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Committee reviews bill requiring Department of Elections to vet campaign finance reports before posting
Summary
Vice Chair Morrison presented HB 292 to require Department of Elections staff to review campaign finance reports for potential violations before reports appear as final on the department website. The bill would label reports 'submitted but not reviewed' until cleared and applies to reports filed after March 1, 2026.
Representative Morrison, sponsor of House Bill 292, told the House Elections and Government Affairs Committee that the measure would require the Delaware Department of Elections to review campaign finance reports for possible violations before the reports are displayed as final on the department’s website.
Morrison said the current system posts reports immediately with minimal scrutiny and can display submissions showing contributions that exceed legal maximums for a given office. “This legislation mandates that all campaign finance reports be reviewed by a department employee for any violations of campaign finance rules for contributions or expenditures,” Morrison said, adding that the department would notify candidates and work with them to resolve errors.
Under the bill, reports posted on the department website would be identified as “submitted but not reviewed” until an employee either finds no violations or the candidate has amended the report; once cleared, a report’s status would change to “reviewed and final.” The sponsor said the requirement would apply to reports submitted after March 1, 2026.
Morrison said the measure is not intended as a “gotcha” provision; it recognizes that most reporting problems are unintentional and seeks to improve transparency and public confidence. The reading of the act at the hearing noted Title 15 of the Delaware Code as the statutory location for the amendment; the senate sponsor was identified as Senator Hansen.
No in-person public commenters were recorded for HB 292; the Department of Elections did not raise objections, and Commissioner Anthony Albence attended to answer questions. A motion to release HB 292 was made and seconded; as with the earlier bill the committee lacked the signatures from absent members to report the bill out and said members would collect the remaining signatures after the meeting.
Why it matters: Supporters said HB 292 would improve campaign-finance transparency by ensuring reports undergo an internal review process and by clarifying website status for the public. The bill would take effect for reports filed after March 1, 2026, if enacted.
Votes at a glance: A motion to release HB 292 was made and seconded; the roll-call signatures required to report the bill out were incomplete during the meeting and the sponsor will seek signatures after the hearing.
