Public employees and officers: other; due date for candidate for office financial disclosure report; modify. Amends sec. 5 of 2023 PA 282 (MCL 169.305).
Summary
SB 815 amends Michigan’s Candidate for Office Financial Disclosure Act to change when candidates must file their financial disclosure reports. Under current law in the bill text, candidates generally file by May 15 in election years, with a special 15-day deadline for candidates who organize after that date. The bill moves that regular deadline up to April 15 beginning after May 15, 2027, while keeping the 15-day post-organization deadline for late-forming candidate committees.
The bill also adds a one-time deadline for the 2024 reporting period, requiring those reports to be filed by June 13, 2025. It preserves the Secretary of State’s authority to require corrections within nine business days after notice of errors or omissions, and it clarifies that candidates who are not elected do not have to keep filing in later years unless they run again. It also exempts candidates who already must file under the separate Public Officers Financial Disclosure Act from duplicative filing under this act.
Impact
The bill changes MCL 169.305, the section governing candidate financial disclosure reporting deadlines, and would require earlier annual disclosure filings for candidates in future election cycles. It affects candidates for office, candidate committees, and the Department of State/Secretary of State administration of disclosure compliance. The measure also creates a specific filing deadline for the 2024 reporting period and reduces duplicate reporting by exempting candidates already covered under the Public Officers Financial Disclosure Act.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests the bill was generally supported, though not unanimously. It was reported favorably from committee by a 5-1 vote and then passed the Senate 28-5, indicating broad bipartisan or at least majority support for the disclosure deadline changes. No committee transcript is available, so the record does not show detailed debate, but the vote margins suggest the bill was viewed as a procedural transparency measure rather than a highly controversial policy change.
Contention
The main points of possible contention are the earlier filing deadline and the administrative burden on candidates, especially those who organize late or are preparing for election-year compliance. Some opposition may also stem from the added 2024 one-time deadline and the risk of penalties or correction requirements tied to Secretary of State notices. The exemption for candidates already covered by the Public Officers Financial Disclosure Act appears designed to address duplication concerns, which may have been a point of discussion even though no transcript is available.