This bill proposes significant changes to Minnesota's campaign finance laws, primarily by repealing the public subsidy program and making various conforming amendments to existing statutes. Key provisions include the repeal of sections related to spending limits and public subsidies for candidates, specifically targeting sections 10A.25, 10A.255, and 10A.31. The bill introduces new language regarding the investigation authority of the campaign finance board, allowing it to investigate potential violations only upon receiving a written complaint or discovering a violation through audits or staff reviews. It also modifies the process for handling complaints and the timeline for investigations, while outlining the transfer of any remaining balances in the state elections campaign account to the general fund. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Additionally, the bill amends regulations concerning independent expenditure committees and expenditure limits for candidates. It stipulates that if a principal campaign committee contributes to an independent expenditure committee after January 1 of the election year, that committee cannot make independent expenditures for that candidate. Candidates in contested primary races who receive fewer than twice the votes of any opponent may exceed expenditure limits by 20% until after the primary. The bill also establishes a method for adjusting expenditure limits based on the Consumer Price Index and mandates annual publication of these limits. Furthermore, it includes provisions for campaign advertisements to have closed captioning for accessibility, imposing civil penalties for non-compliance. Overall, the bill aims to enhance transparency and fairness in campaign financing while ensuring candidates have access to necessary resources for their campaigns.

Statutes affected:
Introduction: 10A.022, 10A.15, 10A.20, 10A.275, 10A.28, 10A.322, 290.06