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Bill

HB 2512

Requiring treasurers of candidates and persons who support or oppose constitutional amendments to report lists of small donors names and addresses to the public disclosure commission and providing that such lists shall not be part of any report required to be made public.

2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas bill requires campaign donors' names and addresses reported to state but withheld from public disclosure, balancing financial oversight against donor privacy.

Died in Committee
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Bill Summary · HB 2512

Legislative bill overview

HB 2512 requires campaign treasurers and amendment supporters/opponents to submit donor lists (names and addresses) to Kansas's public disclosure commission, but explicitly prohibits these lists from being included in publicly available reports. Essentially, it creates a private reporting requirement where donor information goes to the state but not to the general public.

Why is this important

This bill addresses tension between transparency and donor privacy in political campaigns. It attempts to allow government oversight of campaign finances while shielding individual donors from public identification—a significant concern given potential harassment, boycotts, or targeting of donors based on their political positions.

Potential points of contention

  • Transparency vs. privacy tradeoff: Supporters of campaign finance transparency argue the public has a right to know who funds political activity; opponents contend donor privacy protects citizens from intimidation and allows free political participation
  • Enforcement and verification: Creating a dual-track system (private submission vs. public reporting) raises questions about how the state verifies accuracy without public scrutiny, potentially reducing accountability
  • Constitutional questions: Courts in various states have split on whether disclosure requirements pass First Amendment challenges; this hybrid approach's constitutionality is uncertain

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

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