Bill > H566

This bill proposes changes to campaign finance reporting by amending Chapter 55 of the General Laws, specifically Section 7A, which deals with contribution limits. The key provisions establish that individuals can contribute up to $1,000 per election to a candidate's committee, $10,000 per election to a political party's committee, and $1,000 per election to other specified political committees, with unlimited contributions allowed to ballot question committees. Additionally, legislative or executive agents, who are individuals acting on behalf of others in lobbying efforts, face a stricter limit of $200 per election for contributions to any candidate's committee or other political committee, excluding ballot question committees. The bill also mandates that these contribution limits will be adjusted for inflation every two years, starting in 2016, with the director responsible for calculating and publishing these updated amounts based on the federal consumer price index for the Boston area, rounding them to the nearest $50. Finally, it clarifies that contributions made to a designated contribution committee that are then forwarded to the intended recipient will be treated as direct contributions from the original donor.