Substitute Bill No. 252 Summary

• Establishes "independent expenditure political committees" as a new type of political committee that can make unlimited independent expenditures and contributions to other independent expenditure committees, with relaxed coordination rules.

• Raises the threshold for reporting independent expenditures from $1,000 to $5,000 and extends reporting requirements to referendum questions, with 24-hour filing deadlines for expenditures made within 90 days of an election or referendum.

• Permits business entities and organizations to make independent expenditures and contributions to independent expenditure political committees, while maintaining restrictions on their direct candidate contributions.

• Creates new disclosure requirements for "consultants" and "subvendors" who must provide detailed expenditure information to campaigns within 5 days, and establishes penalties for consultants who fail to provide complete information or make unauthorized expenditures.

• Modifies Citizens' Election Fund contribution thresholds and adjusts various campaign finance violation penalties, including increases to civil penalties for late reporting of independent expenditures ($20,000 or twice the amount expended, up to $50,000 for knowing violations).