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PDC-backed bill would standardize campaign finance reporting; treasurers flag implementation concerns
Summary
Senate Bill 5840 would anchor campaign finance reporting to specific monthly dates and require statements of participation and more frequent C4 filings; the Public Disclosure Commission supported the timeline change while professional treasurers urged safeguards to avoid excessive burdens for dormant committees and suggested certificate-of-no-activity options.
Senate Bill 5840, an agency-request bill sponsored by Senator Jeff Wilson, would standardize campaign finance reporting dates—anchoring them on the 10th and 25th of each month—and require registered political committees to submit statements of participation about whether they expect to engage in campaigns during the calendar year. The bill would also require regular monthly C4 expenditure reports and adjust pre‑election reporting periods.
Kim Bradford, deputy director of the Public Disclosure Commission, told the committee the proposal is intended to align reporting with the mail‑voting calendar so voters receive information earlier and in smaller, digestible increments. Bradford cited 2024 data saying a single pre‑election filing disclosed roughly $84,000,000 in expenditures shortly before mail ballots were distributed, limiting public time to evaluate the disclosures.
Professional treasurers Connor Edwards and Jason Bennett testified in favor of clearer, date‑specific reporting but warned the monthly mandatory C4 requirement—even when committees have no activity—could impose undue cost and administrative burden, especially for dormant candidate and surplus committees. They suggested threshold‑based relief, a simple PDC online certification that a committee has under‑$750 activity for a reporting period, or alternative filing schedules for long‑dormant accounts.
PDC staff said they are working on a low‑burden mechanism so continuing committees can indicate no required C4 filing (e.g., a one‑click certification) and that substitute language to address concerns about requiring monthly filings for committees with minimal activity is anticipated. The committee did not vote; staff said a substitute bill addressing reporting burdens is in development ahead of the executive session.
