HB 1262 — An Act amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code, in primary and election expenses, further providing for reporting by candidate and political committees and other persons, for late contributions and independent expenditures, for oath of compliance, perjury, disqualification from office and commercial use, for residual funds and for place of filing, providing for manner of filing and for inability to file reports or statements electronically by deadline and further providing for late filing fee and certificate of filing, for additional powers and duties of the Secretary of the Commonwealth and for reports by business entities and publication by Secretary of the Commonwealth.

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO.

1405 THEPRINTER'S GENERALNO. ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL Session of No.

12623192 2025THE INTHILL-EVANS,GENERAL GUENST,ASSEMBLY HOWARDOF ANDPENNSYLVANIA CIRESI,HOUSE APRILBILL 17,Session 2025BIDGE, REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, APRIL 17, 2025 AN ACT Amending the act of JuneNo. 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), entitled "An act concerning elections, including general, municipal, special and primary elections, the nomination of candidates, primary and election expenses and election contests;

creating1262 2025 INTHILL-EVANS, GUENST, HOWARD, CIRESI AND INGLIS, APRIL 17, 2025 AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, APRIL 14, 2026 AN ACT Amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), entitled "An act concerning elections, including general, municipal, special and primary elections, the nomination of candidates, and defining membership of county boards of elections;reating imposing duties upon the Secretary of the Commonwealth, courts, county boards of elections, county commissioners;

and repealing certain acts and parts of acts relating to elections," in primary and election expenses, further providing for reporting by candidate and political committees and other persons, for late contributions and independent expenditures, for oath of compliance, perjury, disqualification from office and commercial use, for residual funds and for place of filing, providing for manner of filing and for inability to file reports or statements electronically by deadline and further providing for late filing fee and certificate of filing, for additional powers andreports dutiesby ofbusiness the Secretary of the Commonwealth and for the Commonwealth.ss entities and publication by Secretary of The General Assembly of the CommonwealthCommonwealth. of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

In addition, a report filed by a political committee, authorized by a candidate and created solely for the purpose of 20250HB1262PN3192 - 2 - influencing an election on behalf of that candidate must be 20250HB1262PN1405 - 2 - signed, using an electronic signature, stating that, to the best of the candidate's knowledge, the political committee has not violated any provision of this act;

Except for reports required to be filed electronically, a candidate [in] on his own behalf, or chairman, treasurer or candidate [in] on behalf of the political committee 20250HB1262PN3192 - 3 - may also comply with this section by appearing personally before 20250HB1262PN1405 - 3 - such supervisor and reporting such late contributions or pledges.

A final report must be made by the next January 31 in accordance with 20250HB1262PN3192 - 4 - section 1627.];

or 20250HB1262PN1405 - 4 - (3) may be donated to a nonprofit organization.

(3) "Nonprofit organization" means an organization that is <-- qualified by the Internal Revenue Service as meeting the requirements of 26 U.S.C.

(3) "NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION" MEANS AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS:

<-- (I) QUALIFIED BY THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE AS MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF 26 U.S.C.

§ 501(C)(3) (RELATING TO EXEMPTION FROM TAX ON CORPORATIONS, CERTAIN TRUSTS, ETC.);

(II) ORGANIZED UNDER THE LAWS OF THIS COMMONWEALTH;

AND (III) NOT AFFILIATED WITH A CANDIDATE OR THE CHAIRMAN OR TREASURER OF A POLITICAL COMMITTEE, INCLUDING A FAMILY MEMBER OF THE CANDIDATE, CHAIRMAN OR TREASURER.

(1) (i) Any candidate, individual, or committee required to file a report concerning any candidate shall file that statement 20250HB1262PN3192 - 5 - or report in the office of the supervisor with whom the candidate filed a nomination paper, nomination certificate, nomination petitions or with the supervisor with whom the candidate would have filed such if he had sought nomination in that manner.

[(ii) All candidates and political committees, authorized by candidates and created solely for the purpose of influencing the election of such candidates, who must file reports with the Secretary of the Commonwealth, shall also file copies of their 20250HB1262PN1405 - 5 - reports in the county in which the candidate resides.] (iii) All candidates and political committees, authorized by candidates and created solely for the purpose of influencing the election of such candidates, who must file reports with the Secretary of the Commonwealth as required by this subsection, must only file reports electronically with the Secretary of the Commonwealth.

and 20250HB1262PN3192 - 6 - (3) for a report or statement filed by a candidate or a candidate's political committee, include the electronic signature of the candidate, stating that, to the best of the candidate's knowledge, the political committee has not violated a provision of this act.

The candidate or political committee upon approval 20250HB1262PN1405 - 6 - of the Secretary of the Commonwealth shall file reports and statements on forms developed by the Secretary of the Commonwealth.

The approval shall be transmitted personally by the principal and not on the 20250HB1262PN3192 - 7 - principal's behalf by any other person.

Inability to File Reports or Statements 20250HB1262PN1405 - 7 - Electronically by Deadline.-- (a) All reports or statements filed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth under section 1631.1 are subject to the following:

The affirmation statement shall 20250HB1262PN3192 - 8 - be due at the same time as the statement or report filed under this subsection.

The candidate or 20250HB1262PN1405 - 8 - political committee shall have until 11:59 o'clock P.M.

(d) As used in this section, the term "unavailability of the Department of State's electronic filing system" shall mean a failure of the system within the Department of State's technical 20250HB1262PN3192 - 9 - environment that does not allow access to the system by an individual.

Certificate of Filing.-- 20250HB1262PN1405 - 9 - (a) A late filing fee for each report or statement of expenditures and contributions required to be filed with the county board of elections which is not filed within the prescribed period shall be imposed as follows.

A report or statement of expenditures and contributions shall be deemed to 20250HB1262PN3192 - 10 - have been filed within the prescribed time if the letter transmitting the report or statement which is received by the [supervisor] county board of elections is transmitted by first class mail and is postmarked by the United States Postal Service on the day prior to the final day on which the report or statement is to be received:

(a.1) For reports or statements required to be 20250HB1262PN1405 - 10 - electronically filed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth, the penalty for each report or statement that is not filed within the prescribed period shall be twenty dollars ($20) a day for the first six (6) days the report or statement is late and one hundred dollars ($100) a day for day seven (7) and each day thereafter.

Additional Powers and Duties of the Secretary of the Commonwealth.--(a) The Secretary of the Commonwealth 20250HB1262PN3192 - 11 - shall have the following additional powers and duties:

(4) To prepare a manual setting forth recommended uniform 20250HB1262PN1405 - 11 - methods of bookkeeping and reporting which shall be furnished by the supervisor to the person required to file such reports and statements as required by this article.

20250HB1262PN3192 - 12 - (8) To ensure that all information contained in a statement or report filed that is not on the electronic filing system be entered into the electronic filing system as soon as practicable but no later than four (4) business days after its receipt by the Secretary of the Commonwealth.

20250HB1262PN1405 - 12 - Section 1641.

For the purposes of this subsection, "immediate family" means a 20250HB1262PN3192 - 13 - person's spouse and any unemancipated child.

(1) The following provisions shall take effect 20250HB1262PN1405 - 13 - immediately:

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