FEC Administrative Improvements Act
Key claim: The FEC Administrative Improvements Act expands mandatory electronic filing to electioneering communications reports and allows political committees to make disbursements by means other than checks drawn on campaign depository accounts.
Abstract
(HR8738 · 119th Congress) FEC Administrative Improvements Act This bill expands electronic filing requirements and allows political committees to make disbursements by methods other than check. First, current law requires the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to make electronic filing mandatory for political committees and others required to file with the FEC who, in a calendar year, have, or have reason to expect to have, total contributions or expenditures exceeding a threshold amount set by the FEC (which is currently $50,000). Many independent expenditure reports are also subject to mandatory electronic filing. However, the current mandatory electronic filing provision does not apply to certain reports. This bill expands the types of reports that are required to be filed electronically to include electioneering communications (subject to the threshold amount). Second, current law requires political committees to maintain at least one campaign depository account and make all disbursements (other than petty cash disbursements) by check drawn on such accounts. This bill removes the requirement that disbursements must be made by check drawn on campaign depository accounts. Therefore, the bill allows political committees to make disbursements in other forms (e.g., credit or debit cards). Latest action (2026-07-14): Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
Why this matters
Electronic filing and payment modernization affect how quickly the public and watchdogs can access campaign spending records and how committees operationally manage their funds. While incremental, closing the paper-filing carve-out for electioneering communications aligns FEC disclosure practice with the near-real-time transparency assumed by other campaign-finance rules relevant to voter information and political participation.