AB 497 — Revises provisions relating to campaign finance. (BDR 24-996)

Except- as83rd otherwiseSession provided(2025) in– subsection5 5,– every(b) candidateContribute for office at a primary election, general election or special election who withdraws pursuant to NRS 293.202 or 293C.195 after filing a declaration of candidacy [,] or is removed from the ballot by court order [or is defeated for or otherwise not elected to that office] and who received contributions that were not spent or committed for expenditure before the primary election, general election or special election shall, not later than the 15th day of the second month after the election, dispose of the money throughto: one or any combination of the following methods:

- *AB497_R1* – 5 – (a) Return the unspent money to contributors;

(b) Contribute the money to:

6.declaration of candidacy, is defeated for that office at a primary election or is removed from the ballot by court order before a primary election or general election and who received a contribution from a person in excess of $5,000 shall, not later than the 15th day of the second month after the primary election or general election, as applicable, return any money in excess of $5,000 to the contributor.

Every candidate for office who withdraws after filing a declaration of candidacy, is defeated for that office at a primary election or is removed from the ballot by court order before a primary election or general election and who received a contribution from a person in excess of $5,000 shall, not later than the 15th day of the second month after the primary election or general election, as applicable, return any money in excess of $5,000 to the contributor.

Such a candidate is subject to the reporting requirements set forth in NRS 294A.120, 294A.125, 294A.128, 294A.200 and 294A.362 for as long as the candidate has unspent contributions.

8.- 83rd Session (2025) – 6 – former public officer who [:

[Except as otherwise provided in subsection 9, every] Every former(a) publicDoes officernot whorun [:for reelection to the office which he or she holds;

- *AB497_R1* – 6 – (a) Does not run for reelection to the office which he or she holds;

(b) Is not a candidate for any other office and does not qualify as a candidate by receiving one or more qualifying contributions in excessexc(c) Has contributions that are not spent or committed for expenditure remaining from a previous election,  shall, not later than the 15th day of $100;the second month after the effective date of the resignation, dispose of those contributions in the manner provided in subsection 4.

and (c) Has contributions that are not spent or committed for expenditure remaining from a previous election,  shall, not later than the 15th day of the second month after the effective date of the resignation, dispose of those contributions in the manner provided in subsection 4.

Such a public officer is subject to the reporting requirements set forth in NRS 294A.120, 294A.125, 294A.128, 294A.200 and 294A.362 for forth in as long as the public officer is a candidate for any office or qualifies as a candidate by receiving one or more qualifying contributions in excess of $100.

or - 83rd Session (2025) – 7 – (b) Appear on an official ballot at any election,  shall, not later than the 15th day of the month after the end of the 4-year period, dispose of all contributions that have not been spent - *AB497_R1* – 7 – or committed for expenditure through one or any combination of the met12.] seIn addition to the methods for disposing of the unspent money set forth in subsectionthis 4.section, a Legislator may donate not more than $500 of that money to the Nevada Silver Haired Legislative Forum created pursuant to NRS 427A.320.

12.] In addition to the methods for disposing of the unspent money set forth in this section, a Legislator may donate not more than $500 of that money to the Nevada Silver Haired Legislative Forum created pursuant to NRS 427A.320.

be[14.] imposed11. pursuant to NRS 294A.420, order the candidate orhich may public officer to dispose of any remaining contributions in the manner provided in this section.

The court shall, in addition to any penalty which may be imposed pursuant to NRS 294A.420, order the candidate or public officer to dispose of any remaining contributions in the manner provided in this section.

3.5.

NRS 294A.210 is hereby amended to read as follows:

294A.210 1.

The provisions of this section apply to:

excess of $1,000;

[and] makes an independent expenditure in (b) Every committee for political action, political party and committee sponsored by a political party which receives contributions in excess of $1,000 or makes an expenditure for or against a candidate for office or a group of such candidates [.] ;

and (c) Every person that makes expenditures in excess of $1,000 designed to affect the outcome of any primary election, general election or special election or question on the ballot and that is:

(1) An individual corporation or other business organization that has filed articles of incorporation or other documentation of organization with the Secretary of State pursuant to title 7 of NRS;

(2) A nonprofit organization or nonprofit corporation duly organized under federal law or under the laws of this State, any - 83rd Session (2025) – 8 – States;

ore, the District of Columbia or any territory of the United (3) A labor union.

2.

Every person, committee and political party described in subsection 1 shall, not later than January 15 of the election year, for the period beginning January 1 of the previous year and ending on December 31 of the previous year, report each independent expenditure or other expenditure, as applicable, made during the period in excess of $1,000 and independent expenditures or other expenditures, as applicable, made during the period to one recipient which cumulatively exceed $1,000.

3.

In addition to the requirements set forth in subsection 2, every person, committee and political party described in subsection shall, not later than:

(a) April 15 of the election year, for the period beginning January 1 and ending on March 31 of the election year;

(b) July 15 of the election year, for the period beginning April 1 and(c) October 15 of the election year, for the period beginning July 1 and ending on September 30 of the election year;

and (d) January 15 of the year immediately following the election year, for the period beginning October 1 and ending on December 31 of the election year,  report each independent expenditure or other expenditure, as applicable, in excess of $1,000 made during the period and independent expenditures or other expenditures, as applicable, made during the period to one recipient which cumulatively exceed $1,000.

AnyExcept formeras publicotherwise officerprovided whoin onsubsections October5, 1,6 2025,and has7 unspentand contributionsNRS pursuant294A.223, toevery theperson, formercommittee provisionsand ofpolitical subsectionsparty 7described toin 11,subsection inclusive,1 ofwhich NRSmakes 294A.160an independent expenditure or other expenditure, as thatapplicable, sectionfor existedor onagainst Septembera 30,candidate 2025,for shalloffice disposeat a special election or for or against a group of such unspentcan(a) contributionsFour pursuantdays tobefore NRSthe 294A.160beginning asof amendedearly voting by sectionpersonal 3appearance for the special election, for the period from the nomination of thisthe actcandidate notthrough later5 thandays Octoberbefore 1,the 2029.beginning of early voting by personal appearance for the special election;

H(b) -Four *AB497_R1*days before the special election, for the period from 4 days before the beginning of early voting by personal appearance for the special election through 5 days before the special election;

and - 83rd Session (2025) – 9 – period through the date of the special election,or the remaining  report each independent expenditure or other expenditure, as applicable, in excess of $1,000 made during the period and independent expenditures or other expenditures, as applicable, made during the period to one recipient which cumulatively exceed $1,000.

5.

Except as otherwise provided in subsections 6 and 7 and NRS 294A.223, every person, committee and political party described in subsection 1 which makes an independent expenditure or other expenditure, as applicable, for or against a candidate for office at a special election to determine whether a public officer will be recalled or for or against a group of such candidates shall, not later than:

(a) Four days before the beginning of early voting by personal appearance for the special election, for the period from the date the notice of intent to circulate the petition for recall is filed pursuant to by personal appearance for the special election;of early voting (b) Four days before the special election, for the period from 4 days before the beginning of early voting by personal appearance for the special election through 5 days before the special election;

and (c) Thirty days after the special election, for the remaining period through the date of the special election,  report each independent expenditure or other expenditure, as applicable, in excess of $1,000 made during the period and independent expenditures or other expenditures, as applicable, made during the period to one recipient which cumulatively exceed $1,000.

6.

Except as otherwise provided in subsection 7, if a petition for recall is not submitted to the filing officer before the expiration of the notice of intent pursuant to the provisions of chapter 306 of officer pursuant to the provisions of that chapter, every person,ling committee and political party described in subsection 1 which makes an independent expenditure or other expenditure, as applicable, for or against a candidate for office at a special election to determine whether a public officer will be recalled or for or against a group of such candidates shall, not later than 30 days after the expiration of the notice of intent, for the period from the filing of the notice of intent through the date that the notice of intent expires or the petition is determined to be legally insufficient, report each of - 83rd Session (2025) – 10 – period.

The provisions of this subsection apply to the person,g the committee and political party if the petition for recall:

(a) Is not submitted to the filing officer as required by chapter of NRS;

(b) Is submitted to the filing officer without any valid signatures or with fewer than the necessary number of valid signatures required by chapter 306 of NRS;

or (c) Is otherwise legally insufficient or efforts to obtain the necessary number of valid signatures required by chapter 306 of NRS are suspended or discontinued.

7.

If the legal sufficiency of a petition for recall is challenged and a district court determines that the petition is legally:

(a) Sufficient pursuant to chapter 306 of NRS and the order of the district court is appealed, every person, committee and political party described in subsection 1 which makes an independent expenditure or other expenditure, as applicable, for or against a public officer will be recalled or for or against a group of such candidates shall:

(1) Not later than 30 days after the date on which the notice of appeal is filed, for the period from the filing of the notice of intent to circulate the petition for recall through the date on which the notice of appeal is filed, report each independent expenditure or other expenditure, as applicable, in excess of $1,000 made during the period and independent expenditures or expenditures, as applicable, made during the period to one recipient which cumulatively exceed $1,000.

(2) Not later than 30 days after the date on which all appeals regarding the petition are exhausted, for the period from the day after the date on which the notice of appeal is filed through the date on which all appeals regarding the petition are exhausted, report each independent expenditure or other expenditure, as applicable, in expenditures or expenditures, as applicable, made during the period to one recipient which cumulatively exceed $1,000.

(b) Insufficient pursuant to chapter 306 of NRS, every person, committee and political party described in subsection 1 which makes an independent expenditure or other expenditure, as applicable, for or against a candidate for office at a special election to determine whether a public officer will be recalled or for or against a group of such candidates shall:

- 83rd Session (2025) – 11 – court orders the filing officer to cease any further proceedingsstrict regarding the petition, for the period from the filing of the notice of intent to circulate the petition for recall through the date of the district court’s order, report each independent expenditure or other expenditure, as applicable, in excess of $1,000 made during the period and independent expenditures or expenditures, as applicable, made during the period to one recipient which cumulatively exceed $1,000.

(2) Not later than 30 days after the date on which all appeals regarding the petition are exhausted, for the period from the day after the date of the district court’s order through the date on which all appeals regarding the petition are exhausted, report each independent expenditure or other expenditure, as applicable, in excess of $1,000 made during the period and independent expenditures or expenditures, as applicable, made during the period to one recipient which cumulatively exceed $1,000.

subsections 2 to 7, inclusive, a person, committee or political party described in subsection 1 must, not later than January 15 of each year that is not an election year, for the period beginning January 1 of the previous year and ending on December 31 of the previous year, report each independent expenditure or other expenditure, as applicable, made during the period in excess of $1,000 and independent expenditures or other expenditures, as applicable, made during the period to one recipient which cumulatively exceed $1,000.

Nothing in this subsection:

(a) Requires the person, committee or political party to report information that has previously been reported in a timely manner pursuant to subsections 2 to 7, inclusive;

or (b) Authorizes the person, committee or political party to not comply with any applicable requirement set forth in subsections 2 to 7, inclusive.

within the State or made elsewhere but for use within the State, including independent expenditures and other expenditures made outside the State for printing, television and radio broadcasting or other production of the media, must be included in the report.

10.

Except as otherwise provided in NRS 294A.3737, the reports must be filed electronically with the Secretary of State.

11.

If an independent expenditure or other expenditure, as applicable, is made for or against a group of candidates, the reports must be itemized by the candidate.

- 83rd Session (2025) – 12 – received by the Secretary of State.

Every person, committee ort was political party described in subsection 1 shall file a report required by this section even if the person, committee or political party receives no contributions.

Sec.

4.

Any former public officer who on October 1, 2025, has unspent contributions pursuant to the former provisions of subsections 7 to 11, inclusive, of NRS 294A.160 as that section existed on September 30, 2025, shall dispose of such unspent contributions pursuant to NRS 294A.160, as amended by section 3 of this act, not later than October 1, 2029.

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