Campaign Finance Modernization Amendment Act of 2025
The Campaign Finance Modernization Amendment Act of 2025 makes a broad set of changes to District of Columbia election, ethics, and campaign finance law. It updates recall petition procedures, expands the definition of “coordination” for campaign finance purposes, and adds new disclosure and enforcement rules for campaign materials created with artificial intelligence or other digital manipulation. The bill also requires the Office of Campaign Finance (OCF) to publish more information online about complaints and investigations, issue campaign guidance materials, and convene an advisory group to recommend process improvements.
A major portion of the bill revises the Fair Elections Program. It raises the small-donor certification thresholds for several covered offices, bars certification for candidates expelled from the Council, revokes certification in certain cases where a candidate loses a primary and then switches offices, and speeds up the disbursement of public matching funds near elections. The bill also changes deadlines for returning funds to the Fair Elections Fund and increases or floors certain civil penalties. Overall, it is a modernization and enforcement measure aimed at transparency, public confidence, and administrative efficiency in campaign regulation.
The bill would amend the District of Columbia Election Code of 1955 and the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability Establishment and Comprehensive Ethics Reform Amendment Act of 2011, along with related Fair Elections Program provisions in the D.C. Official Code. It would affect candidates, political committees, political action committees, independent expenditure committees, recall committees, campaign treasurers, and the Office of Campaign Finance. The measure also creates new legal obligations for campaign communications using artificial media, including required disclaimers, a 90-day pre-election prohibition on certain deepfakes, and civil penalties and injunctive relief for violations. In addition, it changes recall petition rules, public reporting requirements, complaint processing timelines, and the administration of public campaign financing.
The bill appears generally favorable toward stronger transparency, faster enforcement, and more user-friendly campaign administration. Its stated purpose is to modernize campaign finance rules, improve public access to information, and help campaigns better understand compliance obligations. The inclusion of multiple co-introducers suggests broad support among the sponsoring members, and the bill’s framing emphasizes election integrity and responsible use of public funds. No committee transcript or vote record was provided, so there is no recorded opposition or formal vote sentiment in the supplied materials.
The most likely points of contention are the expanded reporting and disclosure burdens on committees, the broader definition of coordination, and the new restrictions on artificial media close to elections. Campaigns and political committees may view the added filing requirements, public posting of investigation materials, and tighter enforcement timelines as administratively burdensome or potentially intrusive. The Fair Elections Program changes could also be debated, especially the higher certification thresholds, the revocation rule for candidates who switch races after losing a primary, and the ban on certification for expelled Council members. Supporters are likely to argue these changes protect public dollars and election integrity, while critics may argue they make participation harder for candidates and committees.