Committee adopts amendment for working group to study local campaign‑finance reporting; amendment passes 11–0

Sen. Bolden, when presiding, described Senate File 828 as a proposal to establish a working group to study whether county, municipal, school‑district and other local candidates should file campaign‑finance reports directly with the state Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board instead of local offices.

"This group would take a look at, should that reporting happen up to the campaign finance board, potential impacts of that, what that might look like if there's capacity, etcetera," Sen. Bolden said, and said a report with recommendations would come back to the legislature by Jan. 15, 2026.

The committee first considered an A9 amendment that changes the bill's effective date and removes an appropriation; the clerk took a roll call and the amendment passed 11 ayes, 0 nays. Several senators voiced concern about creating yet another task force and urged preserving local control and avoiding duplication. "I just think that it needs to be managed locally," Sen. Kuran said.

Supporters said centralizing reporting could improve statewide transparency and reduce local administrative burdens, while opponents warned about adding obligations to the state board and the potential for duplicative work. Committee members asked whether the Campaign Finance Board had resources to take on these duties; the committee was told the board believes it could modify systems and absorb the cost in some scenarios.

After discussion the committee laid Senate File 828 over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill.