SF 828

3rd Engrossment - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)

Posted on 03/25/2025 09:45 a.m.

A bill for an act
relating to elections; establishing a working group on local candidate campaign
finance reporting; requiring a report; appropriating money.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. new text begin WORKING GROUP ON LOCAL CANDIDATE CAMPAIGN FINANCE
REPORTING.
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new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Definitions. new text end

new text begin (a) For purposes of this section, the terms have the meanings
given.
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new text begin (b) "Board" means the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board.
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new text begin (c) "Candidate" means an individual who seeks nomination or election to a county,
municipal, school district, or other political subdivision office. This definition does not
include an individual seeking a judicial office.
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new text begin (d) "Local campaign report" means any report that a candidate is required to file pursuant
to Minnesota Statutes, chapter 211A.
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new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Membership. new text end

new text begin (a) The working group consists of the following 12 members:
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new text begin (1) two members of the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board affiliated with
different political parties appointed by the board's chair;
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new text begin (2) the executive director of the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board;
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new text begin (3) two members appointed by the League of Minnesota Cities, one of whom must be
from a city of the fourth class;
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new text begin (4) one member appointed by the Association of Minnesota Counties;
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new text begin (5) one member appointed by the Minnesota Association of Townships;
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new text begin (6) one member appointed by the Minnesota School Board Association;
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new text begin (7) one senator appointed by the senate majority leader and one senator appointed by
the senate minority leader; and
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new text begin (8) one representative appointed by the speaker of the house and one representative
appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives.
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new text begin (b) Appointments to the working group must be made within two weeks after the effective
date of this act.
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new text begin (c) Public member compensation and reimbursement for expenses are governed by
Minnesota Statutes, section 15.059, subdivision 3. Legislative members may receive per
diem and be reimbursed for their expenses according to the rules of their respective bodies.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Chairs; meetings. new text end

new text begin (a) The executive director of the board must convene the
first meeting of the working group no later than six weeks after the effective date of this
act. At the first meeting, members must elect a chair from among the legislative members
of the working group members.
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new text begin (b) Working group meetings are subject to the Minnesota Open Meeting Law under
Minnesota Statutes, chapter 13D.
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new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Administrative support. new text end

new text begin The Legislative Coordinating Commission must
provide administrative support and meeting space for the working group. Upon request of
the working group, the staff of the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board must
provide technical support.
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new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Duties. new text end

new text begin At a minimum, the working group must:
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new text begin (1) examine and make recommendations on whether any or all local candidate campaign
finance reports should be filed with the board instead of with a local filing officer;
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new text begin (2) assess the extent to which local filing officers are currently able to provide support
to local candidates and the public related to their duty to accept campaign finance reports
from local candidates;
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new text begin (3) review the reporting requirements for local candidates in Minnesota Statutes, chapter
211A, and any changes to those requirements that should be made, especially if the reports
were to be filed with the board;
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new text begin (4) study the impact of the potential increase of reports being made to the board in terms
of budgetary and staffing needs and the ability of the board to support the local candidates
in filing the reports;
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new text begin (5) study local campaign finance reporting requirements and make any recommendations
to changes on the laws; and
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new text begin (6) propose draft legislation to implement any of the working group's recommendations.
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new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Report. new text end

new text begin No later than January 15, 2026, the working group must submit a
written report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees and
divisions with jurisdiction over elections. The report must outline a description of the
working group's activities, how the working group addressed each duty described in
subdivision 5, any recommendations made by the working group, and any proposed
legislation recommended by the working group.
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new text begin Subd. 7. new text end

new text begin Expiration. new text end

new text begin The working group expires upon submission of the report required
under subdivision 6, or January 16, 2026, whichever is later.
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Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
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new text begin $25,000 in fiscal year 2025 is appropriated from the general fund to the Legislative
Coordinating Commission for the working group on local candidate campaign finance
reporting established in section 1. This appropriation is available until June 30, 2026. This
is a onetime appropriation.
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Sec. 3. new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE.
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new text begin This act is effective the day following final enactment.
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