Southern Wisconsin Times

Congressman Bryan Steil's legislation to extend the Federal Election Commission's (FEC) Administrative Fine Program has been signed into law, ensuring the FEC's enforcement operations continue to run smoothly. The law extends the program for certain reporting violations for an additional 10 years, providing more transparency for the American people.

"In 2023, a year of divided government, only 27 bills the House passed were signed into law. I’m proud that my common-sense election integrity bill was one of them," said Steil. "This law ensures the FEC is well equipped to provide more transparency for the American people. Not only does this law accomplish the immediate goal of efficient campaign finance regulation, but it also aligns with the broader objectives of the American Confidence in Elections Act. I look forward to continuing our work to strengthen Americans' confidence in our elections."

The Federal Election Commission, known as the FEC, enforces federal law that requires political committees to file reports of their receipts and disbursements by a certain date. The Administrative Fine Program allows the FEC to swiftly resolve infractions related to late-filed or unfiled reports, ensuring transparency and accountability.

Steil's legislation extended the Administrative Fine Program for an additional 10 years, ensuring that the FEC can effectively assess and enforce fines against campaign committees for their late-filed or unfiled reports. Before the program was implemented, an average of 21 percent of campaign finance reports were filed late. Now, the percentage of late filed reports is below 10 percent, and the agency has assessed over $9 million in fines.

This legislation was sponsored by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chair of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, and Senator Deb Fisher (R-NE), Ranking Member of that committee. It passed the Senate by voice vote. The identical measure, H.R. 5734, sponsored by Chairman Bryan Steil (R-WI01) and Ranking Member Joseph D. Morelle (D-NY25), was reported out by voice vote by the Committee on House Administration. The president signed S. 2747 into law on December 19, 2023.

The new law ensures that the FEC can continue to efficiently regulate campaign finance and provide transparency in elections. It is a significant step towards strengthening Americans' confidence in the electoral process.