Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H817 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3837 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 817
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Michael S. Day, (BY REQUEST)
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act relative to the disclosure of the political party offices campaign contributions.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Vincent Lawrence Dixon60 Lake Street, Unit N, Winchester,
16	16	MA 01890
17	17	1/17/2025 1 of 2
18	18	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3837 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
19	19	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 817
20	20	By Representative Day of Stoneham (by request), a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
21	21	817) of Vincent Lawrence Dixon relative to the disclosure of the political party offices' campaign
22	22	contributions. Election Laws.
23	23	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
24	24	SEE HOUSE, NO. 675 OF 2023-2024.]
25	25	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
26	26	_______________
27	27	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
28	28	(2025-2026)
29	29	_______________
30	30	An Act relative to the disclosure of the political party offices campaign contributions.
31	31	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
32	32	of the same, as follows:
33	33	1 SECTION 1. The Massachusetts General Laws are hereby amended by inserting the
34	34	2following new chapter:
35	35	3 An important part of the political institutions, of our society, and our Commonwealth, are
36	36	4enabled by the creation of political parties, and designations, to provide a vehicle for citizens to
37	37	5engage in organized political actions, to facilitate the recruitment, and candidacy of individuals
38	38	6for office; and to provide mechanisms for developing organized political positions, and
39	39	7platforms.
40	40	8 Under the Massachusetts Constitution, the Massachusetts General Laws, and appropriate
41	41	9regulations, flowing from these legal authorities, political parties, are described, and can be 2 of 2
42	42	10established, to enjoy, and access certain legal mechanisms, providing choices to all eligible, and
43	43	11registered voters of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
44	44	12 While political parties, and designations, have elements of private, and/or semi-private
45	45	13organizations, they also have public, and semi-public elements, and aspects, and so are in
46	46	14important ways, hybrid organizations.
47	47	15 Although it is true, that political parties, have elements that have conventionally been
48	48	16regarded as semi-private, they perform in a public arena, and have elements of direct influence,
49	49	17in terms of government, and public policy that influence the residents of various electoral
50	50	18districts, and The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as a whole.
51	51	19 SECTION 2. – It is in the public interest, and has long been established, that an Office of
52	52	20Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) shall exist, to collect, to report, and to make available,
53	53	21the various sources of contributions, the expenditure of gathered resources; and to monitor,
54	54	22develop, and enforce appropriate legal requirements regarding such matters; in regards to
55	55	23candidates for elections.
56	56	24 The evolution of these standards, has been in the direction of efficiency, effectiveness,
57	57	25and public knowledge, which assist broad public purposes of transparency, and understanding.
58	58	26 Therefore, this statute defines certain political party offices, such as candidates for state
59	59	27committee members; town committees, ward committees, and city committees, at elections,
60	60	28which are printed on the public ballot, at regular intervals, to be offices, for which such
61	61	29candidates, are required to report all contributions, and all expenditures, relating to campaigns
62	62	30for these offices, according to the reasonable regulations that are established, and may be
63	63	31additionally established, by the Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF).