Updates to Massachusetts Campaign Finance Law

September 2016

The Massachusetts legislature recently enacted several significant changes to the Commonwealth’s campaign finance law. Effective immediately,

• State House and Senate candidates who run in both a special election and a regular general election during the same year now have separate, $1,000 contribution limits for each of those elections. Previously, the contribution limit was $1,000 total per calendar year;
• Billboards and direct mail advertisements are added to the types of independent expenditures and electioneering communications that must list the top five contributors to the committees or organizations that paid for the communications. Previously, only paid TV, Internet, and print advertisements were subject to this requirement;
• Local party committees must disclose on their campaign finance reports the name, address, elective office held (if any), and office sought by each candidate for whom the committee made an expenditure; and
• For expenditures made to support or oppose a candidate, state party committees and PACs must identify the candidate on the memo line of their check.

Please contact us if you have questions about how these new provisions may affect your activity in Massachusetts.