SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2898

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

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SENATE, January 8, 2026.

The committee on Senate Ways and Means to whom was referred the Senate Bill improving campaign finance reporting by state ballot question committees (Senate, No. 507), - reports, recommending that the same ought to pass with an amendment substituting a new draft with the same title (Senate, No. 2898).

For the committee,

Michael J. Rodrigues

        FILED ON: 1/8/2026

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2898

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

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An Act improving campaign finance reporting by state ballot question committees.

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. Clause (4) of subsection (a) of section 18 of chapter 55 of the General Laws, as  appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 60 to 64, inclusive, the words “, independent expenditure PACs organized pursuant to section 18A and political committees organized under the provisions of section 5 to favor or oppose a question submitted to the voters, if the question appears on the ballot at the state election” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- and independent expenditure PACs organized pursuant to section 18A.

SECTION 2. Said subsection (a) said section 18 of said chapter 55, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out clause (5).

SECTION 3. Subsection (a) of section 19 of said chapter 55, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “candidates”, in line 7, the following words:- , the treasurer of each statewide ballot question committee,.

SECTION 4. Paragraph (2) of subsection (b) of said section 19 of said chapter 55, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the following sentence:;- In addition, the treasurer of a statewide ballot question committee shall also include the following information: (i) a list of all in-kind contributions of more than $50 received as of the last day of the preceding month and since the last statement, including an alphabetical list of names and addresses of each person making such in-kind contribution, the date received, the type of in-kind contribution and the value of the in-kind contribution; and (ii) a list of new liabilities incurred as of the last day of the preceding month, including the name and address of the person to whom the liability exists, together with a clear statement of purpose for which the liability was incurred.

SECTION 5. Section 22 of said chapter 55, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the third paragraph and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-

If the question is a statewide ballot question, the report shall be filed with the director as follows: (1) by the fifth day of each month covering the preceding month until the sixtieth day before the election; (2) on or before the fifth and twentieth day of each month, complete as of the preceding first and fifteenth day of the month, from the sixtieth day before the election until the election; (3)  November 20 following the election, complete as of the fifteenth day of the month; and (4)  January 20 of each year, complete as of December 31 of the prior year, until all declared liabilities of that person or corporation, association, organization or other group of persons have been discharged.