EFS Changes in 2010

The passage of the Act to Improve the Laws Relating to Campaign Finance, Ethics and Lobbying on July 1, 2009 necessitated some modifications to OCPF's Electronic Filing System (EFS).  The changes to M.G.L. Chapter 55, the campaign finance law, brought about by the passage of the act, will take effect January 1, 2010.

EFS Changes (effective January 1, 2010)
New Municipal Filers:  Mayors in cities with populations of 40,000 to 100,000, who can reasonably expect to raise or spend $5,000 or more in an election cycle, will commence e-filing their reports with OCPF.

The new law goes into effect in 2010 but these reports will not actually appear on the EFS until 2011, the first year they will be due to be e-filed with OCPF.
New Report:  A new "mid-year" report is now due in non-election (odd) years for legislative candidates and state political action committees.  The mid-year report will cover from January 1st through June 30th, and the following year-end report will cover from July 1st through December 31st.

The new law goes into effect in 2010 but these reports will not actually appear on the EFS until 2011, the first year they will be due to be e-filed with OCPF.
New Savings Information:  The year-end (D102) reports filed by depository candidates and committees who maintain separate savings accounts or instruments will now include an itemization of all of the activity that occurred during the year in those accounts or in connection with those instruments.  This information will be in addition to the savings information the candidates and committees currently file:  the total funds in savings and the names of the financial institutions where the savings accounts or instruments are held.
72-Hour Reporting:  All candidates, candidate's committees and ballot question committees that receive and deposit contributions of $500 or more after the 18th day, but more than 72 hours, before the date of a special, preliminary, primary or general election are required to file disclosure reports of the activity within 72 hours of depositing these contributions.
24-Hour Reporting:  State party committees that receive and deposit contributions of $500 or more after the 18th day, but more than 24 hours, before the date of a special, preliminary, primary or general election are required to file disclosure reports of the activity within 72 hours of depositing these contributions.
Independent Expenditures (24-Hour Reporting):  The threshold for filing a report of an independent expenditure has been raised to $250, in aggregate, in a calendar year.  After the 10th day, but more than 24 hours, before the date of any election, an individual or group who makes an independent expenditure must file a preliminary disclosure report of the activity within 24 hours of making the expenditure.  If the filer does not know the value of the expenditure at the time of filing the preliminary report, the report may be filed without the amount of the expenditure.  Filers have 7 days to then file an expenditure report with the amount or value of the expenditure listed.
Subvendor Reports:  Candidates and committees who pay or contract with vendors for $5,000 or more (aggregated) in a calendar year for goods and services, must file "subvendor reports" if the vendor with whom they are doing business, in turn, pays or contracts with a 3rd party, "subvendor", to provide the goods or services to the candidate or committee.  Subvendor reports itemize all political expenditures of $500 or more (aggregated) in a calendar year.
Segregated Fund Reporting:  Candidates are allowed to set up funds that are separate and segregated from their campaign accounts for the following purposes:  their legal defense, inauguration or a recount for their office sought.  The officers appointed to manage these funds are required to e-file monthly reports of all donations over $50 made to these funds.
Electioneering Communications (48-Hour Reporting):  Individuals or groups that make electioneering communications expenditures of $250 or more (aggregated) in a calendar year must file a disclosure report of the activity within 7 days of making the expenditure(s).  If the funds used to make the expenditure came from a 3rd party, that contributor information must be disclosed as well.  After 7th day, but more than 48 hours, before any election, an individual or group spending $1,000 or more for an electioneering communication must file a disclosure report of the activity within 48 hours of making the expenditure(s).
New Depository Filers:  All candidates for mayor, city council and alderman in the five largest cities in Massachusetts - Boston, Cambridge, Lowell, Springfield and Worcester - are now required to file reports with OCPF.  This is a change from the old system where only the mayoral and city coucilor-at-large candidates were required to file with OCPF.