law firm contributed more than $10,000 in support of a supreme court judge or more than $5,000 in support of any other judicial officer in an election that occurred within the last six years.

SD S 207: Provides a penalty for the expenditure of public funds to influence the outcome of an election. Makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor for the state, a state agency, or a local governing body to make expenditures over a certain amount with public funds. Makes it a Class 6 felony to make expenditures over a specified amount with public funds.

TN S 158: Requires disclosures be submitted on a form designed by the commission, made under oath and subject to the penalty of perjury.

TN S 159: Provides that in certain circumstances, uncollected civil penalties assessed by either the Registry of Election Finance or the Ethics Commission shall be marked as unable to be collected and removed from the list of unpaid civil penalties.

AR H 1599: Changes the definition of “approved political action committee” from a person that does not accept more than $5,000 from any one person to $10,000.

HI H 92: Allows the Campaign Spending Commission to fine a maximum of $5,000 to a noncandidate committee that only makes independent expenditures and has received at least one contribution of $10,000 or more has spent $10,000 for each unlawful contribution or expenditure they make. Allows the commission to order any fine to be paid from personal funds.

NH H 195: Changes the definition of a “political advocacy organization.”

NJ S 2866: Requires independent expenditure committees to report campaign contributions exceeding a specified amount, increases contribution limits and changes reporting and other requirements.

AR H 1595: Removes requirement for political action committees to annually renew their registration.

KY S 7: Prohibits deducting labor organization or other political activity dues or fees from public employees’ wages without the employee’s written authorization. Adds various campaign finance-related definitions to the code.

ND H 1529: Allows a legislative management to study updating the campaign finance code.

Arkansas

AR S 114: Requires contribution and expenditure disclosures to be made the last day of the month the month after the election instead of 30 days after the end of the month.

AR S 280: Authorizes the Arkansas Ethics Commission to set contribution limits for candidates. Changes the independent expenditure reporting deadline from 30 days prior to a primary or general election to 15 days after a $500 threshold is met. Adds a maximum fine of $3,500 for failing to place a disclaimer on who paid for a political communication and makes other minor updates to fines and complaint procedures.

AR H 1595: Removes requirement for political action committees to annually renew their registration.

AR H 1599: Changes the definition of “approved political action committee” from a person that does not accept more than $5,000 dollars from any one person, to $10,000.

AR H 1756: Requires that monthly campaign finance reports be filed 20 days after the end of each month instead of 15 days. Requires disclosure of donor information for donors whose contributions exceed an aggregate of $200 instead of $50. Imposes a $1,000 fine and other penalties on a candidate who fails to file a campaign finance report three times in an election. Updates procedures related to Arkansas Ethics Commission complaint filing.

California

CA S 29: Authorizes the Fair Political Practices Commission to establish and administer a political reform education program in some circumstances as an alternative to administrative, civil, or criminal penalties.

CA S 678: Requires a disclaimer on social media posts by people who are paid by a committee and implements penalties for failing to include the disclaimer.

Colorado

CO S 276: Prohibits a candidate for county office from accepting or giving contributions to issue committees. Requires campaign accounts to be terminated one year after the election if the candidate did not get elected and one year after an elected official leaves office. Stipulates that campaign funds transferred from one campaign account to another for a different office in connection to the same candidate may not exceed the political party contribution limit for the original campaign account.

CO H 1245: Sets the individual and party contribution limit for municipal candidates to $400 and sets the contribution limit from small donor committees to $4,000. Requires municipal clerks to retain statements and reports for six years after an elected official has left office and for 10 years from the date of filing for other candidates. Makes minor updates to some filing deadlines.

Georgia

GA H 572: Renames the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission to the State Ethics Commission. Authorizes the commission to impose civil penalties on candidates for failing to file a disclosure report.

Hawaii