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Senate enacts bipartisan changes to Citizens’ Election Program and campaign rules
Summary
A four‑caucus compromise updated Citizens’ Election Program rules: clarified qualifying contributions, adjusted post‑election audit selection and reporting, tightened disclaimers and communications rules, and required guidebooks with public‑facing guidance; the Senate adopted the omnibus amendment and passed the bill.
Senate Bill 1405, a package of reforms to campaign‑finance administration and the Citizens’ Election Program (CEP), was approved on a bipartisan basis after a negotiated amendment reflecting four‑caucus agreement.
Floor leaders said the changes implement technical improvements: standardized disclaimers and disclosure expectations for broadcast and online communications; clarified what counts as a qualifying contribution and how candidates and treasurers must document and return nonqualified contributions; modified the post‑election audit selection process to improve efficiency while preserving 100% review of contributions for qualification during grant evaluation; and required agency guidebooks to be made available to the legislature and public for transparency (with no legislative veto of guidance).
Sponsors emphasized preserving the SEC’s independence while increasing transparency and predictability for candidates and treasurers. The measure was described as a pragmatic, bipartisan modernization that should encourage participation in the public financing system.
