Committee holds HB 399; introduces RS32713C1 after trimming trigger to $10,000

The State Affairs Committee on March 21 held House Bill 399, a broad recodification of Idaho's campaign finance and lobbying statutes, and introduced a revised scope as RS32713C1 to the second-reading calendar after adopting an amendment that lowered a proposed contribution-trigger from $25,000 to $10,000.

The recodification separates campaign finance from lobbying, increases reporting frequency for many filers, adds 48-hour disclosure for large independent expenditures, and would require digital uploads of paid political content to a public ad library. Secretary McGrane, testifying for the Secretary of State's office, said the changes are intended to make compliance easier and boost transparency: "This legislation really aims to increase transparency by increasing the frequency of reporting," he said, adding that the office hopes to help filers comply before pursuing enforcement.

Why it matters: Committee members said the bill responds to a growing volume of outside spending. Secretary McGrane told the committee that during the last legislative cycle roughly $17 million was spent on legislative races, with about $10…