House Passes Strict Campaign Finance Legislation to Improve Transparency of Super PACs

(BOSTON) – Representative Heroux joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives in passing legislation that drastically strengthens campaign finance regulations and requires super PACs to disclose their funding sources.

To ensure the public has timely and relevant information before voting, the bill updates reporting timeframes and mandates that entities disclose expenditures in state, county and local elections within seven days. Additionally, PACs that run television advertisements would have to list the top five contributors on the commercial. If passed, Massachusetts will be one of two states with this type of provision.

“When voters go to the polls, they deserve as much information as possible in making decisions about our government,” House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo (D-Winthrop) said. “This legislation ensures that the public will know where shadow PAC donations are coming from in close to real time, which is essential if we are to uphold an open and functional democracy. I’m proud that Massachusetts is now a leader in campaign finance transparency and thank my colleagues for their thoughtful work.” 

“We are powerless to stop the influx of money to our local races, but we can shed light on those shadowy groups and where their dark money is coming from and how it is being spent,’’ said Representative James M. Murphy (D-Weymouth), co-chair of the Joint Committee on Election Laws. “This legislation doesn’t prevent anybody from spending money; it merely requires that when the money is spent it is done so in an open and transparent manner.”

Specifically, the bill requires entities that make independent expenditures (IE) to process four separate reports over a period of time to ensure there are no significant post-election disclosures. If an IE is made within ten days of an election, the report must be electronically filed within 24 hours.

The bill also boosts individual limits on annual campaign contributions from $500 to $1,000, the first increase since 1994.

NOTE: This release was prepared by House leadership.