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SB 1059

Election Laws - As enacted, revises the definition of "contribution," for purposes of financial disclosures under the state's campaign finance laws, to include an activity done independently of or in coordination with a candidate, candidate's political campaign committee, or agent, related to the development, production, and use of canvassing literature and scripts to be used in a door-knocking campaign for a candidate's election. - Amends TCA Title 2.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Adam Lowe

Tennessee law now requires disclosure of canvassing material development and production costs as campaign contributions, whether created independently or with candidate coordination.

Comp. became Pub. Ch. 350
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Bill Summary · SB 1059

Legislative bill overview

SB 1059 expands Tennessee's campaign finance disclosure requirements by redefining "contribution" to include the costs of developing, producing, and distributing door-knocking canvassing materials and scripts—whether created independently or coordinated with a candidate. This broadens what counts as reportable financial activity in campaign finance disclosures under state law.

Why is this important

Campaign finance transparency affects how voters understand the financial backing behind political candidates and campaigns. By capturing canvassing material costs as contributions, the law aims to provide more complete disclosure of campaign-related spending, particularly regarding grassroots organizing activities that may previously have escaped reporting requirements.

Potential points of contention

  • Definition scope: The phrase "activity done independently of or in coordination with" is broad and could capture borderline cases—such as issue advocacy groups creating similar materials—raising questions about where campaign activity ends and independent speech begins.
  • Compliance burden: Small campaigns and volunteer-driven operations may face increased administrative costs and complexity in tracking and reporting canvassing material expenses, potentially disadvantaging resource-limited candidates.
  • First Amendment concerns: Critics may argue that requiring disclosure of independently-produced materials conflates coordination with actual coordination, potentially chilling grassroots political speech and organizing.

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

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