HF 4530
Introduction - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)
Posted on 03/23/2026 03:21 p.m.
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A bill for an act
relating to campaign finance; requiring the campaign finance and public disclosure
board to impose fees and civil penalties for various violations; allowing fees and
civil penalties to be waived for good cause only in certain circumstances; requiring
an annual report; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections 10A.01, by adding
subdivisions; 10A.02, subdivision 15; 10A.025, subdivisions 2, 3, 4, 5; 10A.12,
subdivision 1b; 10A.14, subdivision 4; 10A.20, subdivision 12; 10A.244,
subdivision 4; 10A.27, subdivision 13; 10A.29.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
Section 1.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 10A.01, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:
new text begin Subd. 16d. new text end
new text begin Enhanced penalty. new text end
new text begin
"Enhanced penalty" means a mandatory late fee or civil
penalty imposed by the board that applies after a $25,000 threshold is exceeded or is
determined using a multiplier or percentage under sections 10A.025, subdivision 2, 3, 4, or
5; 10A.12, subdivision 1b; 10A.14, subdivision 4; 10A.20, subdivision 12; 10A.244,
subdivision 4; 10A.27, subdivision 13; and 10A.29.
new text end
Sec. 2.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 10A.01, is amended by adding a subdivision to
read:
new text begin Subd. 26c. new text end
new text begin Total contributions. new text end
new text begin
"Total contributions" means the total of all contributions.
Contributions include all contributions received, in-kind contributions received, loans, and
any other types of contributions.
new text end
Sec. 3.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 10A.01, is amended by adding a subdivision to
read:
new text begin Subd. 26d. new text end
new text begin Total disbursements. new text end
new text begin
"Total disbursements" means the total of all
disbursements. Disbursements include expenditures, in-kind expenditures, approved
expenditures, contributions made, in-kind contributions made, independent expenditures,
noncampaign disbursements, electioneering communications, and any other types of
expenditures and disbursements.
new text end
Sec. 4.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 10A.02, subdivision 15, is amended to read:
Subd. 15.
Fees and penalties.
(a) Upon written request, certified pursuant to section
10A.025, subdivision 2, the board must waive that portion of a late filing fee or a civil
penalty imposed for the late filing of a report or statement under this chapter for which the
requester demonstrates good cause for the late filing or submission.
new text begin
(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), the board must not waive any portion of an enhanced
penalty.
new text end
deleted text begin (b)deleted text end new text begin (c) new text end The board must deposit all fees and civil penalties collected under this chapter
into the general deleted text begin fund in the state treasurydeleted text end new text begin account of the state elections campaign account
in the special revenue fundnew text end .
Sec. 5.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 10A.025, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
Subd. 2.
Penalty for false statements.
(a) A report or statement required to be filed
under this chapter must be signed and certified as true by the individual required to file the
report. The signature may be an electronic signature consisting of a password assigned by
the board.
(b) An individual deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end not sign and certify to be true a report or statement knowing
it contains false information or knowing it omits required information.
(c) An individual deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end not knowingly provide false or incomplete information to
a treasurer with the intent that the treasurer will rely on that information in signing and
certifying to be true a report or statement.
(d) A person who violates paragraph (b) or (c) is subject to a civil penalty imposed by
the board of deleted text begin up to $3,000deleted text end new text begin an amount equal to four times the amount of the total contributions
and total disbursements that were knowingly false or omitted from the reportnew text end . A violation
of paragraph (b) or (c) is a gross misdemeanor.
(e) The board deleted text begin maydeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end impose deleted text begin an additional civil penalty of up to $3,000deleted text end on the principal
campaign committee or candidate, party unit, political committee, or association that has a
political fund that is affiliated with an individual who violated paragraph (b) or (c)new text begin an
additional civil penalty of an amount equal to four times the amount of the total contributions
and total disbursements that were knowingly omitted from the reportnew text end .
Sec. 6.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 10A.025, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
Subd. 3.
Record keeping; penalty.
(a) A person required to file a report or statement
or who has accepted record-keeping responsibility for the filer must maintain records on
the matters required to be reported, including vouchers, canceled checks, bills, invoices,
worksheets, and receipts, that will provide in sufficient detail the necessary information
from which the filed reports and statements may be verified, explained, clarified, and checked
for accuracy and completeness. The person must keep the records available for audit,
inspection, or examination by the board or its authorized representatives for four years from
the date of filing of the reports or statements or of changes or corrections to them.
(b) The board deleted text begin maydeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end impose a civil penalty deleted text begin of up to $3,000deleted text end on a person who
knowingly violates this subdivisionnew text begin of an amount equal to four times the amount reflected
on the missing recordsnew text end .
new text begin (c)new text end The board may impose deleted text begin a separate civil penalty of up to $3,000deleted text end on the principal
campaign committee or candidate, party unit, political committee, or association that has a
political fund that is affiliated with an individual who violated this subdivisionnew text begin a separate
civil penalty of an amount equal to four times the amount reflected on the missing recordsnew text end .
deleted text begin (c)deleted text end new text begin (d)new text end A knowing violation of this subdivision is a misdemeanor.
Sec. 7.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 10A.025, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
Subd. 4.
Changes and corrections.
new text begin (a) new text end Material changes in information previously
submitted and corrections to a report or statement must be reported in writing to the board
within ten days following the date of the event prompting the change or the date upon which
the person filing became aware of the inaccuracy. The change or correction must identify
the form and the paragraph containing the information to be changed or corrected. A request
from the board to a lobbyist to provide more detailed information about a specific subject
of interest disclosed on a lobbyist disbursement report is a change or correction governed
by this subdivision.
new text begin (b) new text end A person who willfully fails to report a material change or correction is subject to a
civil penalty imposed by the board of deleted text begin up to $3,000deleted text end new text begin four times the amount of the required
change or correction in the reportnew text end . A willful violation of this subdivision is a gross
misdemeanor.
new text begin (c) new text end The board must send a written notice to any individual who fails to file a report
required by this subdivision. If the individual fails to file the required report within ten
business days after the notice was sent, the board may impose a late filing fee of $25 per
day up to $1,000 starting on the 11th day after the notice was sent.
new text begin (d)new text end The board may send an additional notice by certified mail to an individual who fails
to file a report within ten business days after the first notice was sent by the board. The
certified notice must state that if the individual does not file the requested report within ten
business days after the certified notice was sent, the individual may be subject to a civil
penalty for failure to file a report. an individual who fails to file a report required by this
subdivision within ten business days after the certified notice was sent by the board is subject
to a civil penalty imposed by the board of up to $1,000.
Sec. 8.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 10A.025, subdivision 5, is amended to read:
Subd. 5.
Reconciliation information; penalty.
new text begin (a) new text end An individual or association required
to file a report under this chapter must provide information requested by the board to
reconcile discrepancies between the report and reports filed by other individuals or
associations. The board's request for information must be in writing. If the individual or
association fails to provide the requested information within ten business days after the
request was sent, the board may impose a late filing fee of $25 per day up to $1,000.
new text begin (b) new text end The board may send notice by certified mail to an individual or association that has
not timely responded to the board's written request for reconciliation information. The
certified notice must state that if the individual or association does not respond to the board's
request for information within ten business days after the certified notice was sent, the
individual or association may be subject to a civil penalty for failure to provide information
to the board. an individual or association that does not provide the requested information
within ten business days after the certified notice was sent is subject to a civil penalty
imposed by the board of up to $1,000.
new text begin (c) new text end A person who willfully fails to cooperate with the board to reconcile a report
discrepancy is subject to a civil penalty imposed by the board of deleted text begin up to $3,000deleted text end new text begin an amount
equal to four times the discrepancynew text end .
Sec. 9.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 10A.12, subdivision 1b, is amended to read:
Subd. 1b.
Penalty for noncompliant independent expenditure.
An association that
makes an independent expenditure without complying with subdivision 1a is subject to a
civil penalty of up to four times the amount of the independent expenditure, deleted text begin but not to exceed
$25,000,deleted text end except when the violation was intentional.new text begin When the violation is intentional, the
board must impose a civil penalty of ten times the amount of the independent expenditure.
new text end
Sec. 10.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 10A.14, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
Subd. 4.
Failure to file; penalty.
new text begin (a)new text end If an individual fails to file a statement required
by this section by the date that the statement was due, the board may impose a late filing
fee of $25 per day, not to exceed $1,000, starting on the day after the statement was due.new text begin If
a report filed with the board reflects total contributions or total expenditures of more than
$25,000 that were not timely disclosed due to a late registration statement, the board must
instead impose a late filing fee of ten percent of that total, per day, starting on the day after
the report was due.
new text end
new text begin (b) new text end The board must send notice by certified mail to any individual who fails to file a
statement within ten business days after the statement was due that the individual may be
subject to a civil penalty for failure to file the statement. an individual who fails to file the
statement within seven days after the certified mail notice was sent by the board is subject
to a civil penalty imposed by the board of up to $1,000.new text begin If a statement required by subdivision
1 is not filed within seven days after the certified mail notice was sent by the board and a
report filed with the board shows that the committee, fund, or party unit has total
contributions or total disbursements in excess of $25,000 that were not timely disclosed
due to the late registration statement, the board must impose a civil penalty of an amount
equal to four times the amount of total contributions or total disbursements that were not
timely disclosed, whichever is greater.
new text end
Sec. 11.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 10A.20, subdivision 12, is amended to read:
Subd. 12.
Failure to file; late fees; penalty.
(a) If an individual or association fails to
file a report required by this section or section 10A.202, the board may impose a late filing
fee and a civil penalty as provided in this subdivision.
(b) If a candidate, political committee, political fund, principal campaign committee, or
party unit fails to file a report required by this section that is due January 31, the board may
impose a late filing fee of $25 per day, not to exceed $1,000, commencing the day after the
report was due.
(c) Except for reports governed by paragraph (b), if an individual, political committee,
political fund, principal campaign committee, party unit, or association fails to file a report
required by subdivision 2, 2a, deleted text begin ordeleted text end 5, new text begin or 5a, new text end or by section 10A.202, the board may impose a
late filing fee of $50 per day, not to exceed $1,000, commencing on the day after the date
the deleted text begin statementdeleted text end new text begin reportnew text end was due. If the total deleted text begin expendituresdeleted text end new text begin contributionsnew text end or new text begin total new text end disbursements
new text begin exceed $250,000 or the total contributions or total disbursements new text end that deleted text begin occurred during the
reporting period exceedsdeleted text end new text begin were required to be disclosed for the first time exceednew text end $25,000,
then the board deleted text begin maydeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end also impose a late filing fee of deleted text begin up to twodeleted text end new text begin tennew text end percent of the
deleted text begin expenditures or disbursementsdeleted text end new text begin total contributions or total disbursements, whichever is
greater,new text end that should have been reported, per day, commencing on the day after the report
was due, not to exceed 100 percent of the amount that should have been reported.
(d) If an individual, political committee, political fund, principal campaign committee,
party unit, or association has been assessed a late filing fee or civil penalty under this
subdivision during the prior four years, the board may impose a late filing fee, a civil penalty,
or both of up to twice the amount otherwise authorized by this subdivision. If an individual,
political committee, political fund, principal campaign committee, party unit, or association
has been assessed a late filing fee new text begin or civil penalty new text end under this subdivision more than two
times during the prior four years, the board may impose a late filing fee new text begin or civil penalty, or
both, new text end of up to three times the amount otherwise authorized by this subdivision.
new text begin
(e) If an individual, political committee, political fund, principal campaign committee,
party unit, or association has been assessed an enhanced penalty during the prior four years,
the board must impose a late filing fee, a civil penalty, or both, of up to twice the amount
otherwise authorized by this subdivision. If an individual, political committee, political
fund, principal campaign committee, party unit, or association has been assessed an enhanced
penalty more than two times during the prior four years, the board must impose a late filing
fee, a civil penalty, or both, of up to three times the amount otherwise authorized by this
subdivision.
new text end
deleted text begin (e)deleted text end new text begin (f)new text end Within ten business days after the report was due or receipt by the board of
information disclosing the potential failure to file a report required by this section, the board
must send notice by certified mail that the individual or association may be subject to a civil
penalty for failure to file the report. An individual who fails to file the report within seven
days after the certified mail notice was sent by the board is subject to a civil penalty imposed
by the board of up to $2,000 in addition to the late filing fees imposed by this subdivision.new text begin
If the total contributions or total disbursements exceed $250,000 or the total contributions
or total disbursements that were required to be disclosed for the first time within the report
exceed $25,000, the board must impose a civil penalty of an amount equal to four times the
amount of the total contributions or total disbursements that should have been reported,
whichever is greater.
new text end
Sec. 12.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 10A.244, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
Subd. 4.
Penalty for financial activity while in voluntary inactive status.
If an
association fails to notify the board of its political fund's resumption of active status under
subdivision 3, the board may impose a civil penalty of $50 per day, not to exceed $1,000
commencing on the 15th calendar day after the fund resumed active status.new text begin If the total
contributions or total disbursements are greater than $25,000 while in voluntary inactive
status and prior to filing the notice required by subdivision 3, the board must:
new text end
new text begin
(1) impose a late fee of ten percent of the larger of the total contributions or the total
disbursements per day starting on the day after the notification was due; and
new text end
new text begin
(2) impose a civil penalty of an amount that is equal to four times the amount of
unreported total contributions or unreported total disbursements, whichever is greater.
new text end
Sec. 13.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 10A.27, subdivision 13, is amended to read:
Subd. 13.
Unregistered association limit; statement; penalty.
(a) The treasurer of a
political committee, political fund, principal campaign committee, or party unit must not
accept a contribution of more than $200 from an association not registered under this chapter
unless the contribution is accompanied by a statement that meets the disclosure and reporting
period requirements imposed by section 10A.20. The statement may be a written statement
or a government website where the disclosure report for the unregistered association may
be viewed. This statement must be certified as true and correct by an officer of the
contributing association. The committee, fund, or party unit that accepts the contribution
must include a copy of the written statement or website with the report that discloses the
contribution to the board.
(b) An unregistered association may provide the statement required by this subdivision
to no more than three committees, funds, or party units in deleted text begin a calendar yeardeleted text end new text begin an election segmentnew text end .
Each statement must cover at least the 30 days immediately preceding and including the
date on which the contribution was made. An unregistered association or an officer of it is
subject to a civil penalty imposed by the board of up to $1,000, if the association or its
officer:
(1) fails to provide a statement as required by this subdivision; or
(2) fails to register after giving the statement required by this subdivision to more than
three committees, funds, or party units in deleted text begin a calendar yeardeleted text end new text begin an election segmentnew text end .
new text begin
If an association violates clause (2) and the total contributions during the election segment
exceed $25,000, the board must impose on the association a civil penalty of an amount
equal to four times the amount contributed to all committees, funds, or party units in the
election segment.
new text end
(c) The treasurer of a political committee, political fund, principal campaign committee,
or party unit who accepts a contribution in excess of $200 from an unregistered association
without the required disclosure statement is subject to a civil penalty up to four times the
amount in excess of $200.
(d) This subdivision does not apply:
(1) when a national political party contributes money to its state committee;
(2) when a federal committee of a major or minor political party registered with the
board gives an in-kind contribution to the federal committee's state central committee or a
party organization within a house of the state legislature; or
(3) to purchases by candidates for federal office of tickets to events or space rental at
events held by party units in this state (i) if the geographical area represented by the party
unit includes any part of the geographical area of the office that the federal candidate is
seeking and (ii) the purchase price is not more than that paid by other attendees or renters
of similar spaces.
Sec. 14.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 10A.29, is amended to read:
10A.29 CIRCUMVENTION PROHIBITED.
An individual or association that attempts to circumvent this chapter by redirecting a
contribution through, or making a contribution on behalf of, another individual or association
is guilty of a gross misdemeanor and subject to a civil penalty imposed by the board of deleted text begin up
to $3,000deleted text end new text begin an amount equal to four times the contributionnew text end .
Sec. 15. new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE.
new text end
new text begin
This act is effective January 1, 2027.
new text end