HB 45 Kentucky House · 2025 Regular Session

AN ACT relating to campaign finance.

Summary
Amend KRS 121.015, relating to campaign finance, to define terms; create new sections of KRS Chapter 121 to establish reporting and record retention requirements for political issues committees and persons making independent expenditures; prohibit political issues committees from knowingly and willfully soliciting or accepting contributions from prohibited sources; establish certification requirements for treasurers of political issues committees and donors making contributions and independent expenditures; define activity that creates a presumption of a violation; prohibit foreign nationals from making a donation, contribution, or expenditure, soliciting another person to make a donation, contribution, or expenditure, or participating in another person's decision to influence a ballot measure; establish a cause of action for accepting or soliciting contributions from prohibited sources and failing to certify, report, or retain records; establish a right of privacy in donations to tax-exempt organizations; establish a penalty for a state or local governmental entity, court, or officer of the court that violates the right of privacy; amend KRS 121.190 to require a "paid for by" disclosure for advertisements advocating or opposing a ballot measure.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Mar 2025
House Passage
Mar 2025
Senate Passage
Mar 2025
Signed into Law
Mar 2025
Introduced Jan 7, 2025 Signed Mar 24, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Current/Final · 2 edits
MINOR
The bill was updated from an initial draft to its final engrossed version, expanding the document from 15 pages to 34 pages. The most substantive change is a definition update that broadened the scope of 'political issues committees' to include ballot measures, not just constitutional amendments or public questions. This means committees advocating for or against any ballot measure must now comply with the same reporting and funding rules as those focused on constitutional amendments.
Scope change
The bill's scope was expanded to include advocacy for or against ballot measures under the definition of 'political issues committee', whereas previously it only covered constitutional amendments or public questions.
DEFINITION

The definition of 'political issues committee' was changed to include advocacy for or against ballot measures, expanding the types of political activities subject to committee regulations.

TECHNICAL

The document was updated from a jacketed version to an engrossed version, increasing page count from 15 to 34 pages and updating metadata.

Floor votes · House Feb 12, 2025

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
26
Key actions
10
Committee
9
Amendments
1
Mar 24, 2025
Signed into law
signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 57)
lower
Mar 14, 2025
Upper · Passed
enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
upper
Mar 14, 2025
Lower · Passed
enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
lower
Mar 14, 2025
Lower · Passed
passed 77-12
lower
Mar 14, 2025
Lower · Passed
House concurred in Senate Committee Substitute (1)
lower
Mar 12, 2025
Lower · Passed
posted for passage for concurrence in Senate Committee Substitute (1)
lower
Mar 11, 2025
Committee
to Rules (H)
lower
Mar 11, 2025
Lower · Passed
passed 29-6 with Committee Substitute (1)
lower
Mar 5, 2025
Introduced
floor amendment (1) filed to Committee Substitute
lower
Mar 5, 2025
Lower · Passed
reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1)
lower
Feb 18, 2025
Committee
to State & Local Government (S)
upper
Feb 13, 2025
Committee
to Committee on Committees (S)
upper
Feb 12, 2025
Lower · Passed
3rd reading, passed 85-12
lower
Feb 6, 2025
Lower · Passed
reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar
lower
Feb 4, 2025
Committee
to Elections, Const. Amendments & Intergovernmental Affairs (H)
lower
Jan 7, 2025
Committee
to Committee on Committees (H)
lower
Jan 7, 2025
Introduced
introduced in House
lower
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.