HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2257        FILED ON: 2/17/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 773

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Michael S. Day, (BY REQUEST)

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act for public reporting and disclosure of political campaign contributions for political party offices.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2257        FILED ON: 2/17/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 773

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

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An Act for public reporting and disclosure of political campaign contributions for political party offices.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. The Massachusetts General Laws are hereby amended by inserting the

following new chapter:

An important part of the political institutions, of our society, and our Commonwealth, are enabled by the creation of political parties, and designations, to provide a vehicle for citizens to engage in organized political actions, to facilitate the recruitment, and candidacy of individuals for office; and to provide mechanisms for developing organized political positions, and platforms.

Under the Massachusetts Constitution, the Massachusetts General Laws, and appropriate regulations, flowing from these legal authorities, political parties, are described, and can be established, to enjoy, and access certain legal mechanisms, providing choice to all eligible, and registered voters of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

While political parties, and designations, have elements of private, and/or semi-private organizations, they also have public, and semi-public elements, and aspects, and so are in important ways, hybrid organizations.

Although it is true, that political parties, have elements that have conventionally been regarded as semi-private, they perform in a public arena, and have elements of direct influence, in terms of government, and public policy that influence the residents of various electoral districts, and The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as a whole.

SECTION 2. – It is in the public interest, and has long been established, that an Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) shall exist, to collect, to report, and to make available, the various sources of contributions, the expenditure of gathered resources; and to monitor, develop, and enforce appropriate legal requirements regarding such matters; in regards to candidates for elections.

The evolution of these standards, has been in the direction of efficiency, effectiveness, and public knowledge, which assist broad public purposes of transparency, and understanding.

Therefore, this statute defines certain political party offices, such as candidates for state committee members; town committees, ward committees, and city committees, at elections, which are printed on the public ballot, at regular intervals, to be offices, for which such candidates, are required to report all contributions, and all expenditures, according to the reasonable regulations that are established, and may be additionally established, by the Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF).