HB1449
To Amend The Law Concerning Reports Of Contributions For A Candidate For State Or District Office; To Extend The Deadline For Final Reports; And To Amend Portions Of Law Resulting From Initiated Act 1 Of 1990.
AI-Generated Summary
This bill proposes amendments to Arkansas law regarding the reporting of campaign contributions for state or district office candidates. Specifically, it seeks to extend the deadline for filing final campaign finance reports. The bill revises reporting requirements for monthly contributions and expenditures, outlining conditions under which monthly reports may not be required if they overlap with pre-election or final reports. It also details how days following an election are to be handled in subsequent reports. For primary or runoff elections, days after the election are to be included in the next monthly report. The bill establishes specific filing deadlines for monthly and final reports, with final reports covering all contributions and expenditures not previously disclosed. It also addresses reporting requirements for special elections, commencing when contributions or expenditures exceed $500. These changes are intended to amend portions of law stemming from Initiated Act 1 of 1990.
Potential Impact Analysis
Who Might Benefit?
The primary beneficiaries of this bill would be candidates for state or district office in Arkansas and their campaign committees. By extending the deadline for final reports and clarifying reporting timelines, the bill offers greater flexibility and potentially a longer period for campaign finance disclosures after an election concludes. This could reduce the immediate reporting burden on campaigns, allowing them more time to compile and submit their final financial accounting for an election cycle. The changes may also benefit candidates in special elections by setting a clearer threshold for when reporting obligations begin.
Who Might Suffer?
The groups most likely to be negatively impacted by this bill are those who rely on timely and comprehensive campaign finance information for transparency and oversight. This includes the public, watchdog organizations, political analysts, and journalists. By extending reporting deadlines, the bill could delay public access to crucial financial data related to political campaigns. This delay may hinder the ability of these groups to scrutinize campaign spending and contributions in a timely manner, potentially reducing accountability and making it more difficult to assess the influence of money in politics during or immediately after an election.