The Campaign Finance Transparency Act would overhaul how the Federal Election Commission enforces campaign finance laws. The bill changes the standard for initiating investigations from requiring an affirmative Commission vote to having the general counsel make the initial determination, which takes effect automatically after 30 days unless the Commission votes to block it. It also strengthens the ability of complainants to challenge dismissed complaints in court by allowing judges to conduct independent review and requiring the Commission to explain its dismissals, while limiting the agency's ability to claim prosecutorial discretion for violations exceeding $50,000. Additionally, the bill extends the statute of limitations for campaign finance violations from 5 to 10 years for criminal offenses and establishes a 10-year limit for civil penalties, requires the FEC to accept accent marks on campaign finance forms, clarifies that FEC attorneys can represent the agency at the Supreme Court, allows interested parties to testify against advisory opinion requests if supporters are permitted to testify in favor, and makes the FEC's administrative penalty authority permanent. The FEC has 180 days to write new regulations implementing these changes.
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