HOUSE BILL NO. 4270

March 19, 2025, Introduced by Reps. Morgan, Paquette, Mentzer, Byrnes, Dievendorf, Rheingans, Wegela, Koleszar, Price, Conlin, Brixie, Coffia, Paiz, Wilson, Miller, Tsernoglou, Andrews, Arbit, Longjohn, MacDonell, Myers-Phillips and McKinney and referred to Committee on Government Operations.

A bill to amend 1976 PA 388, entitled

"Michigan campaign finance act,"

by amending sections 2 and 5 (MCL 169.202 and 169.205), section 2 as amended by 2023 PA 264 and section 5 as amended by 2019 PA 93.

the people of the state of michigan enact:

Sec. 2. (1) "501(c)(4) organization" means an organization that claims tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(4) of the internal revenue code, 26 USC 501, if that organization employs, has a board member who is, or is controlled or directed by, any of the following:

(a) A candidate for state elective office.

(b) An elected official.

(c) An appointed official for state elective office.

(d) Any employee, contract employee, or staff member of any of the following:

(i) An elected official.

(ii) A candidate for a state elective office.

(iii) An appointed official for a state elective office.

(e) Any family member of an elected official, candidate for a state elective office, or appointed official for a state elective office. As used in this subdivision, "family member" means any of the following:

(i) A spouse or ex-spouse.

(ii) A child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, sibling, niece, or nephew.

(iii) The spouse of a child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, sibling, niece, or nephew.

(2) "527 organization" means an organization that claims tax-exempt status under section 527 of the internal revenue code, 26 USC 527, if that organization employs, has a board member who is, or is controlled or directed by, any of the following:

(a) A candidate for state elective office.

(b) An elected official.

(c) An appointed official for a state elective office.

(d) Any employee, contract employee, or staff member of any of the following:

(i) An elected official.

(ii) A candidate for a state elective office.

(iii) An appointed official for a state elective office.

(e) Any family member of an elected official, candidate for a state elective office, or appointed official for a state elective office. As used in this subdivision, "family member" means any of the following:

(i) A spouse or ex-spouse.

(ii) A child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, sibling, niece, or nephew.

(iii) The spouse of a child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, sibling, niece, or nephew.

(3) (1) "Artificial intelligence" means a machine-based system that can, for a given set of human-defined objectives, make predictions, recommendations, or decisions influencing real or virtual environments, and that uses machine and human-based inputs to do all of the following:

(a) Perceive real and virtual environments.

(b) Abstract such perceptions into models through analysis in an automated manner.

(c) Use model inference to formulate options for information or action.

(4) (2) "Award" means a plaque, trophy, certificate, bust, ceremonial gavel, or memento.

(5) (3) "Ballot question" means a question that is submitted or is intended to be submitted to a popular vote at an election whether or not it qualifies for the ballot.

(6) (4) "Ballot question committee" means a committee acting in support of, or in opposition to, the qualification, passage, or defeat of a ballot question but that does not receive contributions or make expenditures or contributions for the purpose of influencing or attempting to influence the action of the voters for or against the nomination or election of a candidate.

(7) (5) "Bundle" means for a bundling committee to deliver 1 or more contributions from individuals to the candidate committee of a candidate for statewide elective office, without the money becoming money of the bundling committee.

(8) (6) "Bundling committee" means an independent committee or political committee that makes an expenditure to solicit or collect from individuals contributions that are to be part of a bundled contribution, which expenditure is required to be reported as an in-kind expenditure for a candidate for statewide elective office.

(9) (7) "Business" means a corporation, limited liability company, partnership, sole proprietorship, firm, enterprise, franchise, association, organization, self-employed individual, holding company, joint stock company, receivership, trust, activity, or entity that is organized for profit or nonprofit purposes.

Sec. 5. (1) "Domestic dependent sovereign" means an Indian tribe that has been acknowledged, recognized, restored, or reaffirmed as an Indian tribe by the secretary of the interior pursuant to the Indian reorganization act, 25 USC 5101 to 5144, commonly referred to as the Indian reorganization act, or has otherwise been acknowledged by the United States government as an Indian tribe.

(2) "Election" means a primary, general, special, or millage election held in this state or a convention or caucus of a political party held in this state to nominate a candidate. Election includes a recall vote.

(3) "Election cycle" means 1 of the following:

(a) For a general election, the period beginning the day following the last general election in which the office appeared on the ballot and ending on the day of the general election in which the office next appears on the ballot.

(b) For a special election, the period beginning the day a special general election is called or the date the office becomes vacant, whichever is earlier, and ending on the day of the special general election.

(4) "Elected official" means an individual who holds a state elective office.

(5) (4) "Elective office" means a public office filled by an election. An individual who is appointed to fill a vacancy in a public office that is ordinarily elective holds an elective office. Elective office does not include the office of precinct delegate. Except for the purposes of sections 47, 54, and 55, elective office does not include a school board member in a school district that has a pupil membership of 2,400 or less enrolled on the most recent pupil membership count day. However, elective office includes a school board member in a school district that has a pupil membership of 2,400 or less, if a candidate committee of a candidate for the office of school board member in that school district receives an amount in excess of $1,000.00 or expends an amount in excess of $1,000.00. Elective office does not include a federal office except for the purposes of section 57.

Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect January 1, 2027.

Enacting section 2. This amendatory act does not take effect unless Senate Bill No. ____ (request no. S00308'25) or House Bill No. 4269 (request no. H00308'25) of the 103rd Legislature is enacted into law.