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House passes campaign disclosure update shifting thresholds and reporting rules
Summary
The House passed Senate Bill 21 56 to reorganize and update campaign disclosure law, increase reporting thresholds, change deposit-date rules, add contributor city/state reporting and raise certain late fines; final vote was 85-5.
The North Dakota House voted 85-5 to pass Senate Bill 21 56, a reorganization and update of campaign disclosure statutes that the government and veterans affairs committee recommended with amendments.
Representative Steiner, speaking for the Government and Veterans Affairs Committee, summarized technical and substantive changes on the floor. The bill moves existing disclosure language into a new chapter, raises certain reporting thresholds (Steiner said it increases a reporting threshold "set at $200 currently to $250"), and changes the definition of receipt to a deposit date. The bill also requires contributors to be identified by name, city and state (rather than a full mailing address) and aggregates multiple contributions to the same recipient for reporting. The committee added a new expenditure category for political donations and volunteer appreciation.
Key procedural and reporting details described on the floor include: supplemental 48-hour filings for aggregated contributions exceeding $500 during a reporting period; a reporting requirement for aggregated contributions totaling $5,000 or more; explicit filing period windows tied to election timing; and an implementation schedule that makes many provisions effective January 1, 2026. Steiner also said the secretary of state will provide training and that legislators are not required to opt into the secretary's new "checkbook" system for filing.
Representative Clamine (floor) clarified penalties: the bill preserves a misdemeanor penalty category for willful violations; he noted that for organizations convicted of a class A misdemeanor, the maximum organizational fine is $30,000 under current law. Representative Lauser (floor) noted the legislature previously appropriated funds to the secretary of state to implement a new filing system.
On committee action: the Government and Veterans Affairs Committee voted 12-0 to recommend the bill with amendments. On final consideration the clerk recorded 85 yea and 5 nay; the bill was declared passed and committee and floor discussion set an effective date of January 1, 2026 for implementation provisions.
