reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 5a - Elected Public Officials; Principal Officers of Political Action Committees

Section 5A. No candidate or individual holding elective public office shall establish, finance, maintain, control or serve as a principal officer of a political action committee; provided, however, that each of the following may authorize one such political committee to which this section shall not apply: a majority of the members of each political party who are members of the house of representatives, and a majority of the members of each political party who are members of the senate.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 5b - Names or Phrases Identifying Political Committees in Organizational Statements

Section 5B. (a) Every political committee, other than a political party committee or a candidate's committee, shall name and identify itself in its organizational statement pursuant to section five by using a name or phrase that:
(i) clearly identifies the economic or other special interest, if identifiable, of a majority of its contributors; and
(ii) if a majority of its contributors share a common employer, that identifies the employer.
(b) If the economic or other special interest or common employer are not identifiable under subsection (a), every such political committee shall name and identify itself in its organizational statement using a name or phrase:
(i) that clearly identifies the economic or other special interest, if identifiable, of a majority of its organizers; and
(ii) if a majority of its organizers share a common employer, that identifies the employer; and
(iii) if the committee is organized, financed, controlled or maintained by an individual, that identifies said individual.
(c) No political committee shall use any name other than the name included in its organizational statement.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 5c - Online Training Program for Treasurers of Political Committees

Section 5C. The office of campaign and political finance shall prepare and update from time to time an online training program to provide information on the requirements of this chapter applicable to treasurers of political committees that file reports with the office. A treasurer of a political committee that files reports with the office shall, within 30 days after filing an acceptance of the position with the office in accordance with section 5 and every 2 years after filing the acceptance, complete the online training program.
The office shall establish procedures for implementing and ensuring compliance with this section.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 6a - Contributions From Political Action Committees; Limitations

Section 6A. A candidate and such candidate's committee shall not accept any contribution from a political action committee if such contribution would result in such candidate and such committee together receiving from all political action committees aggregate contributions in any calendar year in excess of the following amounts:
(a) a candidate for governor, including contributions jointly to such candidate for governor and a candidate for lieutenant governor in a state election—one hundred and fifty thousand dollars;
(b) a candidate for lieutenant governor—thirty-one thousand, two hundred and fifty dollars;
(c) a candidate for attorney general—sixty-two thousand, five hundred dollars;
(d) a candidate for state secretary, state treasurer, and state auditor—thirty-seven thousand, five hundred dollars;
(e) a candidate for state senator, county commissioner, governor's councillor, district attorney, clerk of courts, register of probate, registrar of deeds or any other county officer—eighteen thousand, seven hundred and fifty dollars;
(f) a candidate for state representative—seven thousand, five hundred dollars.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 6b - Ballot Question Committee; Contributions

Section 6B. A ballot question committee may receive, pay and expend money or other things of value solely for the purpose of favoring or opposing the adoption or rejection of a specific question or questions submitted to the voters. A ballot question committee shall not contribute to any other political committee, except that it may contribute to another ballot question committee if such contribution is consistent with the purpose for which it was organized. A ballot question committee shall not make any expenditure that is primarily for the personal use of any candidate or other person, nor shall it make any expenditure inconsistent with the purpose for which it was organized. A ballot question committee shall not receive, pay or expend money or other things of value for the purpose of influencing the nomination or election of a candidate or for the purpose of aiding or promoting or antagonizing the interest of any political party.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 7 - Receipts, Disbursements and Contributions Regulated; Limitations; Penalties

Section 7. No person or combination of persons, including a corporation formed under the provisions of chapter one hundred and eighty, shall in connection with any nomination or election receive money or its equivalent, expend or disburse or promise to expend or disburse the same, except as authorized by this chapter. A political committee or a person acting under the authority or on behalf of such a committee may receive money or its equivalent, or expend or disburse or promise to expend or disburse the same for the purpose of aiding or promoting the success or defeat of a candidate at a primary or election or a political party or principle in public election or favoring or opposing the adoption or rejection of a question submitted to the voters, and for other purposes expressly authorized by this chapter subject, however, to the provisions thereof. A candidate may make expenditures without limitation for the purposes of his own campaign and may make campaign contributions without limitation for the benefit of the non-elected political committee organized on his behalf.
No candidate or candidate's committee shall receive a transfer of funds or assets from any federal political committee. No candidate or candidate's committee shall make an expenditure of, or transfer, funds or assets that were transferred on or after November 25, 1998 from a federal political committee. A candidate's committee may, however, coordinate arrangements, with a federal committee that refunds contributions pursuant to federal law, for a solicitation of the same contributors by the candidate's committee. The candidate's committee shall pay the full cost of any such solicitation.
Notwithstanding the provisions of any law to the contrary, a candidate shall not loan, per election, more than the following amounts to his candidate's committee:
Notwithstanding the provisions of this section and section seven A, an individual of less than eighteen years of age shall not make campaign contributions in an amount in excess of twenty-five dollars in the aggregate during any one calendar year.
Violation of any provision of this section or section seven A shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than six months or by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 8 - Political Contributions by Corporations; Penalties

Section 8. No corporation carrying on the business of a bank, trust, surety indemnity, safe deposit, insurance, railroad, street railway, telegraph, telephone, gas, electric light, heat, power, canal, aqueduct, or water company, no company having the right to take land by eminent domain or to exercise franchises in public ways, granted by the commonwealth or by any county, city or town, no trustee or trustees owning or holding the majority of the stock of such a corporation, no business or professional corporation, partnership, limited liability company partnership under the laws of or doing business in the commonwealth and no officer or agent acting in behalf of any corporation mentioned in this section, shall directly or indirectly give, pay, expend or contribute, or promise to give, pay, expend or contribute, any money or other valuable thing for the purpose of aiding, promoting or preventing the nomination or election of any person to public office, or aiding or promoting or antagonizing the interest of any political party.
No person or persons, no political committee, and no person acting under the authority of a political committee, or in its behalf, other than a political committee organized on behalf of a ballot question campaign shall solicit or receive from such corporation or such holders of stock any gift, payment, expenditure, contribution or promise to give, pay, expend or contribute for any such purpose.
Any such corporation violating this chapter shall be punished by a fine of not more than fifty thousand dollars and any officer, director or agent of the corporation violating any provision thereof or authorizing such violation of any provision thereof, or any person who violates or in any way knowingly aids or abets the violation thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or both.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 8a - Media Organization Offering Time and Space to Qualified Candidates at No Cost or Reduced Price; Limitations

Section 8A. (1) As used in this section the following words shall have the following meanings:—
''Media organization'', any corporation, partnership or trust which owns or controls a television station, including without limitation cable television, a radio station or any other such electronic broadcast media outlet or a newspaper, periodical or any other such print outlet.
''Qualified candidate'', any candidate who qualifies to have his name appear on the ballot at an election, whether primary, general, or special election.
(2) A media organization may make time or space available to a qualified candidate at no cost or at reduced cost for the purpose of presentation of the candidate's own political advertising; provided, however, that:—
(a) time of the same duration and the same market value or the same amount of space and the same market value is made available to all other qualified candidates for the same office for the same election; and
(b) the media corporation makes disclosure of its conduct under this section in conformance with rules and regulations promulgated by the director of the office of campaign and political finance.
(3) A media organization acting in conformance with this section shall not be deemed to be in violation of section eight and shall not be deemed to be making a contribution within the meaning of this chapter.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 9 - Contributions and Expenditures Over $50 or $100; Use of Credit or Debit Card by Committee; Penalties

Section 9. No individual, candidate or political committee, or person acting on behalf of the individual, candidate or political committee, shall accept a contribution of money from any 1 person or political committee if the aggregate amount contributed in a calendar year exceeds $50 in cash or $100 by money order or bank check, except by a written instrument or by direct deposit pursuant to section 9A. For the purposes of the preceding sentence the term ''written instrument'' shall mean a check on which the contributor is directly liable or which is written on a personal, escrow, trust, partnership, business or other account which represents or contains the contributor's funds. The term ''written instrument'' shall also mean for contributions by credit or debit card, a paper record signed by the cardholder or, in the case of such contribution made over the Internet, an electronic record created and transmitted by the cardholder. The term ''written instrument'' shall not mean a certified check, cashier's check, treasurer's check, registered check, money order, traveler's check or other similar negotiable instrument. The director shall establish reasonable rules and regulations concerning the making of contributions by a written instrument. No individual, candidate, political committee, or person acting on behalf of said individual, candidate, or political committee, shall make an expenditure for an amount exceeding $50 except by check or by credit card in accordance with the following paragraph.
A political committee may maintain and use a credit or debit card obtained in accordance with applicable banking laws and in the ordinary course of business to make expenditures for the purpose for which the committee was organized pursuant to section 6; provided, however, that no contribution of money shall be accepted by any individual, candidate or political committee or person acting on behalf of the individual, candidate or political committee other than in accordance with the first paragraph of this section. The director shall establish reasonable rules and regulations concerning the use of credit and debit cards and shall provide instruction on the disclosure of expenditures by credit and debit card to effectuate the purposes of this chapter.
Any individual or candidate, or any person acting on behalf of said individual or candidate, or on behalf of a political committee, who violates any provision of this section shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, or both.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 9a - Contributions by Electronic Means; Acceptance by Political Action Committees; Authorization Cards

Section 9A. A political action committee may accept contributions of money from individual contributors by direct deposit of funds into the committee's bank account by wire transfer or other electronic means; provided, however, that said contributor provides the political action committee with a true copy of the signed authorization card provided by the contributor to the contributor's employer, or the contributor's bank or other financial institution. Said authorization card shall include (1) the name and residential address of the contributor, (2) the occupation and employer or employers of any contributor whose authorization card authorizes a contribution of two hundred dollars or more or periodic contributions which in the aggregate exceed or may exceed two hundred dollars or more within any one calendar year, and (3) the amount and payment period, if any, of each contribution. In addition, the authorization card shall include a statement that the contributor's authorization may be revoked by the contributor at any time by written notice from the contributor to the contributor's employer, or the contributor's bank or other financial institution.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 9b - Joint Contributions to Be Attributed Equally to Each Contributor When Unspecified; Rules and Regulations for Joint Contributions

Section 9B. (a) Any joint contribution received by a candidate or political committee that does not indicate the amount to be attributed to each contributor may be attributed equally to each contributor; provided, however, that the attribution does not cause a contributor to make a contribution exceeding the limits in section 7A.
(b) The director shall establish reasonable rules and regulations concerning the making of joint contributions and corresponding contributor notification and recordkeeping requirements for candidates and political committees.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 10 - Name and Address of Donor; Disclosure; Penalties

Section 10. No person shall, directly or indirectly, make a campaign contribution in any name except his own nor in any manner for the purpose of disguising the true origin of the contribution nor unless he makes his name and residential address known to the person receiving such contribution at the time such contribution is made; nor shall any trust, foundation or association other than a political committee make a campaign contribution unless at the time such contribution is made there is also made known to the person receiving such contribution, the names and addresses of its principal officers. No candidate or political committee or person acting under its authority or in its behalf shall knowingly receive a campaign contribution, or knowingly enter or cause the same to be entered in the accounts or records of such candidate or committee, unless the provisions of this section have been complied with.
Violation of any provision of this section shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than one year or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 11 - Solicitations From Candidates Prohibited; Exception; Penalties

Section 11. No person, no political committee and no person acting under the authority of a political committee or in its behalf, shall demand, solicit, ask or invite from a candidate for nomination or election to public office, or a person occupying an elective public office, any payment or gift of money or other valuable thing, or promise of payment or gift of money or other valuable thing for advertising, gratuities, donations, tickets, programs, or any other purpose whatsoever; and no such candidate for nomination or election, and no one occupying an elective public office, shall make any such payment or gift, or promise to make any such payment or gift, to any person, political committee, or any person acting under the authority of a political committee, if such person or political committee has demanded, solicited, asked, or invited from him any such payment, gift or promise of payment or gift; but this section shall not apply to the soliciting or making in good faith of gifts for charitable or religious purposes.
Violation of any provision of this section shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than one year or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 12 - Soliciting of Money for Nomination Papers Prohibited; Penalties

Section 12. No political committee, and no person acting under its authority or in its behalf, shall demand or solicit from any candidate for nomination to elective office, or from any one acting in his behalf, a payment of money or a promise of payment of money, as a prerequisite to his obtaining from such committee or its agent the nomination papers required by sections ninety-five to one hundred and one, inclusive, of chapter fifty-three.
Violation of any provision of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 13 - Solicitation or Receipt of Political Campaign Contributions by Appointive Public Officers or Employees Prohibited; Exception; Penalties

Section 13. No person employed for compensation, other than an elected officer, by the commonwealth or any county, city or town shall directly or indirectly solicit or receive any gift, payment, contribution, assessment, subscription or promise of money or other thing of value for the political campaign purposes of any candidate for public office or of any political committee, or for any political purpose whatever, but this section shall not prevent such persons from being members of political organizations or committees. A person so employed may not serve as the treasurer of a political committee. The soliciting or receiving of any gift, payment, contribution, assessment, subscription or promise of money or other thing of value by a non-elected political committee organized to promote the candidacy for public office of a person so employed for compensation by the commonwealth or any county, city or town, shall not be deemed to be a direct or indirect solicitation or receipt of such contribution by such person; provided, however, that no such gift, payment, contribution, assessment, subscription or promise of money or other thing of value may be solicited or received on behalf of such a person from any person or combination of persons if such person so employed knows or has reason to know that the person or combination of persons has an interest in any particular matter in which the person so employed participates or has participated in the course of such employment or which is the subject of his official responsibility.
Any appointed officer or employee convicted of violating any provision of this section may be removed by the appointing authority without a hearing.
Violation of any provision of this section shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than one year or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 14 - Soliciting Contributions in Public Buildings Prohibited; Penalties

Section 14. No person shall in any building or part thereof occupied for state, county or municipal purposes demand, solicit or receive any payment or gift of money or other thing of value for the purposes set forth in section thirteen.
Any appointed officer or employee convicted of violating any provision of this section may be removed by the appointing authority without a hearing.
Violation of any provision of this section shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than one year or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 15 - Political Contributions by Public Officers or Employees Restricted; Penalties

Section 15. No officer, clerk or other person in the service of the commonwealth or of any county, city or town shall, directly or indirectly, give or deliver to an officer, clerk or person in said service, or to any councillor, member of the general court, alderman, councilman or commissioner, any money or other valuable thing on account of, or to be applied to, the promotion of any political object whatever.
Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent any officer, clerk or other person in the public service of the commonwealth, or of any county, city, or town from making a contribution to a candidate or to an elected or nonelected political committee.
Violation of any provision of this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred nor more than one thousand dollars.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 16 - Requiring Political Contributions or Services of Persons in Public Service Prohibited; Penalty

Section 16. No person in the public service shall, for that reason, be under obligation to contribute to any political fund, or to render any political service, and shall not be removed or otherwise prejudiced for refusing to do so.
Violation of any provision of this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred nor more than one thousand dollars.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 16a - Obligation to Make Political Contribution or Render Political Service; Penalty

Section 16A. No person doing business with the commonwealth shall, for that reason, be under obligation to contribute to any political fund, or to render any political service, and shall not be otherwise prejudiced for refusing to do so.
Violations of any provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred nor more than one thousand dollars.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 16b - Obligation to Make Political Contributions or Render Political Service by Persons Employed for Compensation; Penalties

Section 16B. No person employed for compensation shall be under any obligation to contribute to any candidate or political committee, or to render any political service on account of, or as a consequence of, his employment, and such person shall not be removed or otherwise prejudiced for refusing to do so. This section shall not apply to a person employed by a candidate or political committee or other organization organized for the purpose of rendering political service. A violation of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than six months or both such fine and imprisonment. Each such violation shall constitute a separate offense.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 17 - Public Service Status of Officers or Employees Protected Relative to Political Contributions; Penalty

Section 17. No officer or employee of the commonwealth or of any county, city or town shall discharge, promote, or degrade an officer or employee, or change his official rank or compensation, or promise or threaten so to do, for giving, withholding or neglecting to make a contribution of money or other valuable thing for a political purpose.
Violation of any provision of this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred nor more than one thousand dollars.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 18c - Electronic Reporting System for Campaign Finance Reports and Financial Activity Statements

Section 18C. (a) The director shall develop an electronic reporting system for the submission, retrieval, storage and public disclosure of campaign finance reports and financial activity statements required to be filed with the director.
(b) The following individuals and political committees shall be required to file electronically by modem or via computer terminals provided or approved by the director:
(i) a candidate that files with the director and the committee organized on behalf of the candidate;
(ii) a ballot question committee that files with the director;
(iii) each state committee referred to in section 1 of chapter 52;
(iv) each local party committee referred to in sections 2 and 3 of said chapter 52 that raises or spends more than $5,000 in an election cycle;
(v) a political committee, other than a candidate's committee or a ballot question committee, if the political committee aids or promotes the success or defeat of 1 or more candidates that file with the director;
(vi) reports of late contributions received by a political committee organized on behalf of a candidate that files with the director, including a committee required to designate a depository on behalf of a candidate and every ballot question committee that files with the director, which receives and deposits a contribution of $500 or more after the eighteenth day but more than 72 hours before the date of a special, preliminary, primary or general election within 72 hours of depositing the contribution;
(vii) reports of late contributions received by a state committee referred to in section 1 of chapter 52 required to designate a depository under section 19 which receives a contribution of $500 or more after the eighteenth day but more than 24 hours before the date of a special, preliminary, primary or general election, within 72 hours of depositing the contribution;
(viii) for a political committee required to file campaign finance reports electronically with the director, any reports filed pursuant to section 18D made to disclose expenditures by vendors of the committee to subvendors;
(ix) an individual, group, association, corporation, labor union, political committee or other entity that is required to file a report of independent expenditures with the director in accordance with section 18A; and
(x) an individual, group, association, corporation, labor union or other entity that makes an electioneering communication expenditure in an aggregate amount exceeding $250 during any calendar year in accordance with section 18F.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 18e - Legal Defense, Inauguration or Recount Funds

Section 18E. (a) Legal defense funds may be created by a candidate, a state party committee or the candidate's political committee to defend against a criminal matter or to pay costs associated with a civil matter that is not primarily personal in nature. Inauguration funds may be created by a candidate or the candidate's political committee to pay for the costs associated with an inaugural event. Recount funds may be created by a candidate or candidate's political committee to pay for the legal and other costs associated with a recount. Legal defense, inauguration, or recount funds shall be created separately from the candidate's campaign account or committee, and shall be subject to the following conditions: (1) assets of a political committee may not be used by the fund; (2) any donations received by the fund shall not be deposited into the candidate's campaign account or a committee account; and (3) donations to such fund shall not be used to benefit a political committee.
(b) Donations to a legal defense, recount, or inauguration fund, if not contributions, shall be disclosed to the director or, if made by a candidate or committee that does not file with the director, the city or town clerk, on or before the fifth day of the month following the month in which the donations are received, complete as of the last day of the preceding month, on forms to be prescribed by the director. The report shall disclose the name and address and employer of all persons donating more than $50 during the reporting period, listed alphabetically, the amount of each such donation, and the total amount of donations received in the reporting period not otherwise reported.
(c) For purposes of this section, the term ''donations'' shall include donations in money or in-kind, and loans provided to legal defense, recount, or inauguration fund.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 18f - Electioneering Communication Expenditures

Section 18F. Every individual, group, association, corporation, labor union or other entity not defined as a political committee who makes an electioneering communication expenditure in an aggregate amount exceeding $250 during a calendar year shall electronically file with the director, within 7 days after making the expenditure, a report stating the name and address of the individual, group, association, corporation, labor union or other entity making the electioneering communication, the name of any candidate clearly identified in the communication, the total amount or value of the communication, the name and address of the vendor to whom the payments were made and the purpose and date of the expenditure. In addition, any individual, group, association, corporation, labor union or other entity not defined as a political committee who makes electioneering communication expenditures in an aggregate amount exceeding $250 during a calendar year who receives funds to make electioneering communications shall include in the electronic filing the date the funds were received, the name and address of the provider of funds in excess of $250, if any, and the value of the funds received. Reports required under this section shall be filed with the director as provided in section 18C if electioneering communications refer to any candidate who files with the director. Reports required under this section shall be filed with the city or town clerk if the electioneering communications refer to any candidate seeking public office in a city or town election who does not otherwise file with the director.
Any person, group, association, corporation, labor union or other entity that makes or contracts to make electioneering communications aggregating $1,000 or more within 7 days before the date of an election shall file a report containing the information required under this section within 48 hours after making the expenditure.
A violation of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than $5,000 or by imprisonment in the house of correction for not more than 1 year.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 22a - Expenditures for Political Purpose; Report; Punishment for Violation; Examination of Accounts

Section 22A. The treasurer of any city, town, or other governmental unit which has given, paid, expended or contributed, or promised to give, pay, expend or contribute any money or any valuable thing in order to influence or affect the vote on any question submitted to the voters of the commonwealth shall file reports with the director setting forth the amount or value of every gift, payment, expenditure of contribution or promise to give, pay, expend or contribute, together with the date, purpose, and full name and address of the person to whom it was made.
The treasurer of any city, town, or other governmental unit which has given, paid, expended or contributed, or promised to give, pay, expend or contribute any money or any valuable thing in order to influence or affect the vote on any other question submitted to the voters of any city or town or any part of any city or town, shall file reports with the clerk of such city or town setting forth the amount or value of every gift, payment, expenditure of contribution or promise to give, pay, expend or contribute, together with the date, purpose, and full name and address of the person to whom it was made.
Such reports shall be filed as follows:—
(1) the sixtieth day prior to the election; on or before (2) the fifth and twentieth day of each month complete as of the preceding first and fifteenth day of the month, until the election, and thereafter; (3) the fifth day of each month until all declared liabilities have been discharged.
Any officer of a governmental unit violating any provision thereof or authorizing such violation, or any person who violates or in any way knowingly aids or abets the violation of any provision thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or both.
The director of campaign and political finance, or in the case of a city or town, the clerk of such city or town, shall examine the accounts submitted by cities and towns for political expenditures, and may order restitution of public funds which have been adjudicated to have been spent contrary to law by public officials. Nothing contained herein shall be construed as authorizing the expenditures of public monies for political purposes.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 23 - Persons Acting for Political Committees; Accounts and Vouchers to Treasurers

Section 23. Whoever, acting under the authority or in behalf of a political committee, receives any money or its equivalent, or promise of the same, or expends or incurs any liability to pay the same, shall, on demand, and in any event within three business days after such receipt, expenditure, promise or liability, give to the treasurer a detailed account of the same, with all vouchers required by this chapter, which shall be a part of the accounts and files of such treasurer.
Violation of any provision of this section shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than one year or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 24 - Place for Filing Statements or Reports; Signing

Section 24. If the statement or report required to be filed by a candidate, treasurer or other person relates to a nomination or election to a city or town office, other than a municipal office for which a candidate is required to file with the director in accordance with section 18C or section 19, or to a question appearing upon the official ballot used at a city or town election, the statement or report shall be filed with the clerk of the city or town involved; if the statement or report required to be filed by a candidate, treasurer or other person relates to a nomination or election for the office of regional district school committee member elected district-wide, the statement or report shall be filed with the clerk of the city or town where the candidate is a registered voter; if the statement or report required to be filed by a candidate, treasurer or other person relates to a nomination or election for district office as provided in sections one hundred and thirteen to one hundred and nineteen, inclusive, of chapter forty-one, the statement or report shall be filed with the clerk of the district; all other such statements or reports shall be filed with the director. All such statements or reports shall be signed under the penalties of perjury.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 25 - Preservation of Statements and Reports by Director; Public Inspection and Reproduction

Section 25. The director shall retain all statements and reports filed with his office under the provisions of this chapter by candidates and their committees until December thirty-first of the sixth year following the relevant election, provided that the ending balance on such candidates most recent statements, shows no residual funds and no remaining deficit. In the case of a candidate or authorized campaign committee which reports an ending balance of other than zero, the director shall retain all statements and reports and shall require additional annual reports to be filed henceforth on the twentieth day of January until such time that the candidate or authorized campaign committee reports an ending balance of zero.
In the case of all other political committees, the director shall retain all required statements and reports until December thirty-first of the sixth year following the relevant election.
The director shall make all statements and reports required to be filed with him by this chapter available for convenient public inspection and reproduction by a copying machine at a commercially reasonable fee as soon as such statements and reports are filed with him.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 26 - Preservation of Statements and Reports by City or Town Clerk; Public Inspection and Reproduction; Posting of Campaign Finance Reports Required by Sec. 18 on Website

Section 26. The city or town clerk shall retain all statements and reports required to be filed with such clerk until December 31st of the sixth year following the relevant election. In the case of committees other than those authorized by a candidate, the city or town clerk shall retain all required statements and reports filed with such clerk until December 31st of the sixth year following the date that the statement or report was filed. Such statements and reports shall be available for convenient public inspection and copying at the office of the city or town clerk during normal business hours as soon as such statements and reports are filed with him. Within 30 days after the filing deadline, all campaign finance reports required to be filed with the city or town clerk under section 18 shall be made available for viewing on the internet website of the municipality if such municipality has such a website, if the report discloses that a candidate or committee filing a report has received contributions or made expenditures in excess of $1,000 during a reporting period or incurred liabilities or acquired or disposed of assets in excess of $1,000 during a reporting period.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 27 - Furnishing Forms for Statements and Reports, and Summary of Chapter

Section 27. The director shall make available to city and town clerks a summary of this chapter and forms approved by the director and the attorney general suitable for the submission of the statements and reports required by this chapter. The city and town clerk shall transmit forms to a candidate for nomination or election to a city or town office who is known to the city or town clerk and to a political committee required to file with the city or town clerk.
The director shall make available to all candidates and political committees required to file with the director forms for filing and a summary of this chapter.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 28 - Inspection of Statements and Reports; Delinquencies; Notice; Filing

Section 28. The clerk of cities and towns shall inspect all statements and reports of candidates, or nonelected political committees supporting such candidates, filed with them, within thirty days of the reporting dates required by this chapter, and all other statements and reports within sixty days of the reporting dates required by this chapter. If upon examination of the records it appears that any candidate or political committee has failed to file a statement or report as required by law, or if it appears to the clerk that any such statement or report filed with him does not conform to law, or upon written complaint by five registered voters that a statement or report does not conform to law, or that any candidate or political committee has failed to file a statement or report required by law, the city or town clerk, as the case may be, shall, in writing, notify the delinquent person. Such complaint shall state in detail the grounds of objection, shall be sworn to by one of the subscribers, and shall be filed with the proper city or town clerk within ten days after the required date for filing a statement or report within ten days after the actual filing of a statement or report, or an amended statement or report.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 29 - Failure to File Statement, Report or Affidavit; Notice to and Duties of Director and Attorney General

Section 29. Upon failure to file a statement, report or affidavit within 10 days after receiving notice under section 28, the city or town clerk, as the case may be, shall notify the director thereof and shall furnish him with copies of all papers related thereto and the director, if satisfied there is cause, shall assess a penalty and may refer the person or committee to the attorney general pursuant to section 3. If any statement filed with the city or town clerk, as the case may be, discloses any violation of this chapter, such city or town clerk shall notify the director thereof and shall furnish him with copies of all papers relating thereto. The director shall examine every such case referred to him by such clerk and may refer such cases to the attorney general in accordance with section 3. If satisfied that there is cause, the attorney general shall, in the name of the commonwealth, institute appropriate criminal or civil proceedings or refer the case to the proper district attorney for such actions as may be appropriate. Any city or town clerk shall at any time upon the request of the attorney general or the director forward any evidence or information received by such clerk to the attorney general or director for whatever action the attorney general or director deems appropriate pursuant to law.
2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VIII - Elections › Chapter 55 - Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Expenditures and Contributions › Section 30 - Courts' Authority to Compel Filing of Statements

Section 30. The supreme judicial or superior court may compel any person failing to file a statement as above required, or filing a statement not conforming to the foregoing requirements in respect to its truth, sufficiently in detail, or otherwise, to file a sufficient statement, upon the application of the attorney general or district attorney or petition of any candidate voted for, or of any five persons qualified to vote at the election on account of which the expenditures, or any part thereof, were made or are alleged to have been made. Such petition shall be filed within sixty days after such election, if the statement was filed within the thirty days required, but a petition may be filed within thirty days of any payment not included in the statement so filed. Proceedings under this section shall be advanced for speedy trial upon the request of either party. No petition brought under this chapter shall be discontinued without the consent of the attorney general.