1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to campaign finance; modifying certain late fees and civil penalties; 
1.3 	establishing enhanced penalties; prohibiting the board from waiving enhanced 
1.4 	penalties; depositing a portion of late fees and civil penalties into the state elections 
1.5 	campaign account; providing definitions;amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, 
1.6 	sections 10A.01, by adding subdivisions; 10A.02, subdivision 15; 10A.025, 
1.7 	subdivisions 2, 3, 4, 5, by adding a subdivision; 10A.20, subdivision 12, by adding 
1.8 	a subdivision.
1.9 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.10 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 10A.01, is amended by adding a subdivision 
1.11 	to read:
1.12 		Subd. 9b.Campaign finance report. "Campaign finance report" means a report or 
1.13 	statement required under section 10A.20, 10A.202, or 10A.323.

1.14 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 10A.01, is amended by adding a subdivision to 
1.15 	read:
1.16 		Subd. 16d.Enhanced penalty. "Enhanced penalty" means a late fee or civil penalty 
1.17 	imposed by the board that applies after a $25,000 or $100,000 threshold is exceeded and is 
1.18 	determined using a multiplier or percentage.

1.19 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 10A.01, is amended by adding a subdivision to 
1.20 	read:
1.21 		Subd. 26c.Total contributions. "Total contributions" means the total of all contributions. 
1.22 	Contributions include all contributions received, in-kind contributions received, loans, and 
1.23 	any other types of contributions.

2.1 	Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 10A.01, is amended by adding a subdivision to 
2.2 	read:
2.3 		Subd. 26d.Total disbursements. "Total disbursements" means the total of all 
2.4 	disbursements. Disbursements include expenditures, in-kind expenditures, approved 
2.5 	expenditures, contributions made, in-kind contributions made, independent expenditures, 
2.6 	noncampaign disbursements, electioneering communications, and any other types of 
2.7 	expenditures and disbursements.

2.8 	Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 10A.02, subdivision 15, is amended to read:
2.9 		Subd. 15. Fees and penalties. (a) Upon written request, certified pursuant to section 
2.10 	10A.025, subdivision 2, the board must waive that portion of a late filing fee or a civil 
2.11 	penalty imposed for the late filing of a report or statement under this chapter for which the 
2.12 	requester demonstrates good cause for the late filing or submission.
2.13 	(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), the board must not waive any portion of an enhanced 
2.14 	penalty.
2.15 	(b)(c) The board must deposit all the first $49,000 in fees and civil penalties collected 
2.16 	each fiscal year under this chapter into the general fund in the state treasury. The board 
2.17 	must deposit any additional fees and civil penalties collected under this chapter into the 
2.18 	general account of the state elections campaign account in the special revenue fund.

2.19 	Sec. 6. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 10A.025, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
2.20 		Subd. 2.Penalty for false statements. (a) A report or statement required to be filed 
2.21 	under this chapter must be signed and certified as true by the individual required to file the 
2.22 	report. The signature may be an electronic signature consisting of a password assigned by 
2.23 	the board.
2.24 	(b) An individual shall must not willfully sign and certify to be true a report or statement 
2.25 	knowing it contains false information or knowing it omits required information.
2.26 	(c) An individual shall must not knowingly willfully provide false or incomplete 
2.27 	information to a treasurer with the intent that the treasurer will rely on that information in 
2.28 	signing and certifying to be true a report or statement.
2.29 	(d) The board must impose a civil penalty on a person who violates paragraph (b) or (c) 
2.30 	is subject to a civil penalty imposed by the board of. For campaign finance reports, the 
2.31 	penalty is up to four times the sum of the following amounts that were willfully false or 
2.32 	omitted: the beginning cash balance, total contributions, and total disbursements. For 
3.1 	campaign finance reports where more than $25,000 was willfully false or omitted, the 
3.2 	penalty must instead be equal to four times the amount that was willfully false or willfully 
3.3 	omitted. For all other reports, the penalty is up to $3,000.
3.4 	(e) A violation of paragraph (b) or (c) is a gross misdemeanor.
3.5 	(e) (f) The board may impose an additional civil penalty of up to $3,000 on the principal 
3.6 	campaign committee or candidate, party unit, political committee, or association that has a 
3.7 	political fund that is affiliated with an individual who violated paragraph (b) or (c) an 
3.8 	additional civil penalty of an amount up to four times the amount of the beginning cash 
3.9 	balance, total contributions, and total disbursements that were willfully false or willfully 
3.10 	omitted from the report.

3.11 	Sec. 7. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 10A.025, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
3.12 		Subd. 3.Record keeping; penalty. (a) A person required to file a report or statement 
3.13 	or who has accepted record-keeping responsibility for the filer must maintain records on 
3.14 	the matters required to be reported, including vouchers, canceled checks, bills, invoices, 
3.15 	worksheets, and receipts, that will provide in sufficient detail the necessary information 
3.16 	from which the filed reports and statements may be verified, explained, clarified, and checked 
3.17 	for accuracy and completeness. The person must keep the records available for audit, 
3.18 	inspection, or examination by the board or its authorized representatives for four years from 
3.19 	the date of filing of the reports or statements or of changes or corrections to them.
3.20 	(b) The board may must impose a civil penalty of up to $3,000 on a person who 
3.21 	knowingly willfully violates this subdivision. For violations related to campaign finance 
3.22 	reports, the penalty is up to four times the amount reflected on the missing records. For 
3.23 	violations where the amount reflected on the missing campaign finance records exceeds 
3.24 	$25,000, the penalty must be equal to four times the amount reflected on the missing 
3.25 	campaign finance records. For all other violations, the civil penalty is up to $3,000.
3.26 	(c) The board may impose a separate civil penalty of up to $3,000 an amount equal to 
3.27 	four times the amount reflected on the missing campaign finance records on the principal 
3.28 	campaign committee or candidate, party unit, political committee, or association that has a 
3.29 	political fund that is affiliated with an individual who violated this subdivision.
3.30 	(c) (d) A knowing willful violation of this subdivision is a misdemeanor.

4.1 	Sec. 8. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 10A.025, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
4.2 		Subd. 4.Changes and corrections. (a) Material changes in information previously 
4.3 	submitted and corrections to a report or statement must be reported in writing to the board 
4.4 	within ten days following the date of the event prompting the change or the date upon which 
4.5 	the person filing became aware of the inaccuracy. The change or correction must identify 
4.6 	the form and the paragraph containing the information to be changed or corrected. A request 
4.7 	from the board to a lobbyist to provide more detailed information about a specific subject 
4.8 	of interest disclosed on a lobbyist disbursement report is a change or correction governed 
4.9 	by this subdivision.
4.10 	(b) The board must impose a civil penalty on a person who willfully fails to report a 
4.11 	material change or correction is subject to a civil penalty imposed by the board of. For 
4.12 	campaign finance reports, the penalty is up to four times the amount of the required change 
4.13 	or correction that the person willfully failed to report. For a violation related to a campaign 
4.14 	finance report where the amount of the required change or correction exceeds $25,000, the 
4.15 	penalty must be equal to four times the amount of the required change or correction that 
4.16 	the person willfully failed to report. For all other reports, the penalty is up to $3,000.
4.17 	(c) A willful violation of this subdivision is a gross misdemeanor.
4.18 	(d) The board must send a written notice to any individual who fails to file a report 
4.19 	required by this subdivision. If the individual fails to file the required report within ten 
4.20 	business days after the notice was sent, the board may impose a late filing fee of $25 per 
4.21 	day up to $1,000 starting on the 11th day after the notice was sent.
4.22 	(e) The board may send an additional notice by certified mail to an individual who fails 
4.23 	to file a report within ten business days after the first notice was sent by the board. The 
4.24 	certified notice must state that if the individual does not file the requested report within ten 
4.25 	business days after the certified notice was sent, the individual may be subject to a civil 
4.26 	penalty for failure to file a report. An individual who fails to file a report required by this 
4.27 	subdivision within ten business days after the certified notice was sent by the board is subject 
4.28 	to a civil penalty imposed by the board of up to $1,000.

4.29 	Sec. 9. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 10A.025, subdivision 5, is amended to read:
4.30 		Subd. 5.Reconciliation information; penalty. (a) An individual or association required 
4.31 	to file a report under this chapter must provide information requested by the board to 
4.32 	reconcile discrepancies between the report and reports filed by other individuals or 
4.33 	associations. The board's request for information must be in writing. If the individual or 
5.1 	association fails to provide the requested information within ten business days after the 
5.2 	request was sent, the board may impose a late filing fee of $25 per day up to $1,000.
5.3 	(b) The board may send notice by certified mail to an individual or association that has 
5.4 	not timely responded to the board's written request for reconciliation information. The 
5.5 	certified notice must state that if the individual or association does not respond to the board's 
5.6 	request for information within ten business days after the certified notice was sent, the 
5.7 	individual or association may be subject to a civil penalty for failure to provide information 
5.8 	to the board. An individual or association that does not provide the requested information 
5.9 	within ten business days after the certified notice was sent is subject to a civil penalty 
5.10 	imposed by the board of up to $1,000.
5.11 	(c) The board must impose a civil penalty on a person who willfully fails to cooperate 
5.12 	with the board to reconcile a report discrepancy is subject to a civil penalty imposed by the 
5.13 	board of. For discrepancies related to campaign finance reports, the penalty is up to four 
5.14 	times the amount of the discrepancy about which the person willfully failed to cooperate. 
5.15 	For violations related to a campaign finance report where the amount of the discrepancy 
5.16 	exceeds $25,000, the penalty must be equal to four times the amount of the discrepancy 
5.17 	about which the person willfully failed to cooperate. For all other reports, the penalty is up 
5.18 	to $3,000.

5.19 	Sec. 10. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 10A.025, is amended by adding a subdivision 
5.20 	to read:
5.21 		Subd. 6.Penalty. A late fee or civil penalty related to a campaign finance report assessed 
5.22 	to a treasurer or candidate pursuant to this section may be paid by the treasurer's or candidate's 
5.23 	principal campaign committee, party unit, political committee, or association that has a 
5.24 	political fund.

5.25 	Sec. 11. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 10A.20, subdivision 12, is amended to read:
5.26 		Subd. 12.Failure to file; late fees; penalty. (a) If This subdivision governs late filing 
5.27 	fees and civil penalties in instances when an individual or association fails to file a report 
5.28 	required by this section or section 10A.202, the board may impose a late filing fee and a 
5.29 	civil penalty as provided in this subdivision.
5.30 	(b) If a candidate, political committee, political fund, principal campaign committee, or 
5.31 	party unit fails to file a report required by this section that is due January 31, the board may 
5.32 	impose a late filing fee of $25 per day, not to exceed $1,000, commencing the day after the 
5.33 	report was due.
6.1 	(c) Except for reports governed by paragraph (b), if an individual, political committee, 
6.2 	political fund, principal campaign committee, party unit, or association fails to file a report 
6.3 	required by subdivision 2, 2a, or 5, 5a, 6, or 14, or by section 10A.202, late filing fees are 
6.4 	as follows:
6.5 	(1) for reports not governed by clause (2), (3), or (4), the board may impose a late filing 
6.6 	fee of $50 per day, not to exceed $1,000, commencing on the day after the date the statement
6.7 	report was due. If;
6.8 	(2) for reports due 15 days before the primary and reports due ten days before the general 
6.9 	election on which the total contributions or total disbursements that should have been newly 
6.10 	reported exceed $100,000, the board must impose a late filing fee of one percent of the total 
6.11 	contributions or total disbursements that should have been newly reported, whichever is 
6.12 	greater, per day, commencing on the day after the report was due;
6.13 	(3) for a report required by subdivision 5 or 5a or section 10A.202 on which the total 
6.14 	expenditures or contributions or total disbursements that occurred during the reporting 
6.15 	period exceeds exceed $25,000, then the board may also must impose a late filing fee of up 
6.16 	to two four percent of the expenditures or total contributions or total disbursements that 
6.17 	should have been reported, whichever is greater, per day, commencing on the day after the 
6.18 	report was due, not to exceed 100 percent of the amount that should have been reported.; 
6.19 	or
6.20 	(4) for willful violations of clause (2) or (3), the board must instead impose a late filing 
6.21 	fee of twice that required by that clause, per day, commencing on the day after the report 
6.22 	was due.
6.23 	(d) If an individual, political committee, political fund, principal campaign committee, 
6.24 	party unit, or association has been assessed a late filing fee or civil penalty under this 
6.25 	subdivision during the prior four years, the board may impose a late filing fee, a civil penalty, 
6.26 	or both of up to twice the amount otherwise authorized by this subdivision. If an individual, 
6.27 	political committee, political fund, principal campaign committee, party unit, or association 
6.28 	has been assessed a late filing fee or civil penalty under this subdivision more than two 
6.29 	times during the prior four years, the board may impose a late filing fee or civil penalty, or 
6.30 	both, of up to three times the amount otherwise authorized by this subdivision. If a late 
6.31 	filing fee and civil penalty are related to the same report or statement, the late filing fee and 
6.32 	civil penalty count as a single penalty for purposes of this paragraph.
6.33 	(e) If an individual, political committee, political fund, principal campaign committee, 
6.34 	party unit, or association has been assessed an enhanced penalty during the prior four years, 
7.1 	the board must impose a late filing fee, a civil penalty, or both, of up to twice the amount 
7.2 	otherwise authorized by this subdivision. If an individual, political committee, political 
7.3 	fund, principal campaign committee, party unit, or association has been assessed an enhanced 
7.4 	penalty more than two times during the prior four years, the board must impose a late filing 
7.5 	fee, a civil penalty, or both, of up to three times the amount otherwise authorized by this 
7.6 	subdivision. If a late filing fee and civil penalty are related to the same report or statement, 
7.7 	the late filing fee and civil penalty count as a single penalty for purposes of this paragraph.
7.8 	(e) (f) Within ten business days after the report was due or receipt by the board of 
7.9 	information disclosing the potential failure to file a report required by this section, the board 
7.10 	must send notice by certified mail that the individual or association may be subject to a civil 
7.11 	penalty for failure to file the report. If an individual who fails to file the report within seven 
7.12 	days after the certified mail notice was sent by the board, civil penalties are as follows:
7.13 	(1) for reports not governed by clause (2), (3), or (4), the individual is subject to a civil 
7.14 	penalty imposed by the board of up to $2,000 in addition to the late filing fees imposed by 
7.15 	this subdivision.;
7.16 	(2) for reports due 15 days before the primary and reports due ten days before the general 
7.17 	election on which the total contributions or total disbursements that should have been newly 
7.18 	reported exceed $100,000, the board must impose a civil penalty of 100 percent of the total 
7.19 	contributions or total disbursements that should have been newly reported, whichever is 
7.20 	greater;
7.21 	(3) for a report required by subdivision 5 or 5a or section 10A.202 in which total 
7.22 	contributions or total disbursements exceed $25,000, the board must impose a civil penalty 
7.23 	of 100 percent of the total contributions or total disbursements that should have been reported, 
7.24 	whichever is greater; or
7.25 	(4) for willful violations of clauses (2) and (3), the board must instead impose a civil 
7.26 	penalty of twice that required by that clause.

7.27 	Sec. 12. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 10A.20, is amended by adding a subdivision to 
7.28 	read:
7.29 		Subd. 16.Penalty. A late filing fee or civil penalty assessed to a treasurer or candidate 
7.30 	pursuant to this section may be paid by the treasurer's or candidate's principal campaign 
7.31 	committee, party unit, political committee, or association that has a political fund.

8.1 	Sec. 13. EFFECTIVE DATE.
 8.2 	This act is effective August 12, 2026, and applies to reports and statements due on or 
8.3 	after that date.