Bill > S515

This bill proposes several reforms to campaign finance laws in Massachusetts, focusing on various aspects of political contributions, reporting requirements, and election-related regulations. The key provisions include: redefining "political committee" to more precisely describe groups involved in election activities; introducing new definitions for contributions like "in-kind contribution"; increasing contribution limits from $50 to $100 in several contexts; modifying reporting requirements for candidates and political committees; extending the period a candidate can be barred from ballots for failing to file campaign finance reports to 10 years; establishing new rules for independent expenditure Political Action Committees (PACs); creating more detailed reporting requirements for expenditures and contributions; protecting the confidentiality of certain investigative documents; and establishing a new Local Election Early Voting Fund that will receive voluntary tax return contributions to support local election expenses. The bill also makes several technical changes to existing campaign finance laws, such as adjusting reporting deadlines and clarifying terminology. Additionally, it introduces a provision for biennial indexing of contribution limits based on the federal consumer price index for the Boston area, which would help keep contribution limits current with economic changes.

Government Affairs

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S515