Senate Government Operations panel reviews changes to campaign finance registration and reporting

The Senate Government Operations Committee on May 28 reviewed draft 9.1 of H 474, a campaign finance bill that would revise who must register with the Secretary of State and when they must file campaign reports.

Sean Sheehan, director of elections for the Secretary of State's Office, told the committee the draft separates candidates from other entities and ties registration and reporting triggers to monetary thresholds in different ways. "The letter of the law states each political committee or independent-expenditure-only political committee shall register with the Secretary of State within 10 days after making expenditures of $500 or more, or accepting contributions of $500 or more," Sheehan said, summarizing language in the draft.

The changes in 9.1 keep candidates subject to registration without a monetary threshold but introduce a $500 trigger for registration and reporting for many entities, Sheehan said. The draft also adds an affirmative duty: a candidate, political committee,…