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Committee approves bill raising small-donation disclosure thresholds for political committees
Summary
The committee voted 10–8 to report SB 405 'ought to pass,' raising the donor name/address disclosure threshold to $200 over two years and setting a $1,000 threshold for occupational/employer disclosure; supporters framed changes as balancing transparency and participation, while opponents said the increase reduces transparency.
The House Election Law Committee voted 10–8 to report Senate Bill 405 'ought to pass,' which raises reporting thresholds for political committee contributions: $200 within a two-year period for donor name/address disclosure and $1,000 for occupation/employer disclosure.
Representative Wood, the bill’s mover, said the measure updates dollar amounts used to trigger disclosure under RSA 91-A and related reporting rules, explaining the provision uses "two figures $200 in a two-year period ... and the second is $1,000 for two-year period before they have to give out occupational information." Supporters, including Vice Chairman Quley, argued the thresholds balance donor privacy and participation against public transparency, especially in a heated political climate.
Representative Lane and other opponents said raising thresholds would reduce transparency; Lane said that in many House races a contribution of $800 would be significant and should be disclosed. The committee discussed whether adjusting amounts for inflation would imply higher thresholds than those proposed.
After debate, the clerk called the roll and the motion to report SB 405 carried on a vote of 10–8. Representative Wood will file the majority report and Representative Lane the minority report.
