A bill that would require near-real-time disclosure of large political donations has cleared its committee stage by a vote of 14 to 9, drawing support from three members of the minority and setting up a contested debate on the floor. The measure would compel campaigns and political committees to report any contribution above $10,000 within 48 hours.
Disclosure is the one campaign-finance reform that survives court challenge, because it regulates information rather than speech. That is why it keeps coming back.
- Prof. Daniel Reyes, election-law scholar, Meridian University
Under current rules, many large contributions are disclosed only in periodic filings that can lag the donation by weeks. Supporters argue the delay lets money move through a race before voters can see who is funding it.
What the bill would change
The act sets a $10,000 reporting threshold, a 48-hour disclosure window, and a searchable public database that must be updated daily. It would take effect for the 2027 election cycle, giving committees roughly a year to adapt their reporting systems.
The road ahead
The bipartisan committee margin is not guaranteed to hold on the floor, where opponents are expected to argue the reporting burden falls hardest on smaller campaigns. Analysts note that similar disclosure bills have passed committee before only to stall, but none has cleared with cross-party votes this early in a session.
A floor vote is expected within the month.