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HD 3837

An Act relative to the disclosure of the political party offices campaign contributions

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Mike Day

Requires full disclosure of contributions and expenditures for campaigns for state, city, ward, and town party offices; OCPF enforces, boosting transparency.

Senate concurred
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HD 3837

Summary: An Act relative to the disclosure of the political party offices campaign contributions (HD 3837)

Overview

  • Bill number: HD 3837 (House Docket No. 3837)
  • Title: An Act relative to the disclosure of the political party offices campaign contributions
  • Status: Senate concurred
  • Introduced: February 27, 2025
  • Classification: Proposed bill
  • Context: Similar matter previously filed in the 2023-2024 session (House No. 675)

Purpose and intent

  • The bill seeks to enhance transparency around fundraising for political party offices in Massachusetts.
  • It would insert a new chapter to require reporting of all contributions and expenditures tied to campaigns for designated political party offices.
  • Specifically, it targets candidates for positions associated with political party offices that appear on public ballots.

Key provisions (as drafted in the bill text)

  • New chapter inserted into the Massachusetts General Laws.
  • Scope of “political party offices” includes:
    • State committee members
    • Town committee members
    • Ward committee members
    • City committee members
  • Campaign reporting requirements:
    • Candidates for the above offices must report all contributions received for their campaigns.
    • Candidates must report all expenditures related to campaigns for these offices.
  • Regulatory framework:
    • The Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) would collect, report, monitor, and enforce compliance with these requirements.
    • Regulations would be established or further defined by OCPF to set reporting standards and procedures.
  • Public accessibility and transparency:
    • The reporting is intended to enhance public knowledge about campaign finance related to political party offices.

Who would be affected

  • Candidates running for:
    • State party committee positions
    • City committee positions
    • Ward committee positions
    • Town committee positions
  • Political party organizations and local party committees that field candidates for these offices
  • Campaign finance professionals and consultants working on these campaigns
  • OCPF, as the enforcement and reporting authority

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Legislative actions (as recorded):
    • 2025-02-27: Referred to the committee on Election Laws
    • 2025-02-27: Senate concurred
  • Effective date: Not specified in the provided text; compliance would be governed by regulations issued by OCPF if the bill becomes law.
  • Next steps (contextual): If enacted, the bill would require implementing regulations and a submission timeline for initial disclosures under the new chapter.

Potential impact and considerations

  • Enhanced transparency for campaign contributions to political party offices at various levels.
  • Increased reporting obligations for candidates seeking party office positions.
  • Administrative considerations for OCPF to implement new reporting requirements, including possible rulemaking, form redesign, and data publication.
  • Questions for stakeholders: What would be the exact reporting periods, thresholds (if any), and public availability of reports? How would the new chapter interact with existing campaign finance disclosures?

This summary captures the bill’s core aims, scope, and potential effects based on the text provided.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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