Technology (Government Transparency)

This bill, known as the Campaign Finance Transparency Act, requires political committees in federal elections to collect specific personal information from donors using online credit or debit cards, including card verification codes and billing ZIP codes. It also mandates that the name on the payment card must match the donor's name and bans the acceptance of contributions made with gift cards. Additionally, the legislation lowers the reporting threshold for campaign contributions from $200 to any amount and prohibits individuals from helping others make donations in someone else's name. These rules aim to increase donor transparency by making it harder to conceal the identity of contributors while establishing clear duties for committees to refund non-compliant payments.

HR 2841, the "Putting Trust in Transparency Act," requires nonprofits receiving any federal funding to publicly disclose unredacted donor information (including name, zip code, and contribution amount) within 60 days of filing their annual IRS Form 990. This applies specifically to tax-exempt organizations that receive federal funds, making their major donors' details accessible to the public. Nonprofits failing to file the required Schedule B of Form 990 face automatic revocation of their tax-exempt status after a 60-day grace period. The bill aims to increase transparency around how federal funds are leveraged by nonprofits, requiring disclosure that was previously restricted under IRS rules. It amends tax code provisions to enforce this disclosure and maintain public access to donor information.