Substitute House Bill No. 7128 seeks to amend existing campaign finance laws by clarifying the definitions of "contribution" and "expenditure," particularly in relation to online political donation platforms. The bill repeals and replaces subsection (b) of section 9-601a, introducing new language that defines contributions and outlines various exemptions, including loans from banks, nonpartisan voter registration efforts, and volunteer services, with specific monetary limits such as $400 for food and beverage contributions at events. Additionally, it prohibits certain individuals and entities, like communicator lobbyists and state contractors, from purchasing advertising space in fundraising programs to enhance transparency and mitigate conflicts of interest.

The bill also revises subsection (b) of section 9-601b, clarifying what constitutes an expenditure, including communications endorsing unopposed candidates and mailings to specific districts. It allows for voluntary payments to online platforms that facilitate contributions, provided these payments are for operational costs and in addition to actual contributions. Furthermore, the bill mandates that online platforms must obtain affirmative consent from contributors for automatically recurring contributions, ensuring that passive actions do not suffice for consent. Overall, the bill aims to modernize the regulatory framework governing political contributions while safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process.