Purpose of the Bill

The purpose of this bill is to mandate a study by the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board on voluntary campaign spending limits in Minnesota. This study aims to analyze the existing campaign finance structures, particularly focusing on the effectiveness and participation in the state’s public subsidy program.

Main Provisions

• Study Mandate: The Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board is required to conduct a comprehensive study on voluntary campaign spending limits.
• Reporting Deadline: Findings from the study, along with any recommendations, must be reported to the relevant legislative committees by January 15, 2026.
• Areas of Study: The study will cover several key areas, including:
  1. The number of candidates participating in the public subsidy program versus those who do not, broken down by office.
  2. Historical trends over the past ten years for candidate participation in the public subsidy program.
  3. Analysis of campaign spending for candidates not participating in the subsidy program and their opponents, along with independent expenditures in those races.
  4. Comparison with other states regarding voluntary campaign spending limits, including the handling of contested races and the presence of automatic inflators.
  5. Recommendations on whether Minnesota’s current public subsidy program and spending limits are appropriate.

Significant Changes

• The introduction of this bill does not directly change existing campaign finance laws but will potentially provide data and insights that could lead to future legislative amendments.
• The study may influence how Minnesota structures its voluntary campaign spending limits and public subsidy program in the future.

Relevant Terms

campaign finance, spending limits, public subsidy program, candidates, independent expenditures, contested races, historical trend data, recommendations, campaign disclosure.