Completed rulemaking projects
Adopted Permanent Rules Relating to Campaign Finance; Lobbying; and Audits and Investigations; Minnesota Rules chapters 4501, 4503, 4511, 4512, and 4525; Revisor's ID No. 4809; OAH Docket No. 24-9030-39382
Adoption of rules
On January 15, 2025, the Board's executive director signed an order adopting rules relating to campaign finance, lobbying, and audits and investigations, as authorized by the Board. A notice of adoption was published in the State Register on February 18, 2025. The rules took effect on February 25, 2025, pursuant to Minnesota Statutes section 14.38. On March 17, 2025, the website of the Office of the Revisor of Statutes was updated to incorporate the changes made to the Board's administrative rules.
February 18, 2025, edition of the State Register
Approval of rules by OAH
On January 2, 2025, the Board's proposed rules were submitted to the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) for review by Assistant Chief Administrative Law Judge Kristien R. E. Butler, pursuant to Minnesota Statutes section 14.26, along with the enclosures required by Minnesota Rules 1400.2310. On January 14, 2025, Judge Butler issued an order approving the proposed rules.
Order on Review of Proposed Rules
December 4, 2024 Board meeting
During its meeting on December 4, 2024, the Board considered the comments received by the Board during the 30-day comment period, draft responses to those comments, and four proposed modifications to the Board's proposed administrative rule language. The Board adopted the four proposed modifications and voted to approve a resolution authorizing the Board's executive director to sign an order formally adopting the proposed rules.
Memo to Board for December 4, 2024, meeting
Redlined rule language to potentially be modified
All comments received during 30-day comment period
Draft responses to comments received during 30-day comment period
Signed Board resolution adopting rules as modified
Proposed rule language as modified December 4, 2024
Video of December 4, 2024 Board meeting (starts at 1:24:05 mark)
Comments received during 30-day comment period
Representative Nathan Coulter - Oct. 15, 2024
Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA) - Nov. 1, 2024
Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN) - Nov. 6, 2024
Campaign Legal Center (CLC) - Nov. 6, 2024
Dual Notice of Intent to Adopt Rules
The Board's Dual Notice of Intent to Adopt Rules is available here. An order issued by Assistant Chief Administrative Law Judge Kristien R. E. Butler on October 1, 2024, approving the Dual Notice, is available here as well as on the website of the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH). The Dual Notice contained information about how to submit comments on the rules and how to request a public hearing. The Dual Notice and the text of the Board's proposed rules were published in the State Register on October 7, 2024. The public comment period began on October 7, 2024, and ended on November 6, 2024. The Board did not receive requests from 25 or more persons for a hearing on the proposed rules. As a result, the public hearing that was scheduled for December 17, 2024, was canceled.
Statement of Need and Reasonableness (SONAR)
The Board's Statement of Need and Reasonableness (SONAR) is available here. The SONAR was initially released on September 13, 2024, and a minor change was made to the notice plan on page 49 on September 30, 2024.
Revisor's draft of proposed rules dated August 15, 2024
The Office of the Revisor of Statutes reviewed the Board's proposed rule language under Minnesota Statutes section 14.07, subdivision 2. After making some nonsubstantive changes, primarily involving the numbering of rule parts and subparts, the Revisor's Office approved the proposed rule language as to form. The Revisor's draft of the proposed rules is available by clicking here.
June 5, 2024 Board meeting
During its meeting on June 5, 2024, the Board approved two revisions to its proposed rule language. The revised proposed rule language is available by clicking here. The Board also authorized the Board's executive director to proceed with publishing a notice of intent to adopt the proposed rules. The written materials considered by the Board and video of the meeting are linked below.
Memorandum explaining need for changes
Draft changes to proposed rule language
All proposed rule language with draft changes incorporated
Draft Statement of Need and Reasonableness (SONAR)
Draft resolution authorizing notice of proposed rules
Video of June 5, 2024 Board meeting (discussion of the proposed rule language begins at the 1:05:10 mark within the video)
March 8, 2024 Board meeting
During its meeting on March 8, 2024, the Board approved proposed rule language, which is available by clicking here. The draft rule language and written comments considered by the Board and video of the meeting are linked below.
All draft rule language considered by Board on March 8, 2024
Housing First Minnesota comments
Video of March 8, 2024 Board meeting (discussion of the draft rule language begins at the 41:55 mark within the video)
February 23, 2024 rulemaking committee meeting
The Board's rulemaking committee met on Friday, February 23, 2024. The draft rule language and written comments considered by the committee and video of the meeting are linked below.
Revised draft lobbying rule language
American Council of Engineering Companies of Minnesota comments
Video of February 23, 2024 meeting
February 9, 2024 rulemaking committee meeting
The Board's rulemaking committee met on Friday, February 9, 2024. The draft rule language and written comments considered by the committee and video of the meeting are linked below.
Revised draft lobbying rule language
Revised draft non-lobbying rule language
Minnesota Governmental Relations Council comments - 1
Minnesota Governmental Relations Council comments - 2
St. Paul Area Chamber comments
American Council of Engineering Companies of Minnesota comments
Video of February 9, 2024 meeting
January 29, 2024 rulemaking committee meeting
The Board's rulemaking committee met on Monday, January 29, 2024. The draft rule language and written comments considered by the committee and video of the meeting are linked below.
American Council of Engineering Companies of Minnesota comments
Minnesota State Bar Association comments
Minnesota Regional Railroads Association comments
Video of January 29, 2024 meeting
Other rulemaking materials
Click here to view the Revisor's draft of the proposed rules dated December 17, 2024
Click here to view all comments received during the 30-day comment period
Click here to view the Statement of Need and Reasonableness (SONAR) dated September 30, 2024
Click here to view the Revisor's draft of the proposed rules dated August 15, 2024
Click here to view the Governor's Office Proposed Rule and SONAR Form signed June 27, 2024
Click here to view the revised proposed rule language approved by the Board on June 5, 2024
Click here to view the proposed rule language approved by the Board on March 8, 2024
Click here to view combined draft rule language released by Board staff on January 23, 2024
Click here to view the pages from the State Register that contained the Board's request for comments
Click here to view the request for comments published in the State Register on July 24, 2023
2016-2018 - Withdrawn Revisor's ID Number R-04450 Possible Amendment to and Repeal of Rules Governing Campaign Finance Regulation and Reporting; Independent Expenditures; Economic Interest Disclosure; and Audits and Investigations; Minnesota Rules, chapters 4501 through 4525
The Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board was considering rule amendments and repeals that would have 1) clarified conduct, actions, and relationships that prevent an expenditure from being independent and related topics; 2) clarified which expenditures qualify as noncampaign disbursements and related topics; 3) clarified the disclaimer requirements and exemptions for statements of attribution on independent expenditures and campaign material; 4) allowed staff review investigations to be resolved more quickly through the use of findings, conclusions, and orders; 5) clarified how to report reimbursements and the purpose of expenditures; 6) clarified when contributions made electronically are received; 7) specified the deadlines for actions necessary to qualify for public subsidy payments in a special election called under Minnesota Statutes section 204B.13; and 8) revisited the definition of securities for economic interest statements to ensure that it is not overbroad.
The Board withdrew this rulemaking because the potential rules were enacted into statute during the 2018 legislative session.
Click here to view a summary of the new legislation
Click here to view the Request for Comments published in the State Register on December 5, 2016
Proposed rules as approved by Board at October 4, 2017 meeting
October 4, 2017 draft - Proposed disclaimer amendments and provisions not related to expenditures
October 4, 2017 draft - Proposed coordination rules
September 25, 2017 legislative hearing
September 22, 2017 draft - Proposed disclaimer amendments and provisions not related to expenditures
September 22, 2017 draft - Proposed coordination rules
September 20, 2017 rule committee meeting
Board Guide to Noncampaign Disbursements
September 13, 2017 draft - Proposed disclaimer amendments and provisions not related to expenditures
September 13, 2017 draft - Proposed coordination rules
Beck comment - family member definitions
Minnesota Chamber of Commerce comments
Attachment 1 to Chamber comment - Florida Elections Commission v. Valliere
Beck comment for September 20, 2017 meeting
July 20, 2017 rule committee meeting
July 13, 2017 draft - Proposed noncampaign disbursement amendments and other expenditure provisions
Board Guide to Noncampaign Disbursements
July 13, 2017 draft - Proposed disclaimer amendments and provisions not related to expenditures
July 13, 2017 draft - Proposed coordination rules
Federal Election Commission - Coordinated Communications and Independent Expenditures Brochure
June 29, 2017 rule committee meeting
Proposed noncampaign disbursement amendments and other expenditure provisions
Fourth draft - Proposed coordination rules June 22, 2017
Second draft - Proposed disclaimer amendments and provisions not related to expenditures
Board Guide to Noncampaign Disbursements
Beck comment received for meeting
Chamber of Commerce comment received for meeting
March 16, 2017 rule committee meeting
Second draft - proposed coordination rules March 8, 2017
Third draft - proposed coordination rules March 28, 2017
First draft - proposed disclaimer amendments and provisions not related to expenditures
Board Guide to Noncampaign Disbursements
New - Minnesota Citizens for Clean Elections comments
New - Minnesota Realtors question regarding coordination rules
New - Potential modifcation of coordination rules to address Minnesota Realtor question
February 28, 2017 rule committee meeting
First draft - proposed coordination rules
Proposed technical changes - one revision to part 4503.1800, subpart 3
Comment received after last meeting
February 1, 2017 rule committee meeting
Additional information regarding the scope of potential rule changes
Beck comments with attachments
League of Women Voters comment
Proposed technical changes for second rule meeting
Potential technical changes for second rule meeting
2016-2017 - Withdrawn Revisor's ID Number R-4551 Technical amendments
In December 2016, as part of a broader rulemaking proposal, the Board sought comments on technical amendments to its rules that were necessary to conform those provisions to recent statutory changes. The legislature enacted the proposed technical amendments into law during the 2017 session. Consequently, the Board withdrew the proposed technical amendments.
Click here to view the Request for Comments published in the State Register on December 5, 2016
2014 - Rules regarding investigation and audit procedures
A new law enacted during the 2014 legislative session directed the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board to adopt rules governing Board audit and investigation procedures. The law required the Board to use the expedited rulemaking process to adopt the rules.
The Board chair appointed a rulemaking committee to draft the proposed rules. After four meetings and a public hearing, the committee recommended a draft of the proposed rules to the Board. On July 8, 2014, the Board approved the proposed expedited rules and authorized the executive director to publish a Notice of Intent to Adopt Expedited Rules without a Public Hearing. The Notice and the proposed expedited rules were published in the State Register on July 28, 2014. Although a Statement of Need and Reasonableness was not required for expedited rules, the Board also prepared an explanation of its proposed expedited rules.
The Board received four comments during the official comment period, which ended on August 27, 2014. The Board incorporated many of the suggestions into the proposed rules. On October 7, 2014, the Board adopted the final version of the proposed rules.
The Office of Administrative Hearings approved the proposed rules on October 22, 2014. The Governor's Office approved the proposed rules on November 14, 2014. The Notice of Adoption was published in the State Register on December 1, 2014. The rules were effective upon publication in the State Register.
Click here to view the Notice of Adoption published in the State Register on December 1, 2014