HB2598 • 2026

campaign finance; filings; penalties

HB2598 - campaign finance; filings; penalties

Elections

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Aaron Márquez, Brian Garcia, Lydia Hernandez
Last action: 2026-01-26
Official status: House second read
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not specify the exact consequences if a committee's email address is incorrect, leaving this detail uncertain.

Campaign Finance Reporting Penalties

This bill changes the penalties for failing to file campaign finance reports on time in Arizona.

What This Bill Does

Requires the filing officer to send a written notice by email within five days if a committee misses its filing deadline.
Increases daily fines from $10 to $20 for the first fifteen days and from $25 to $50 after that, until the report is filed.
Allows the filing officer to notify an enforcement officer if a committee does not file a complete report within thirty days of being notified.
Sends a notice by email to committees that fail to file three consecutive reports on time, temporarily suspending their authority to operate.

Who It Names or Affects

Committees and political action groups in Arizona who are required to file campaign finance reports.

Terms To Know

Filing officer: The person responsible for receiving and processing campaign finance reports.
Political action committee (PAC): A group that collects and spends money to support or oppose political candidates or ballot measures.

Limits and Unknowns

Does not specify what happens if the email address of a committee is incorrect.
The bill does not provide details on how penalties are enforced after suspension.
It's unclear who will cover any costs associated with enforcing these new rules.

Bill History

2026-01-26 House
House second read
2026-01-22 House
House Rules: None
2026-01-22 House
House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections: None
2026-01-22 House
House first read

Official Summary Text

HB2598 - campaign finance; filings; penalties

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB2598 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
campaign finance; filings; penalties

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HB 2598

Introduced by

Representatives
M�rquez: Garcia, Hernandez L

AN
ACT

amending section 16-937, Arizona Revised
Statutes; relating to campaign CONTRIBUTIONS and expenses.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Section 16-937, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
16-937.

Failure to file; penalties; notice; suspension

A. If a committee fails to timely file a complete
report as prescribed by articles 1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5 and 1.6 of this
chapter, the filing officer shall send a written notice by
e-mail

email
to the committee within five days after the filing
deadline that identifies the late report, describes how fines accrue and
identifies methods of payment.

B. A committee that fails to timely file a report
shall pay the filing officer a penalty of
ten dollars

$20
for each day that the filing is late during the first
fifteen days after the filing deadline and
twenty-five
dollars

$50
for each subsequent day that the
filing is late.� Penalties accrue until the late report is filed.

C. If a committee fails to file a complete report
within thirty days after the filing deadline and after providing notice
pursuant to subsection A of this section, the filing officer may notify the
appropriate enforcement officer prescribed in this article.

D. For any political action committee or political
party that fails to file three consecutive complete reports, the filing officer
shall send by
e-mail

email
to
the committee a notice of temporary suspension and the following apply:

1. On receipt, the committee's authority to operate
in the jurisdiction is temporarily suspended.

2. The notice shall state that failure to comply
with all filing and payment requirements within thirty days after the date of
the notice shall result in permanent suspension of the committee's authority to
operate in that jurisdiction.

E. After compliance with subsection D of this
section, the filing officer may permanently suspend the committee and shall
notify the committee by
e-mail

email

and is not required to provide any further notice. Permanent or
temporary suspension does not eliminate a committee's continuing obligation to
file reports and pay any outstanding and accruing penalties provided by law.
END_STATUTE