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S 1212

CAMPAIGN FINANCE – Amends, repeals, and adds to existing law to provide for campaign finance transparency.

68th Legislature, 1st Regular Session (2025)

S 1212 overhauls Idaho campaign finance law to boost transparency with new, stricter reporting, limits, enforcement, and foreign-prohibition measures.

Read second time as amended, filed for Third reading
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Bill Summary · S 1212

Summary — S 1212: Campaign Finance Transparency (Introduced 03/31/2025)

Status: Read second time as amended; filed for third reading. Introduced March 31, 2025. Reported out of committee and amended (see “Notable amendment” below).

Purpose

S 1212 reorganizes and significantly updates Idaho’s campaign finance (sunshine) laws to increase transparency, modernize reporting, tighten enforcement, and adapt limits and procedures to current campaign practices and spending levels. It moves campaign finance provisions into a new Chapter 3 of Title 74 (Transparent and Ethical Government), separates lobbying rules, and adds more detailed reporting, enforcement, and disclosure requirements.

Key provisions and changes

  • Reorganization: Moves existing campaign finance law from Title 67 (Chapter 66) into a new Chapter 3 of Title 74 and repeals numerous outdated sections (67-6603 through 67-6616; 67-6626 through 67-6628A). Introduces five new Parts within the chapter to group rules.
  • Definitions and scope: Expands and clarifies definitions (candidate, contribution, electioneering communication, etc.). Excludes federal candidates and precinct committeemen from some definitions.
  • Foreign actors: Prohibits foreign contributions, foreign independent expenditures, and foreign-funded electioneering communications.
  • Disclosure and identification: Tightens source-identification rules for contributions, expenditures, and commercial electioneering; requires polls referencing candidates/measures to identify who paid for them.
  • Candidates (Part 2): Requires campaign finance accounts, appointment of political treasurers, duties, reporting of contributions/expenditures, limits on contributions, rules for retiring debt, and restrictions on coordination (to preserve independence of independent expenditures). Addresses use (and regulation) of synthetic media in campaign communications.
  • Political Action Committees (Part 3): Sets organization, treasurer duties, contribution reporting, limits on coordination with candidates, electioneering communications and independent expenditure reporting.
  • Political parties & caucuses (Part 4): Establishes contribution/reporting rules and limits for party committees and caucuses; electioneering and independent expenditure reporting.
  • Enforcement (Part 5): Assigns duties to Secretary of State, county clerks, and prosecutors; establishes violations, fines, late‑filing fees, civil enforcement, prosecution procedures, venues, injunctions, severability, and construction rules.
  • Signature gatherers: Adds disclosure (new Section 34-1807A) requiring disclosure of payments to signature gatherers for ballot initiative activity.
  • Certification: Certain reports must be certified by the Secretary of State.

Enforcement and penalties

  • Tightened enforcement framework and an updated fine structure (including civil fines and late fees) and strengthened reporting timelines; contains criminal prosecution provisions and injunctive remedies.

Fiscal impact

  • Creates one full‑time Investigator position in the Secretary of State’s office: $32/hour ($66,560 salary). Total annual personnel cost (with benefits) $94,295.53 plus $5,000 one‑time capital outlay. Funding expected from Secretary of State office revenues (per fiscal note).

Who is affected

  • Candidates for statewide, legislative, judicial, and local offices (not federal candidates).
  • Political action committees and party committees.
  • Donors and commercial entities that produce electioneering communications or conduct polls.
  • Secretary of State, county clerks, and prosecutors (for administration and enforcement).
  • Signature gatherers and organizations hiring them.

Procedural/timeline notes

  • Introduced 03/31/2025; referred to committee; reported and amended; read second time as amended and filed for third reading.
  • The bill declares an emergency and provides an effective date (intended for prompt implementation upon enactment).

Notable amendment

A Senate amendment (Anthon) inserted contribution limits for committees contributing directly to candidates:
- State legislative races: maximum $3,000 aggregate per candidate for primary and $3,000 aggregate for general.
- Statewide office races: maximum $12,000 aggregate per candidate for primary and $12,000 aggregate for general.

Miscellaneous/technical

  • The bill specifies relocation and cross‑reference corrections throughout Idaho Code.
  • Sponsors (as provided): Peter Welch (primary), cosponsors Mike Lee, Bernie Sanders, and Martin Heinrich. (Text of the bill amends Idaho Code; sponsors listed appear to be federal officeholders in the provided metadata — readers should verify sponsorship/source if relevant.)
  • Related: Companion bill HR 5341 noted.

If you want, I can produce a plain‑language one‑page brief for voters, a side‑by‑side comparing current law vs. proposed changes, or track key sections to watch during legislative amendments.

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

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