HARRISBURG — A separate bill aimed at increasing campaign finance transparency in Pennsylvania elections was introduced in the state House of Representatives on Tuesday with bipartisan support.
The bill would add reporting periods for campaign spending and donations. The other expands reporting requirements for all tax-exempt organizations and aims to require reporting for all levels of donations.
Both bills now go to the state Senate for further consideration.
Representative Jared G. Solomon (D-Philadelphia) introduced House Bill 1472. The bill passed 127-74, with all Democrats and 25 Republicans voting in favor.
The proposal was initially tailored to apply only to civic organizations and certain nonprofit organizations with respect to reporting independent campaign contributions of any amount.
However, the bill was amended unanimously this week, with all 201 House members present voting to change the language to apply to all 501(c) nonprofit organizations.
These groups are responsible for reporting donations of any amount. This bill seeks to eliminate the existing amount thresholds of $100 and $500, respectively, for reporting contributions within a calendar year or within the 24-hour reporting period leading up to an election.
Rep. Tim Bonner (R-Mercer/Butler) said the bill is “optics over substance,” but it sends an important message about broader concerns about the power and influence dark money can have in elections. He said he was sending it.
Rep. Brad Rohe (R-Crawford/Erie) previously questioned whether the bill would survive legal oversight. Roe was citing a 2021 U.S. Supreme Court decision that ruled that forcing charities to disclose their major donors is unconstitutional.
Bonner insisted the decision had nothing to do with the bill.
“This bill does not require disclosure of the name of the original donor to a nonprofit corporation, and it could never require such disclosure,” Bonner said.
House Bill 1220 was introduced by Rep. Robert Freeman, D-Northampton. It passed 190-11 with broad bipartisan support. Only Republicans voted “no,” including Rep. Aaron Bernstein (R-Lawrence/Butler) and Rep. Mara Brown (R-Lawrence).
This bill aims to increase the transparency of General Assembly candidates' campaign spending by adding a pre-election reporting deadline.
Freeman's bill would align reporting standards for the state House and Senate with those already in place for candidates seeking statewide office, in addition to the traditional reporting deadline of the second Friday before an election. , which requires expense reports to be submitted by the sixth Tuesday before an election. election.
The bill was also unanimously amended this week. The changes add language requiring candidates and election committees to provide detailed information on supplementary campaign spending. Currently, refunds must be reported on campaign finance reports, but no explanation is required.
“Knowing early on what kind of money candidates are raising and where they're raising money from helps voters and the campaign process better understand what people are saying,” Freeman said on the floor Tuesday. “We can show more clearly where our support is coming from.”
