Purpose

• To require an online system for claiming the political contribution refund and to modify the refund program to allow electronic information transfer between the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board and the Department of Revenue. The bill also updates data privacy and sharing rules related to these electronic reporting activities.

Main Provisions

• Online system for refunds:
  • The commissioner of revenue must establish an online system to claim the political contribution refund.
• Electronic information transfer:
  • The political contribution refund program is modified to allow electronic information transfer between the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board and the Department of Revenue.
• Data privacy for electronic reporting:
  • The board may develop and maintain online systems that let treasurers enter and store electronic records to comply with campaign finance reporting.
  • Data entered by treasurers or their authorized agents is not government data under chapter 13 and may not be accessed or used by the board without the treasurer’s written consent.
  • Data from these electronic submissions that have been filed with the board become government data under chapter 13.
• Data the board may share with Revenue:
  • For administering the refund, the board may access or use certain data in the electronic system and share it with the commissioner of revenue. This includes:
  • The amount of the contribution
  • The name and address of the contributor
  • Any unique identifier for the contribution
  • The name and campaign identification number of the party or candidate that received the contribution
  • The date the contribution was received
• Data classification:
  • The data accessed, used, or maintained under this provision are classified as nonpublic data under Minnesota law, and private data on individuals.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Introduces an online, centralized method for claiming political contribution refunds.
• Allows direct electronic data sharing between the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board and the Department of Revenue to support refund administration.
• Redefines data ownership and privacy for electronic reporting (treating treasurer-entered data as non-government data unless filed as a report, and clarifying when data becomes government data).
• Establishes specific categories of data that may be shared with the Department of Revenue for refund purposes, along with corresponding privacy classifications.

Practical Implications

• Easier process for individuals to claim refunds through an online system.
• Greater use of electronic records and faster data exchange between agencies.
• Stronger privacy protections for data that treasurers enter before it is submitted as a filed report, with defined conditions for sharing data with Revenue.

Relevant Terms

• political contribution refund
• Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board
• Department of Revenue
• online system
• treasurer
• electronic reporting system
• nonpublic data
• private data on individuals
• government data
• data sharing
• contributor
• campaign identification number
• party or candidate
• amount of contribution
• date of contribution