Purpose of the Bill

The purpose of this bill is to instruct the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board in Minnesota to conduct a comprehensive study on campaign spending limits. The aim is to assess the effectiveness and appropriateness of the current spending limits related to campaign finance, particularly focusing on the voluntary public subsidy program for candidates.

Main Provisions

• Study Requirement: The bill mandates that the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board undertake a study on voluntary campaign spending limits.
• Reporting Deadline: The Board must present its findings and any recommendations by January 15, 2026, to the legislative committees responsible for overseeing campaign finance.
• Study Components:
  1. Participation Data: The study will include data on the number of candidates participating and not participating in the public subsidy program, categorized by office type.
  2. Trend Analysis: It will analyze historic trends over the past ten years regarding participation in the subsidy program.
  3. Spending Analysis: For non-participating candidates, the study will assess campaign expenditures for both candidates and their opponents, including independent expenditures.
  4. Comparison with Other States: The study will examine how other states implement voluntary spending limits, including distinctions in funding for highly contested races, use of automatic inflation adjustments, and participation levels over time.
  5. Recommendations: The board will provide assessments about the adequacy of Minnesota’s current public subsidy program and spending limits, along with any suggestions for improvement.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

While the bill mandates a study and does not directly change existing campaign finance law, its findings and recommendations could inform legislative decisions that might lead to future amendments regarding campaign spending limits in Minnesota.

Relevant Terms

• Campaign finance
• Public subsidy program
• Voluntary spending limits
• Independent expenditures
• Legislative committees
• Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board